With multiple layered applications across organisations, from large ERP systems to anti-virus applications, monolithic back-end legacy technologies and thin-client front-end systems based on the newest technology, businesses face a complex management task that is not easily overcome. Even newer technologies from the back-end to the front-end present integration and management issues, says Inana Nkanza, MD of iLAYO, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Companies are facing a massive challenge when it comes to managing their infrastructure. Some already have new technologies in place that they need to integrate and manage while others are in the process of upgrading and integrating, the management of which is sometimes too much for them to handle alone.
One case in point is the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in the UK. The department recently awarded IBM an initial 10-year lb850 million outsourcing contract. It is aimed at supporting, managing and upgrading Defra`s desktop and business system infrastructure, as well as developing new systems, part of which is e-enablement. This seeks, according to silicon.com, "to improve interaction with customers, other agencies and commercial organisations".
Defra understands that simply having the system is by no means a guarantee of success. It needs to be a functional, integrated system that supports the business and continues to do so.
IT infrastructure management requires two vital components: service and asset management. In the service management arena, it is important to put in place policies and solutions that enable effective infrastructure management, from taking care of problems to change and configuration management, ultimately resulting in service level management.
There are a number of issues that companies need to take into consideration for effective service and asset management. These include:
* The implementation of a problem management system.
* A change management solution.
* Managing IT asset lifecycle costs.
With the implementation of a problem management system, organisations can effectively track problems, identify the impact of these problems, and get the affected users up and running as soon as possible. Root cause analysis goes further by analysing the problem, understanding, and repairing the systems and processes to ensure this problem does not recur.
The one constant in any IT organisation is change. To manage this change, a change management solution needs to be in place. Defined processes that govern any change made in the organisation will provide a clear understanding of what may have occurred in the past, and through integration with configuration management, will provide a clear and accurate view of the entire IT configuration and its various interrelations. Once we understand these various components, we can measure what the service is that we are providing to the business and how we can improve it. You can`t improve what you can`t measure.
Asset management is the management of the lifecycle cost of all IT assets, from procurement to disposal. It includes not only the cost of the purchase, but also the cost of maintenance of the asset, including any callouts for people to fix the asset when it is not working, as well as any warranties. Companies should understand the implications of a lease agreement related to an asset, and if they buy an asset, they should track its lifecycle. Too many companies find themselves paying for lease agreements for assets that are sitting in cupboards and providing no business value through lack of contract management.
When service and asset management are integrated, an organisation can truly manage its infrastructure. Aligning the two can answer what is known as "The Four Ws":
* What are the organisation`s assets?
* Where are they?
* What are they costing the company?
* What is the service value the business is enjoying from those assets?
With an efficient asset management system, a company can know on any one day how many assets it has, their value and their effectiveness for the business.
Effectively, companies must step outside of the IT-based view on IT and rather specify from a business perspective what they want from IT. It is not possible to manage the company`s IT assets unless you understand what they are giving the business. The cost of service should be relative to the value the company gets from it.
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