This poll was originally published in October 2010. The results have been reset so we can compare the 2010 results to 2011.

Virtualization is an important concept for the IT professional. On TechRepublic, we have devoted blogs to the subject, published many comprehensive posts, and even reviewed servers that specialize in virtual machines. Virtualization saves money, increases flexibility, and will increasingly become the way systems are built in the enterprise.

But I think we should get an idea of how many virtual Windows installations IT professionals are actually supporting as of this date. We can use the measurement taken this month in 2011 to compare with a similar poll we will took in November 2010.

In addition to the poll question, take a moment to share your experience with virtualization. What have you found to be the benefits and drawbacks of virtualization? Do you need better tools? Do you need better hardware? Do you plan to deploy more virtual Windows machines in the near future?