July 21, 2011

Enterprises are ready for the Cloud according to research from VMware, Accenture and EMC

IDC survey reveals 90% of responding companies virtualizing server environments

25% of large companies has already virtualized part of its client desktops

72% believe Cloud Computing responds their needs

Less than 15% are ready to consider a Public Cloud environment

Paris – 21 July, 2011 — VMware (NYSE:VMW), the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, Accenture (NYSE: ACN), a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company and EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC), the world leader in information infrastructure solutions, today announced the results of a survey carried out by IDC France[1]. The results show that many large companies in France have taken steps to virtualize their IT environments because they believe cloud computing will help meet their business needs and increase agility in highly competitive markets. The IDC research explored companies’ maturity regarding the industrialisation of IT services to users and demonstrated how virtualization and cloud computing are included as part of their infrastructure modernisation model. IDC assessed this evolution on two major axes: virtualization and service industrialisation/automation level.

The survey was conducted among the largest French companies of over 2,000 employees and from all industries. Its results indicate that:

· French companies are embracing desktop virtualisation: One out of four companies already virtualised some of their client desktops. 17% of the companies responding plan to virtualize their desktops within 18 months.

· French companies increasingly understand that virtualisation delivers more than cost savings alone: 18 months ago, 80% of companies considered cost savings to be the most important benefit[2], compared to 55% of companies today.

· Virtualisation leads to cloud computing: 90% of companies have started to virtualise their server environmentsand half of them have a strong industrialized approach to IT services whereby IT services are automatically rebilled.

· French companies prefer the private cloud: Most companies (between 67 and 71% depending on their size) are looking to keep IT resources pooled within their France-based premises. Less than 15% of them would consider a Public Cloud environment.

“Virtualisation is a key enabling technology to move to cloud computing. By offering them the choice to use a private, hybrid or public cloud depending on their needs, companies can optimize their operating efficiency, agility, competitiveness and responsiveness”, said Hervé Uzan, General Manager, VMware France.

“The cloud computing impulse has definitely spread: many large companies – mainly those with more than 5,000 employees – are now developing an IT service industrialisation approach through the implementation of private clouds”, said Karim Bahloul, Director of surveys and research, IDC.

Cloud computing facilitates pooling

With their improved maturity, the leading companies are able to think more practically when considering the implementation of highly automated and industrialised cloud environments (with services catalogs, automated provisioning / de-provisioning, automated charge-back). Although cloud is a new technology, nearly three quarters of the organisations interviewed (72%) think that cloud computing fits their needs.

In any case, pooling must remain restricted to IT management’s field of technological expertise: less than 15% of companies were reportedly ready to consider implementing a public cloud environment.

“Cloud computing enables companies to improve adaptability and reduce IT cost”, said Jean-Luc Couasnon, director of Infrastructure consulting, Accenture France Benelux. “CIOs become more responsive to the evolution of business needs and leverage simplified access to the latest technology innovations”.

Governance and IT service automation: maturity is in progress

· 49% of companies have committed to SLAs over the whole or part of their operational scope. This responds to high business expectations regarding continuous service uptime and IS-management responsiveness to new application needs in project mode.

· 44% of businesses managed to simplify IT-service request processes with a services catalog delivered on a web portal – the first step towards IT service industrialisation.

· 40% of CIOs are working with managers to implement improved invoicing models, and 21% of companies are considering charging back services and following up the relevant indicators.

“This survey covers most of the strategic issues CIOs have to deal with on short and mid-term bases to define their IT strategies and investments”, comments Jean-Yves Pronier, Communications and Marketing Manager, EMC. “In order to keep up, they must change the way they operate to transform their traditional infrastructures into private cloud datacenters and deliver IT as a Service to both internal and external customers. Private cloud, the next big IT trend, can help them reach that goal”.

For further information, please click HERE to access to the white paper titled “virtualisation and cloud, towards the industrialization of IT services”

About VMware

VMware delivers virtualization and cloud infrastructure solutions that enable IT organizations to energize businesses of all sizes. With the industry leading virtualization platform – VMware vSphere® – customers rely on VMware to reduce capital and operating expenses, improve agility, ensure business continuity, strengthen security and go green. With 2010 revenues of $2.9 billion, more than 250,000 customers and 25,000 partners, VMware is the leader in virtualization which consistently ranks as a top priority among CIOs. VMware is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the world and can be found online at www.vmware.com.

About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 223,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$21.6 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2010. Its home page is www.accenture.com

About EMC

EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC) is the world’s leading developer and provider of information infrastructure technology and solutions that enable organizations of all sizes to transform the way they compete and create value from their information. Information about EMC’s products and services can be found at www.EMC.com.

VMware and VMware vSphere are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions.

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[1] An IDC white paper “Virtualisation and Cloud: to the industrialization of IT services”, June 2011. White paper results based on a survey sponsored by Accenture, VMware and EMC conducted in February and March 2011 among more than 80+ French companies.

[2] Source: IDC France survey, 2009