(Susan J. Aluise, Washington Technology) Virtualization could be the least sexy, most essential component of cloud computing – and that means whether it’s a top-down, government-wide initiative or a grass-roots, bottom-up project in a small office of a federal agency, it is going to happen.

In consultation with industry analysts, here’s FCW’s checklist on how to do it right:

1. Take Stock Of What You’ve Already Got
2. Clean House
3. Add Virtualization To The Mix
4. Not All IT Needs Are Created Equal
5. Look At Bringing Legacy Systems Into The Future
6. Manage Expectations
7. Listen Closely To Business/Project Leaders
8. Focus on Processes
9. Seek Out Standards And Best Practices
10. Check Out Private Sector Ideas
11. Don’t Get Lost In Translation
12. Get The Right Manager For The Virtual Job
13. Train As You Fight

To learn more, please click on the "full article" link, or attend this free, live webinar on virtual messaging.