THE IMPACT OF VIRTUALIZATION AND CLOUD COMPUTING TO MODERN BUSINESS

Abstract: Nowdays, the increasing application of information technology in modern business and life in general, virtualization and cloud computing are new solutions designed to increase the level of system abstraction and degree of utilization of computer performance. New technologies offer the flexibility, the ability to adapt workloads resources and to realize cost savings of IT infrastructure in terms of administration and support costs. The period when the big companies had a monopoly and control over resources and information are far behind us and the only companies to survive in the future are „smart“ companies. This paper defines the terms virtualization and cloud computing and explains its importance as the challenge of rapid success and growth of the company. Special attention is focused on the savings and its benefits. The advantages of applying virtualization and cloud computing are numerous only in case they are implemented in the right way, although many managers have doubts about this technology. The data is obtained through an online survey which was conducted in the companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as data Forrester Research that determined the current level of application of virtualization and cloud computing in the world and companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Besides, it pointed out the guidelines of the future steps