What is Virtualisation?
Virtualisation is a proven software technology that converts a physical computer into a virtual machine to run on top of another operating system resulting in a significantly more efficient, portable, cost-effective and reliable IT infrastructure.

Virtualisation will transform your businesses IT infrastructure from a sluggish, outdated and underutilised system with outages and high overheads, to a fast, portable, reliable, efficient and cost effective foundation block.

Identify if your business needs a Virtualisation solution.
Does your business suffer from:

☐ One IT fault taking the whole system down
☐ An unnecessarily high server ratio for number of staff (on average 1-2 servers are required for up to 30 staff, 3-5 servers for 100 – 300 staff etc)
☐ Out of warranty servers
☐ Using ‘cold spares’ as disaster recovery plan (old machines on stand-by in anticipation of an IT disaster)
☐ Frazzled internal IT department
☐ IT support working long hours to keep system running
☐ Ratio of IT resources to total staff is too high (often because too much out of date equipment working inefficiently delivering a poor performance and reducing productivity)
☐ Slow programmes (eg. Financial software or email running slowly for whole company)
☐ High power bills

Virtualisation has seen massive uptake in recent years. If you answered yes to one or more of the questions above, chances are your business would be transformed by a move to a Virtualisation platform. The ROI is clear and measurable with significant and immediate cost savings.

Key Benefits
- Simplified hardware requirements significantly reducing capital costs
- Improved server management
- Improved application performance enabling greater business productivity
- Increased portability
- Greater up-time due to isolation of software containers
- Improved disaster recovery enabling business continuity
- Added scalability to meet future growth

Why you need it
Prior to virtualisation, organisations house a series of servers each hosting an operating system (eg Windows) and server applications such as email, financial software, an intranet or website etc.
Typically the CPU of the servers is only being used at a fraction of their capacity, making them cumbersome expensive and inefficient machines to run. When a server has an issue it can take down many components when the host server is being fixed.
With a virtualised environment you can have many specifically tasked servers running efficiently.
If you have a clustered environment (multiple server hosts), when a piece of hardware fails, the resource switches in real time to the working hardware. – no downtime at all.

How it works
Virtualisation is enabled by setting up multiple virtual machines on a single physical computer generating efficiencies through sharing the CPU, RAM and resources of one machine across multiple environments.
Whilst the virtual machine shares the resources of the computer it resides on, it securely isolates the software it hosts and runs its own operating system as if it were a separate machine.
In practice this means that if one of the virtual machines crashes, the remaining virtual machines and their applications remain available, isolating the problem area and keeping the majority of applications running while the problem is resolved.
Virtual machines are incredibly portable and can be moved from one location to another like any software making them easy to manage. Virtual machines are independent from the hardware they sit on, enabling you to run different operating systems (Windows, Linux, etc), reducing compatibility and continuity issues.

Virtualisation process in summary
- Analyse server requirements to consolidate hardware and make portion of existing servers redundant
- Install virtualisation software on servers
- Set-up virtual machines with own operating system and isolated applications in software containers
- Cluster – in a virtualised cluster if one piece of hardware fails (like a disk or power) all the servers relying on this can be moved in real time to a working host.
- Monitor – ongoing observation to ensure specifications are met for peak performance
- Measure – reduced costs, energy savings, increased up-time
- Maintain – ongoing health checks to prevent and manage down-time

October 2006 

Fisheye recently picked up the innovation award for the Northern Region at the Sustainable Business Network's > Get Sustainable Challenge > 2006
Check out our press release, or the Sustainable Review publication or finally on the Sustainable Business Networks website.

We encourage all of you to get involved with the SBN's progressive Sustainable Business Challenge. This is a big opportunity for those who are willing to lead the future of business.

Click here for a detailed map and instructions!

ARTICLE FEATURED IN PONSONBY NEWS (AUGUST '06)

"The world of computer technology is constantly changing and most business owners don’t have the time or the inclination to focus on it," explains Fisheye managing director and founder Jeremy Hunt. “But, at the same time, they don’t want to be left behind. That’s where a professional IT service is essential for a small business, which can’t sustain having a permanent IT department. We take on that role and, by pooling resources and knowledge, it is more cost-effective for clients.

“We understand the financial pressures small businesses are under,” explains Jeremy, “and work proactively to create systems that are fundamental to their business’s growth. We have a team of consulting and technical staff who will come in, audit your system, talk through wants and needs, and then create a customised computer network. It’s all about laying the foundation which is needed for a business to grow.”

Thanks to advances in technology such as remote access and being situated on Ponsonby Road, Fisheye is able to respond rapidly and efficiently to clients IT needs, ensuring that your business’s productivity is kept up. (Don’t you just hate having to wait for your IT support to come from the other side of town!)

Another factor that makes Fisheye unique, is that it is run with a constant view to sustainability. So, you know not only are you getting the very best IT service, you’re also doing your bit for the environment.

We have developed a new training programme to ensure all staff are developing their own specialist skills and refreshing their knowledge with the latest developments in our Small Business Technology world.

All Fisheye technical staff have now completed their Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) exams. Congratulations to Rhys for being the most recent to sit and achieve the highest marks!

   

The MCP qualification demonstrates a knowledge and understanding of the the latest Microsoft Windows platform - particularly focussed on how to setup and manage desktop computers and how they talk to Windows servers.

The MCP qualifications are one component of the Microsoft Certified Partner Programme.

Fisheye has become New Zealand's first Microsoft Certified Small Business Specialist > click for more details. The program is designed to recognise Microsoft partners who are focussed on the Small Business space. Click here for more details.

Fisheye won a judges' commendation in the 2004 SBN Awards presented by Waikato University. Fisheye was recognised for its efforts in incorporating sustainability principles into its developing business and encouraged to continue the progressive path.

In particular the usage of scooters for IT support and the growing usage of remote support technoligies were highlighted as some of the key solutions.