VMs are software systems that function as completely independent computers within a hardware system. They make use of software known as Hypervisor to separate hardware resources like memory, CPU and storage. A virtual machine is able to operate a different OS such as Windows for business applications or Linux for software development.

Virtual systems help reduce the risk of system failure and lets you quickly restore your data to a previous point in time. You can also test and deploy new or old applications in a sandbox environment to ensure that they function according to plan, without disrupting production.

You can put multiple VMs onto one physical computer which will reduce your operating and capital costs. It also eliminates duplicate backup systems and reduces the amount of data you need to maintain. And, with cloud-based VMs it is easy to access your data from any location connected to the internet and eliminate the need for offsite backup locations.

A VM can be operated on any device that meets the requirements for performance of your company, which includes desktops and servers. Each Hypervisor has pros and cons that are crucial for small-sized companies. A popular choice is VMware vSphere with ESX/ESXi. This is a solution for businesses that offers enhanced security hosts with up 6 TB RAM and 128 vCPUs. It also provides role-based accessibility extensive logging, as well as auditing. Another popular option is Microsoft Hyper-V. Microsoft Hyper-V is less expensive and is easier to manage than vSphere however, it does not have the same capabilities.

read review and see why data room encryption is critical for data protection