While server virtualization is typically implemented initially for consolidation, it also brings strong benefits in increasing availability for server applications. Furthermore, virtualization is moving beyond servers, and offering desktop delivery alternatives through virtual clients, application virtualization and application streaming. Moving beyond consolidation leverages your existing virtualization products, knowledge and skills to deliver better service to your end users — through increased availability, manageability and flexibility of both server and desktop applications.

Chapter 5 - Virtualization Considerations for Desktop and High Availability
As data center managers seek to integrate larger virtual infrastructures, I/O bottlenecks become a real threat. In this chapter of her presentation on extending virtualization beyond consolidation, Barb Goldworm addresses that concern and discusses some of the ways hardware manufacturers are dealing with those concerns. She also offers some considerations for choosing an enterprise virtualization vendor.