Blade server platforms may be differentiated by certain factors in addition to functional depth. The industry has frequently shown that the best technology does not always win in the market place, and success or failure of a platform often depends on other factors in the marketplace.

To arrive at a complete profile for the suitability of a blade server platform in their environment, users should consider a number of parameters related to their practical deployment. These include the cost of acquiring and deploying the virtual machine platform; the investment protection that the platform offers from one generation to the next; and the ecosystem of third-party developers producing options for the platform.

Click on one of the links below to see how the studied virtual machine platforms compare in terms of these deployment factors:

	Acquisition Cost (6 ratings)
	Investment Protection (2 ratings)
	Partner Ecosystem (2 ratings)