Firstly, virtualization is a relatively new technology that enables customers to run multiple operating systems on a single piece of hardware, rather than using separate servers for each. Virtualization offers companies far greater flexibility on how they manage their servers and maximise resources. South West Communications Group provides consultation on bespoke solutions for virtualized environments supporting them either in their dedicated Data Centre or on the customers’ own premises.
South West Communications Group’s sales director Sarah Flowers said: “Virtualization is very much the buzz word in IT at the moment. It can not only drive capital costs down but can also reduce operational costs ultimately saving the customer money and improving their green appeal by reducing their carbon footprint.”
The second new service is based around flexible Internet bandwidth and percentile bursting. This complicated-sounding service is essentially an innovative way to offer customers access to high bandwidth when required without the need for them to pay the prohibitive regular monthly charges associated with that level of connectivity.
Customers can sign up to a pre agreed fixed base monthly bandwidth level but are always able to burst above this level as and when required throughout the month. Moreover, the nature of today’s bandwidth hungry applications is that bursting is often short-lived and this new method of charging ignores the top five per cent of usage meaning that the busiest 36 hours of every month is simply not chargeable.
Mrs Flowers added: “Flexible bursting has also been introduced to customers with seasonal trends, such as businesses reliant on tourism, who have significant bursting requirements at specific times of the year and need the ability to do so. This means that they are able to minimise expenditure throughout the year but have the flexibility to have pre agreed bursting on a month by month basis to whatever level required, similar to a pay as you go solution.”