IT
As IT infrastructure has become ever more integral to the running of businesses the role of managing that infrastructure has become equally integrated into businesses.
IT infrastructure management is no longer simply focused on keeping IT systems up and running. It is now expected to be part of delivering direct and tangible results for a business.
With so many businesses reliant on a range of information technology solutions, where information systems management can deliver reductions in cost, improvements in performance, more efficient data management and better customer relations management, businesses benefit substantially.
Just as the internet has gone from facilitating businesses to being the basis of those businesses' operations, IT infrastructure is no longer an internal or support function. Your end user is likely to interact directly with your infrastructure, be that through your site, sending you an email or waiting for a file to download.
4 Critical Capabilities Companies Need in the Networked Era
In order to truly benefit from this integration there are a number of capabilities businesses should be able to carry out effectively and efficiently.
1. Incident Detection and Management
Any system that brings together large volumes of hardware, software and humans is inevitably going to run into some conflict or problem. Resolving problems that arise is rarely straightforward, detecting them in the first place often less so.
Developing systems and methods to discover and deal with incidents requires IT management specialists with plenty of experience and innovation.
2. Managing Changes Without Disrupting Availability of Services
Technology is constantly developing and changing. In order to make the most of these developments you have to be able to apply these changes to your systems and infrastructure.
Having comprehensive plans and systems in place to ensure minimum downtime and disruption during upgrades is a vital capability of any business relying on information technology.
3. Effective Engagement with Emerging or Disruptive Technologies
While you must be able to accommodate standard upgrades and expected progressions, certain developments require added nuance in terms of integrating them into your existing structure. While the potential of new technologies may be substantial they may create a variety of challenges such as changing how users interact with a system, requiring additional training. Ensuring that you can account for these possibilities is important in adapting new technologies into your IT infrastructure.
4. Establishing Key Indicators for Infrastructure Analysis
To adequately monitor IT systems and better handle issues that arise it is necessary to record detailed information and data on performance and problems. Gathering this data and analysing it allows businesses to plan for future capacity requirements and prevent potential disruptions. This process can be time and resource heavy so using optimised analysis and data collection methods is important.
Underpinning all of these capabilities is the importance of a stable and well organised IT infrastructure at key growth stages of your business. This will better facilitate client and customer response as well as creating a more productive workforce.
The Insight Research Institute releases a report earlier this year titled ‘Managed Services in an IP World: Global Opportunities for Wireless and Wired Networks, 2013-2017' which indicated that managed services are growing in double digit figures. For businesses these services are becoming an indispensable asset in moving from a small to medium business or a medium to large enterprise.
By Trilogy Technologies.