IDC analysis of the potential to lower IT costs by moving to a virtualized infrastructure finds that the savings can be significant: - Adopting a simple virtualized infrastructure can result in a reduction of up to 35% of total annual server costs per user compared with an unvirtualized static x86 server configuration (see the Appendix for included cost items). Described in this IDC White Paper as "basic virtualization," this starting point of virtualization refers to basic x86 server consolidation using virtualization software. It is commonly applied to test and development environments, along with at least some production use. - Our research finds that the use of more advanced virtualization technology, along with increasingly sophisticated systems management tools that manage both the guest environments and the virtualization engines themselves, can further extend the benefits of virtualization significantly. - An optimally managed or "advanced virtualization" infrastructure, described as an infrastructure that includes penetration of virtualized servers of more than 25%, storage virtualization, and the use of systems management tools, can deliver a total reduction of up to 52% per user per year. This white paper shows you advanced virtualization techniques so that you can synergize blade architectures with virtualization to maximize the advantages of this technology.