Critical Factors for the Adoption of Virtualization Software: An Empirical Study

Abstract

The growth of virtualization technologies has allowed cloud adopters to make better use of computing resources. Despite its rapid expansion, adopters are having difficulty locating an appropriate virtualization solution and realizing the desired benefits.
 Six adoption factors were found to be the essential aspects of virtualization software for a seamless transition from physical to virtual computing after 43 tools and seven constructs were extracted using technology diffusion techniques. Based on the effect level, they are the software features, innovation risk, environmental factor, relative advantage, perceived usefulness, and social system. For public entities, the transition is specifically driven by ICT policies, regulations, and costs, whereas private sectors rely on market trends, the business status quo, and expert ranking. Adopters can utilize the study's findings as a strategic signal for a risk-free switch from physical to virtual computing, while vendors can leverage the design attributes to enhance software functionality.