Get Virtual Now, or Else

News Brief. At Midnight, Microsoft kicked off its "Get Virtual Now" day. The live events start at noon.

Microsoft already has made several, virtualization announcements, at least one of which surprises me:

Hyper-V Server 2008 will release within 30 days

The software will be available via the Web at "no cost"

System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 will release within 30 days

Some Windows Server 2008 R2 features will be demoed today

Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack 2008 R2, which includes Application Virtualization 4.5, will release in the "coming weeks"

I am surprised and just the littlest bit confused that Hyper-V will be free. When Microsoft announced pricing, the software was supposed to be free for Software Assurance customers and nearly so for everybody else. I'll be seeking clarification, although it doesn't much matter. Microsoft might as well have been giving it away for the little non-Software Assurance subscribers would pay.

Virtualization is one of the hottest trends in enterprise computing. In April, Gartner identified six best practices for enterprises virtualizing servers.

Begin with smaller virtualization projects, focusing on server consolidation and associated hardware maximization and cost savings. By comparison, OEMs or consultants "will recommend large-scale server virtualizations."

Develop a plan for immediate return on investment, within six months. "Companies deploying 50 virtual machines or more in a year will be able to make a good business case."

Selectively virtualize applications, with initial focus on those that aren't necessarily mission critical. "The best applications to focus on tend to be older, smaller packaged applications."