Virtualisation was well received because Chaudry was able to -address clinicians' pent-up demand for systems. -"Users have seen huge benefits, including getting to use key -clinical -systems at the point of care, providing a service at the -bedside," he explains.

The virtualisation project allowed Chaudry to centralise data backup and storage. "We now have a proper information lifecycle management strategy of backup and restoration, and it is easy to go back to a previous version, without having to go to IT. But now we have a place to store it centrally, people are storing more and more stuff, and our data storage needs have exploded, increasing by 300 per cent."

The demand for new systems has also led to some of the earlier cost savings being reversed. "As we have delivered more services to staff, the power consumption has gone back up. Despite an eight-to-one consolidation at the beginning, we are now buying more servers."

Despite this, Chaudry says virtualisation has put IT at the heart of the hospital. "People now see IT as an enabler. We have a scheme called ASK IT, which actually means 'ask Zafar', because I walk around and people ask me questions."

According to Chaudry, virtualisation has enabled a dialogue with staff and stakeholders, which never occurred before.