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Desktop Virtualization Sizing & Scoping

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I have been doing quite a bit of work lately on Desktop Virtualization, obviously with VMware View.  As a number of analysts and non-analysts had predicted, 2009 is definitely the year that desktop virtualization is taking off.  Partially because of the technology has reach a level of maturity where it is usable for most use cases and partially driven by the cost savings potential that it can provide.  As I have indicated in previous posts, there are real conversations happening within corporate desktop IT discussing getting rid of corporate owned laptops or desktops all together.

While reading Chris Wolf’s descriptiong of the demo he saw of PCoIP at VMworld in Europe, it struck me that the sizing metrics used to describe dekstop virtualization tend to vary.  Chris mentioned in his post:

“…with a virtual desktop consolidation density ranging from 30-60 VMs (densities commonly found by our clients piloting or running VDI today).”

While there are times when we need to simplify measurements to keep complexity in check, it can be misleading to talk about virtualization densities without mentioning the units for that density.  I’m assuming that Chris was referring to VMs per Server, that would make sense given the number.

I would have to argue that this is the wrong unit to use for desktop virtualization, the proper unit that should be used for desktop virtualization density is VMs per Core. As the number of Core’s per CPU socket keep increasing and as the size of servers, measured in number of sockets, keep increasing in the data center we should be measuring virtualization density in VMs per Core.   This is the best metric to guage technology advancements against.

When talking with my customers about VMware View deployments, we are always talking about the density in VMs per Core and cost of solution per desktop for a given use case (common population).  The cost can be impacted by playing around with how you package those cores in the data center. As long as the server can contain as much memory as needed by the total number of VMs your golden.  And the memory limitations won’t be as great of a limitation for much longer.

The use case is the other key aspect.  When looking at a desktop virtualization solution, I have found that you need to keep the solution contained to a single use case which describes a single virtual desktop size.  Call center desktops have their own unique size (hard drive space, memory, and hard drive usage) while a knowledge worker desktop has a different unique size.  Each use case’s different size will impact the costs and ROI/TCO model.

So, when analyzing virtual desktop solutions, keep in mind your sizing metrics and keep your use case scopes focused.  Like any solution, desktop virtualization should be taken in bites and these two suggestions will help keep in that task.

Measuring SOA ROI and Value

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(Disclaimer: I currently work for IONA Technologies)

My other alter-ego is back, Greg the Architect has a new episode out that talks about SOA ROI. First, we should all be afraid when there are too many acronyms used right next to each other…


Even though I have issue with the transparency of the sponsorship behind Greg, I have to admit that the episodes are very well done, highly relevant (as anyone who has been selling or buying enterprise technology, specifically SOA technology, can tell you), and funny.

Side Box: I do have to congratulate the TIBCO Marketing team. I was contacted by their Worldwide Direct of Marketing and was informed that they received an Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) Award by the Web Marketing Association for the first episode of Greg the Architect. Dan and Ram, keep up the great work!

This episode talks about something that is near and dear to my heart, how to measure the value of technology. This is one of the corner stones of my new role at IONA. As part of the Customer Value Sales Team, I’m responsible for working with IONA’s west coast account teams to apply IONA’s value selling model, what we call the Value Assessment Program, to how our clients use IONA’s technology within their enterprises.

Everyone has heard the terms ROI and Value before. If you’re a buyer of technology you have heard countless vendors claim ROI numbers for their products or provide statements of value that you can achieve through the use of their products and/or solutions. If you are (or have been) a vendor selling technology then you have most likely been given ROI and value statements from your marketing department at some point to assist with your sales. You might have even used one of those magic ROI Calculator spreadsheets to help show a customer the value in hard numbers (more on that later).

I think this is a good topic to cause us to sit backwards on our horses to see where we have traveled over the past few years in technology with regards to RIO and Value.

A long, long time ago, back when you needed to go through 2+ years of serious and all encompassing training to receive the title of sales executive, value was something that described how a technology would directly impact your business. Granted, when dealing with new technologies there was a bit of faith involved in accepting the numbers. But that risk is what lead to great rewards. During the most recent bubble years, when a monkey wearing a vendor’s logo polo shirt could sell technology, the concept of understanding (or explaining) the business value that a technology purchase would create was considered “old fashioned”. How many millions of dollars were wasted…

The past five years has seen the industry pendulum swing back. Right after the bubble burst, technology companies started to realize this “new way” of selling technology, based on a calculated Return On Investment. Unfortunately, a lot of these ROI models were just smoke and mirrors reflecting MBA speak around a product. I have seen countless ROI calculators that would generate a positive ROI…even when all zeros were entered int them.

Now we are back full circle to businesses expecting to see financial validation behind their technology purchases. Most monkeys are back in the zoo (though I think we are running short on animal catchers), and an account executive for enterprise technology and solution companies are expected to be business partners of their customers. This means helping their customer use the technology to help address business problems their customers are facing or sometimes ones they don’t even see. This also includes explaining that business value in the customer’s business terms.

This was one of the primary reasons why I decided to join IONA almost a year ago. We have a dedicated team with executive support focused on helping us and our clients understand the value that can be achieved through the use of IONA’s Distributed SOA Infrastructure technology. Our Value Assessment Program (VAP) involves a commitment from both IONA and our clients to understand this value. This 30-45 day program consists leveraging IONA’s decade long set of experiences from Global 2000 companies to conduct focused interviews within a client’s organization, validate of the risk areas identified, and jointly craft a solutions to minimize these risk areas. This solution’s core is a value statement, built upon numbers provided and confirmed by the client’s people, detailing how this solution will impact the client’s business.

As I promised in my entry about recent changes back in February, I was planning on writing more about this Value Selling Methodology. I have not had a lot of entries on this topic since due to the success that we have been having with it in the field. I have been working clients over the past three months detailing how IONA can savee them millions of dollars in technology spend or create millions of dollars of business revenue thought the acceleration of their software development lifecycles.

Consider this my renewed pledge to start sharing more of this with you in the near future. To quote a good friend of mine “a couple of no-doze and a pot of coffee and I’ll be up all night writing manifestos.”

Pour me another cup!