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How Virtualization Can Help You Grow Your Business

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If you hang around IT circles a lot, you must have heard the words virtualization and virtual machines thrown around in conversations. You’ve probably even heard that these things can save costs and capacity for organizations, and help them grow.

Perhaps you’re already wondering how your business can enjoy these benefits.

This article explains what virtualization is, and takes you through some of the concepts involved with it. It also shows how your company can gain on multiple fronts from adopting virtualization technology.

What is Virtualization?

Virtualization is the process of creating virtual versions of operating systems, servers, and networks.

To understand this, let’s remind ourselves what a ‘virtual’ thing is. That word refers to a non-real representation of something real. For instance, there’s Virtual Reality (VR) which is supposed to mirror reality in some way but isn’t real.

So in virtualization, we create virtual copies of operating systems, servers, networks, and other resources. Instead of these items existing within single sets of hardware, we could have multiple virtual resources existing on a single set of hardware.

For instance, you could have two operating systems— Microsoft Windows and a Linux –running on the same computer. Or you could have several applications on just one server.

But how is this possible?

How Virtualization Works

Today, we operate our computers with very fast CPUs and servers. Typically, we would host a single operating system on one computer, or one application on a server. This often leaves these resources with plenty of unused capacity.

With virtualization, you can make the most of that capacity by running several virtual systems on each of them.

Virtualization happens when a virtualization layer is created to separate the hardware component of a system from the user. This separation allows for the creation of several ‘virtual machines’, or virtual computers each with its operating system and applications. These virtual machines and OS exist on a single physical machine or computer.

Types of Virtualization

There are various types of virtualization, involving different kinds of resources.

  • OS Virtualization: The creation of one or more virtual operating systems or machines.
  • Server virtualization: This divides a single server into multiple virtual servers.
  • Application virtualization: Here you can run applications that aren’t installed on your computer as though they were. This is possible because you separate them from the hardware on which they are supposed to be running.
  • Network virtualization: In this situation, you reproduce whole network infrastructure— hardware and software –as a software entity, a virtual network.
  • Storage virtualization: Here, you group multiple network storage devices into one large storage unit. You can do this by separating the storage-management software from the supporting hardware component and uniting them virtually.

The Benefits of Virtualization for Your Business

Here’s how virtualization can help your business.

  1. Reduced Costs

With virtualization, you can handle workloads on a single system that would have taken you two or three such systems to get done. Each system can take multiple operating systems, which means you can deal with different tasks on each OS.

If you don’t have to acquire new infrastructure for every new hire or branch that you open, you’ll save a lot of costs. That’s what virtualization helps you achieve. You only use a fraction of your usual expenses, because you’re making the most of existing resources.

  1. Manageability

You will need fewer people and tools to manage your resources. That’s because there’s a lot more you can track and take care of from fewer devices.

  1. Less Energy Use

One problem with running single operating systems and applications on computers and servers is that it consumes a lot of energy. If you had several virtual machines on a single system (with each one running an OS) you would only need to power a single physical system instead of many.

This means your energy bills will be smaller. But it also contributes to environmental sustainability.

  1. Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity

Virtualization plays a big role in Disaster Recovery.

When there’s a network outage, you risk losing important files. Even if you have them backed up in hardware on site it may take days to retrieve.

With Disaster Recovery, you can have virtual versions of your operating systems, servers, and networks come on within minutes of an outage. This saves your files and allows you to carry on with work in a very short while.  Ultimately, it reduces or eliminates downtimes, allowing you to deliver uninterrupted service to your customers.

Some IT service companies like Layer3 provide Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) to their clients. It’s an important part of the business continuity strategy for many of these organizations.

  1. Smaller Data Centers

As your resource optimization improves, you’ll find that you don’t need a lot of physical space to host your resources. If you’re able to partition hardware and use virtual servers, you’ll only need a fraction of the data center space you would require if you were going on without deliberate virtualization.

  1. Increased Productivity

Your team will get more work done when they can use multiple resources. They can turn to the ones that work best for each situation, and call on a wider range of applications whenever they need to get things done.

With increased productivity, there’s the prospect of higher revenues. And because you’re also spending less on fewer physical resources, your margins will likely be higher, and your profits could expand (other things held constant).

Where Can You Get the Best Virtualization Service?

Many firms offer virtualization services. They do so directly, or through partner companies that are closer to client businesses. If you’re in Nigeria and you would like to save costs and grow your business with virtualization, you can do this with Layer3.

Layer3 has partnered with VMWare, the world’s leading provider of virtualization services, to deliver the world-class virtual capabilities your business needs. From digital workspaces to virtual cloud networks, our range of solutions will enable you to maximize your resources, and reap more from your IT investments.

Would you like to find out how virtualization can help you improve your business processes? We can help you. Get in touch with us HERE, and we’ll take things up from there.Layer


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E-Business

Gov. Mbah Tasks Youths to Embrace Technology as Enugu Tech Festival Opens

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The 2025 Enugu Tech Festival being organised by the Enugu State Government kicked off yesterday with the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, describing it as the biggest technology conference that has ever happened in Nigeria.

Tijani said the Tech Festival, which attracted thousands of youths from within and outside the state, was a major leap for Nigeria’s determination to build a robust digital economy, noting that Enugu State under Governor Peter Mbah, had moved from policy to progress to lead the tech revolution in Nigeria.

This was even as Governor Peter Mbah urged the youths to embrace technology, insisting that the future is technology.

Speaking, the Minister said that the Tech Festival, tagged Coal to Code, fitted into the agenda and activities of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, having recognised that the future of digital economy in Nigeria would not only be built in Abuja, but would instead be co-created across all states.

“Enugu is showing how this should and will be done. I have never, never been to a conference on technology in Nigeria that is this big. I founded the first technology hub in Nigeria, the very first in Nigeria. So, I know a thing or two when technology people gather. I can assure you that today, you are part of history because we have never seen anything this big in Nigeria before.

“There is something powerful about your state: the energy, the ambition, the possibilities. Just two years ago, only a few people could imagine this kind of tech momentum. But today, Enugu has not just imagined, Enugu is building it. Under two years, we have seen investment in digital infrastructure, and the innovation ecosystem of the state.

“What is happening today in Enugu is part of something bigger. We are now witnessing a generational rise, not one where people complain and protest, but one where creativity is used to shape the future. Not just with passion, but with precision,” he stated.

While commending the participants for rising to “create the kind of Nigeria the world will pay attention to,” Tijani called for collaboration, commitment, and hard work by all stakeholders to make it happen.

“Progress is not automatic, but needs all of us. It needs the government to continue to be brave. It needs the private sector to invest deeper. It needs mentors, builders, teachers, and it needs leaders,” he concluded.

Speaking, Governor Mbah, while highlighting how his administration had invested in technology to dramatically revolutionise security, land administration, education, among others, noted that the Enugu Tech Festival was part of his government’s wider efforts to build the youth of the state into wealth creators and highly sought-after workforce of tomorrow’s workplace.

“The power of technology and innovation and what we can accomplish is something that I want the youths to be mindful of. If you look at the way things are being done in the world today, we are now talking about an era where people just sit down with great ideas, create platforms where they begin to essentially benefit from that platform.

“An example is the Uber that came and disrupted the city taxi without owning a key. Today, they provide by far the largest traffic just by creating a platform. You can extend that to Airbnb.

Without owning a key, these guys have disrupted the business of those who own several brick and mortar houses. You can also extend that to Tesla. That is the power of technology. This shows essentially that technology is where the future is,” he emphasised.

In his remark, the Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Lawrence Ezeh, said the Enugu Tech Festival, which would now become an annual event, underscored a paradigm shift from the old Enugu known for coal to one that has become a rising force in Nigeria’s tech-driven future, a beacon of innovation, intellectual capital, digital enterprise, and endless possibilities.

“For decades, our identity was built on coal, a resource that powered Nigeria’s industrial rise. But today, we stand in a different kind of power—the power of knowledge, innovation, and technology,” he stated.

Also at the event were the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande; Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Uchenna Ugwu; former Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Barth Nnaji; Chairman of Zinox Technical, Leo Stan Ejeh; and the Group Managing Director, Afrinvest, Dr. Ike Chioke, among a host of others.

 


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Firm Finds Leaked Netflix, Roblox and Discord Accounts Registered on Corporate emails

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Employees may also use corporate emails to register for personal accounts on marketplaces and social media, increasing the risk of account theft and corporate security breaches, according to a study by Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence.

Kaspersky shares these findings and suggests key cybersecurity practices to mitigate the risks of credential leaks.

Kaspersky experts analysed compromised credentials leaked on the dark web between 2019 and 2024 for three popular entertainment platforms: Roblox, Discord and Netflix. The analysis revealed that, on average, 7% of users whose accounts were leaked had registered on these platforms using a corporate email address.

“Registering on various services for personal use with a work email is not best practice. First, you may lose access to these accounts if you change jobs. Second, it can pose security risks for both you and your company.

“If your passwords follow a predictable pattern across different services – for example, ‘Word2025!’, where ‘2025’ is a recurring part – it increases the likelihood of other accounts being compromised, including your work account, should your corporate email be exposed in a dark web leak,” explains Sergey Shcherbel, expert at Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence.

Kaspersky experts also found that bank employees most commonly registered their work email addresses on streaming services, marketplaces and social networks. In a few cases, corporate emails were also used as logins on gaming platforms and adult content websites.

Corporate email usage on entertainment platforms: statistics from a sample of 50 banking sector companies.

To conduct this study, experts compiled a sample of 50 banking sector companies and examined compromised credentials leaked on the dark web, identifying those linked to the corporate domains of these companies across five categories of popular platforms.

Learn more in the report. In light of this growing infostealer threat, Kaspersky has launched a dedicated landing page to raise awareness of the issue and provide strategies for mitigating associated risks.

If you encounter a data leak through infostealers, the following steps should be taken immediately:

  • Change compromised account passwords and monitor for suspicious activity associated with those accounts.
  • Run full security scans on all devices, removing any detected malware.
  • Companies are recommended to monitor dark web markets proactively to detect compromised accounts before they pose risks to customers or employees. A detailed guide on setting up monitoring can be found here. Leverage Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence to track what cybercriminals know about your company’s assets, identify potential attack vectors, and implement protective measures in a timely manner.
  • As an enterprise, implement a security awareness program for employees, including regular training and performance assessments. Enforce a strict password policy for all corporate resources to reduce the risks of encountering credential-related cyber threats.

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NDPC, Mastercard Partner to Strengthen Data Protection

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Dr. Vincent Olatunji, commissioner, NDPC and Derek Ho,deputy chief privacy officer, Mastercard
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Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mastercard to enhance data protection in Nigeria.

Dr. Vincent Olatunji, commissioner, NDPC and Derek Ho,deputy chief privacy officer, Mastercard

The agreement was sealed during a workshop where 150 Data Protection Officers (DPOs) were trained on Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs).

Dr. Vincent Olatunji, commissioner, NDPC, said the event kicks off activities for the 8th NADPA conference, highlighting government efforts to train more certified DPOs.

Olatunji also disclosed the Federal Government’s commitment to increasing the number of certified DPOs with the required skills to manage data protection.

He noted that Nigeria’s digital-savvy youth are key to driving this agenda.

“Human capital is really key to us, and the ecosystem we are regulating is very special. It is still new, still emerging, and we need all we can to build the capacity of officers.

“We want to build the capacity of our people so we can be able to deliver on our mandate and fully deepen privacy in Nigeria.

“We are targeting to build the capacity of 250,000 DPOs annually, and we are working with partners like Mastercard to achieve that,” he said.

Derek Ho,deputy chief privacy officer, Mastercard,  also stressed the need for collaboration to build trust in the digital economy and urged participants to embrace training as data protection keeps evolving.

 

 


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