Today, just about all enterprise data centers have virtualized a significant portion of their server resources, and a large percentage are moving to virtualize their storage resources as well.

That’s because the majority of IT organizations are realizing the payoff that comes with virtualization—things like better utilization of resources, increased IT agility, and lower capital and operational costs. Organizations have not yet virtualized their network resources, meanwhile, are leaving a lot of money on the table—in terms of potential capital and operational cost savings, increased data center security, and greater business and IT agility.

But could that payoff be even bigger? That’s the question asked in the new reference book “Network Virtualization for Dummies,” which explores the benefits of network virtualization in depth. Published by Wiley and sponsored by VMware, the book offers a crash course on the new, virtualized approach to the network, which is a key building block for the software-defined data center.

In simple, straightforward language, “Network Virtualization For Dummies” explains the fundamentals of network virtualization, including its core concepts, key technology components, use cases, and business and IT benefits. Spend a little time with the book—and a little time is really all you’ll need—and you’ll come away with a much better understanding of how network virtualization can improve your life, and what you’ll need to do to get started.

The book explains the hard realities of how legacy network architectures are limiting business agility, leaving security threats unchecked, and driving up data center costs—which all point to a single, overarching need: to move out of the hardware-defined past and into the era of software-defined virtualized networks.

So what exactly is network virtualization? As its title might suggest, “Network Virtualization For Dummies” explains that, too. We’re talking about a process of programmatically creating, provisioning, and managing virtual networks, using the underlying physical network as a simple packet-forwarding backplane, and replicating all networking components and functions in software. In simple terms, network virtualization allows you to run your entire network in software.

This book tells the story of network virtualization in terms that anyone working in an IT shop should be able to understand. Because it is written as a reference guide, you won’t need to read it cover to cover. You might want to, of course; it’s a good read all the way through! But if your time is scarce, you can jump right to the topic you’re most interested in, just as you would with any reference guide.

However you approach “Network Virtualization For Dummies,” you’re sure to come away with a deeper understanding of how virtualizing your network will improve your life, and what you’ll need to do to get started. Download your copy of “Network Virtualization for Dummies” today.