Intel Virtualization Technology

Intel Virtualization Technology (Intel VT)¹ is comprised of a set of processor enhancements that improve traditional software-based virtualization solutions. These integrated features give virtualization software the ability to take advantage of offloading workload to the system hardware, enabling more streamlined virtualization software stacks and "near native" performance characteristics.
Virtualization solutions enhanced by Intel VT allow a platform to run multiple operating systems and applications as independent virtual machines. Using virtualization capabilities, one computer system can function as multiple "virtual" systems.
Virtualization has emerged as a compelling technology for server platforms, offering data center managers the ability to consolidate multiple workloads on one physical server system. Server consolidation offers lower hardware acquisition costs as well as improved data center performance efficiency.

Using Intel Virtualization Technology in the digital office—with desktop PCs, for example—businesses can isolate a portion of a managed PC to perform system upgrades and maintenance without interrupting the end user. IT managers could also create one desktop PC build that can function independently as both a business and personal system, keeping software loads and virus attacks separate, or a PC build that runs different operating systems and software for different or legacy tasks.
In the data center, multiple servers can be combined into one system, running different applications and operating systems, providing advantages for IT tasks such as server consolidation and security. Server virtualization can also help businesses with the challenge of keeping legacy applications running. Virtualization is being employed today to get around the rigidity and high cost of managing legacy systems. Instead of migrating legacy applications to a new operating system, applications can be hosted with their existing operating systems in a virtual partition on the new platform, with no need for software modification.
Home users could create virtual "partitions" isolating multiple user environments such as dedicating resources to a PC game, productivity, and personal video recorder-type environments, as well as improve defenses against viruses or spyware.
Intel Virtualization Technology provides a foundation for widely deployed virtualization solutions:
Intel VT-based virtualization under development by leading providers of virtualization infrastructure.
Intel VT forms the foundation of a roadmap of Intel® technologies focused on improved virtualization and safer computing.
Intel VT provides headroom for more robust hardware-assisted virtualization solutions:
When combined with the right software, Intel Virtualization Technology can improve the reliability and supportability of virtualization solutions, enabling improved consolidation and fail-over for servers.
For client platforms, Intel VT helps optimized software provide a foundation for highly available and more secure client virtualization partitions.