Business Model Generation: Value network

Virtualization

Imitate a traditional physical process in a virtual environment

Illustration of Virtualization
Run a Virtualization play
Key Partners Key Activities Value Propositions Customer Relationships Customer Segments
Key Resources Channels
Cost Structures Revenue Streams
The business model canvas was designed by Business Model Fondry AG and distributed under a Creative Commons license.

How: Let customers outsource their physical processes and technologies in a standardized virtual environment.

Why: Let customers interact with the virtualized process from any location or device while possibly reducing hardware and maintenance dependencies and costs. Often better uptime, responsiveness, and security follow due to economies of scale.

This business strategy is part of the Business Model Patterns printed card deck.

Proven business models that have driven success for global leaders across industries. Rethink how your business can create, deliver, and capture value.

Get your deck!

The virtualization pattern describes the emulation of a traditional physical process within a digital realm, such as a virtual workspace. This not only allows for increased accessibility to the process from any location or device, but also necessitates payment for access to the virtual service.

Where did the Virtualization business model pattern originate from?

The rise of Virtualization as a business model went from being focused mostly on virtualizing infrastructure to virtualizing day-to-day tools as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world starting from 2020. The challenges of face-to-face interactions and travelling made remote work emerge as the dominant mode of operation, facilitated by advanced online collaboration tools. Platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams have effectively virtualized the process of organizing and facilitating meetings and other forms of working sessions, while Miro and Mural have replicated the processes behind the content of these sessions.

Examples

Citrix

Its Desktop as a Service moves the customer’s desktop to the cloud, making it accessible from any device or location.

Upwork

Connecting companies and individuals with people willing to help, the need for a permanent workforce can be eliminated.

Doctor On Demand

Connecting companies and individuals with people willing to help, the need for a permanent workforce can be eliminated.

Source: Doctor on Demand website

Trigger Questions

  • Can you mitigate the risk of a big permanent investment by virtualizing actual work or physical hardware?
  • Can you use virtualization to cope with a fluctuating demand?

This business strategy is part of the Business Model Patterns printed card deck.

Proven business models that have driven success for global leaders across industries. Rethink how your business can create, deliver, and capture value.

Get your deck!
Sources

Want to learn more?

Receive a hand picked list of the best reads on building products that matter every week. Curated by Anders Toxboe. Published every Tuesday.

No spam! Unsubscribe with a single click at any time.

Ice Breakers

Relieve initial group awkwardness and establish a safe space

Educate

Broaden knowledge or insight regarding the behavior or situation to inform decisions.

Demonstrate

Show practical examples or models of the desired behavior for clear guidance.

Alert

Highlight current actions and their reasons, bringing unconscious habits to awareness.

Train

Develop necessary skills and competencies to enable effective action.

Community events
Product Loop

Product Loop provides an opportunity for Product professionals and their peers to exchange ideas and experiences about Product Design, Development and Management, Business Modelling, Metrics, User Experience and all the other things that get us excited.

Join our community

Made with in Copenhagen, Denmark

Want to learn more about about good product development, then browse our product playbooks.