A research study commissioned by Fujitsu indicated that industry hype is turning CIOs away from the benefits of desktop virtualization and hampering moves toward a virtualized desktop infrastructure.

The survey, conducted by Vanson Bourne, a U.K.-based researcher, consisted of interviews with 100 CIOs in private sector organizations in the U.K. featuring more than 1,000 desktops.

Some 49 percent of the survey participants said that desktop virtualization technologies promised more than they can deliver.

Among companies with 1,000 to 3,000 desktops, 60 percent said that desktop virtualization's hype exceeds its delivery. Larger organizations with more than 3,000 desktops were less critical of the technology, with only 38 percent questioning it.

In specific industries, manufacturing organizations (64 percent) are most skeptical about desktop virtualization when compared to more optimistic businesses in retail, financial services and other sectors.

Fujitsu officials noted that CIOs in the study seemed to dismiss the proven cost savings and energy efficiencies of server virtualization technologies when considering its impact on a hosted virtual desktop infrastructure. More than 75 percent have no plan to move to desktop virtualization.

"What's clear from the research is that the IT industry is doing its usual job of over-hyping the benefits of a technology without showing the real and tangible benefits it can bring," said Ian Bradbury, Fujitsu UK and Ireland solution design director.

"The industry has been talking about desktop virtualization in some form for over 15 years--from server-based computing to thin client and blade PCs. Our belief is that desktop virtualization is coming of age, with the next three years being the time CIOs will really challenge the way they manage and deliver their desktop environment."