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There's a new technology in town, and it's a pro at helping your church office's network run with greater efficiency and at a lower cost. But there's one catch.

It's free.

Yup. Free. The first time I heard about it, I asked, "Can it possibly be any good?" I think you'll be just as surprised as I was.

The technology is called virtual servers and it's made possible by free software. Here's how it works: Churches with multiple computers all linked together on a network usually have one or more central computers, or servers, that do two things: one, run services, such as email and security, that each of the other computers depend upon; and two, store data files. The most expensive component in a network server is its processor chip, yet most of the time, less than 10 percent of the chip's capacity actually gets used. This software takes advantage of the chip's extra capacity by allowing a computer to run multiple virtual servers on just one physical computer. This means fewer computers running as servers, which saves money and provides greater control over the various services performed by each server.

In the 1990's, a company called VMware created software that allows one PC to run multiple computers at the same time. Because these computers are not separate hardware computers, but actually run within another computer, they're virtual.

Once the right software is installed, all you do is click a button to create a new virtual computer. You're then prompted to provide the following information:

• The type of operating system;
  
• How large of a hard drive is needed;
  
• How much random access memory (RAM) is needed.
  

The virtual computer now is ready to be configured as a server. It runs in a window on your desktop, completely set up as though it were a separate physical computer. From there, you'll install the operating system of the virtual computer, and proceed with all of the usual steps needed to set up a physical server.

The software that meets the needs of nearly all churches really is free. The companies offering it make their money on larger operations, and the percentage of churches that need those more expensive versions is small.

The only cost involves installing the software. That either means time spent by your staff, or funds spent to hire an engineer who knows how to configure virtual server hosts.

Before you wonder whether or not it is really worth doing, here's a list of the benefits to consider:

1. Fewer physical servers. Remember that most servers' processors are severely underutilized. Though they may spike in utilization at any given time, those spikes are short-lived and not tied to activities on other servers.

We have talked with church and ministry information technology managers who have said they reduced their physical server counts from more than 20 down to 3 or 4! From 70 down to 10! In our firm's office, we went from 10 down to 5.

Brunswick Street Baptist Church in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, operates in a century-old building with limited physical space. "With a small budget and almost no real estate to put gear in, we pursued virtualization as a way of providing services in a manageable way while staying inside our physical footprint," says Rick Wightman, the church's IT Director.

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