Organisations around the world are adopting an increasingly aggressive approach to desktop virtualisation, according to a study commissioned by Dimension Data.

The Forrester Consulting study questioned 546 organisations in countries including New Zealand, Australia and the United States, and found that 52% ranked desktop and application virtualisation as critical, or a major initiative over the next 12 to 18 months.

Deployment levels are predicted to grow from 27% to 46% in the next two years. New Zealand organisations were found to be among the most aggressive in adopting virtualisation.

Ettienne Reinecke, chief technology officer for Dimension Data, says the drive to Windows 7 is a big factor in the figures, with fewer than 1000 days remaining until Microsoft no longer supports Windows XP.

"Organisations are under pressure to beat the Windows XP end-of-support deadline,” Reinecke says.

"Of those organisations surveyed, 22% said they do not have a Windows 7 deployment plan in place, and another 13% are unsure how long their deployments will take.

Pressure to manage the ‘consumerisation' of IT is also a factor driving virtualisation, Reinecke says.

60% of the organisations surveyed cited cost savings as one of the main drivers, although Reinecke warns the idea virtualisation will lead to immediate cost savings is a misconception.

"Desktop virtualization requires significant investment in the supporting network infrastructure, servers, storage upgrades, and software licensing fees to ensure that the solution can effectively meet business and end user demands,” Reinecke says.

Go here to read the full report.