As higher education budgets tighten in the ongoing recession, colleges and universities have found themselves questioning, lengthening, and even eliminating tech refresh cycles. Yet how deep an institution cuts into its refresh program can compromise its ability to provide an up-to-date and competitive computing environment for students and a solid and reliable information network for faculty and staff. Forward-thinking CIOs have turned to innovative solutions when routine tech refresh cycles no longer fit into the budget. Both Oakland University and Creighton University join Loyola University Chicago in realizing cost savings through the use of virtual servers. The author discusses how virtualization is helping the three universities keep campus technology up-to-date despite tightening budgets. (Contains 6 online resources.)