Is Virtualization the Next Killer Application?

I love Wikipedia and here is Wikipedia’s definition of killer application:

A killer application (commonly shortened to killer app), in the jargon of computer programmers and video gamers, has been used to refer to any computer program that is so necessary or desirable that it proves the core value of some larger technology, such as computer hardware like a gaming console, operating system or other software. A killer app can substantially increase sales of the platform that it runs on.

My list of killer applications for businesses in general is:

1.Word processor
2.Spreadsheet
3.Presentation Application
4.Email
5.Contact and Calendar on PDA
6.Mapping and GPS in cars
7.Virtualization

Clearly there are probably some I missed but this is my list and I stand by it! There ought to be one in there around the internet maybe the browser but it’s not really an application so I will leave the list as stands.

The challenge with virtualization is that it is a behind the scenes application so it may never be considered a mainstream application? When you consider Wikipedia’s definition of being "so necessary" I think that virtualization meets the requirement.

Virtualization is a game changer and in this slow economy the fundamental cost savings of utilizing computer hardware better is driving organizations to implement virtualization. Once they gain the benefit of better hardware utilization it is not long before they start implementing the second tier benefits of disaster recovery, high availability and manageability.

Here is an article in Tech News World on this shift: “A Strategic View of Virtualization”

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/66724.html