Future Forward Strategies
This decade is certainly turning into a rollercoaster ride. To the point where we’re almost too scared to tempt fate by saying “What else could possibly go wrong?” But it’s not all doom and gloom. One thing that companies are learning is that there’s no such thing as business as usual, and they’re adapting fast.
They’re innovating, streamlining operations and getting smarter in how they work. All while keeping an eye on global and industry happenings for the next possible disruption. The goal is for lean operations but with flexibility to be able to respond quickly to opportunities or risks.
Systems and policies have a big role to play in this with IT infrastructure as the backbone of operations. Companies are spoilt for choice, but that in itself can be a double edge sword. With so many different priorities and influencing factors, and so many different solutions offered, choosing the right solution isn’t easy. What should decisions be based on?
Should the focus be supporting key work trends for 2024, such as remote working, IoT, and leveraging generative AI? There are many cloud-based solutions promising business efficiency, but which are the right fit? Then there are the considerations of accessibility and connectivity, which are becoming increasingly important to every aspect of modern life. How do companies put together all the pieces of the IT infrastructure puzzle?
That’s what ChannelBytes is here for: to unpack the primary considerations for building solid IT infrastructure. In this article we discuss what to focus on, including security, user experience, and how to gain that all elusive business efficiency. Let’s dive in.
Building Solid IT Infrastructure Foundations
Because of the rapid pace at which technology evolves, it’s challenging to keep up with new releases. Most decision makers understand that aging infrastructure opens the door to vulnerabilities and can impact workplace efficiency, but it’s not always feasible to replace entire legacy systems. The result is that many companies operate with a mix of old and new technologies and their IT teams are usually stretched to keep everything working efficiently.
Still, there comes a tipping point where the advantages of new technologies and a more robust IT infrastructure makes financial sense. When companies are at this point, it’s vital to make decisions by determining possible future tech needs as well as current priorities. Below are some important considerations when looking to improve IT infrastructure.
Flexibility and Scalability
It’s not just technology that’s changing rapidly – the current marketplace is also very fluid. The last thing companies want is to be paying for tech resources that aren’t being utilized. Instead, it’s a high priority to streamline spending to what’s needed and will support business operations. This highlights the need to find solutions that offer flexibility.
For example: contracting additional virtual machines during peak times of use only. Or, having the option to scale up resources should an opportunity for growth come up that the company is able to take advantage of. This is one of the advantages of cloud solutions, they offer greater flexibility and are easier to scale rapidly when needed.
Pricing Structures
Pricing structures can be highly complex. Billing can be per solution, per location, or per user. It can depend on which services and solutions are combined, the length of contract, or the number of licenses. Companies often think they have chosen the most affordable solution, only to be penalized by contractual terms when they want to upgrade, scale, or cancel.
To determine which pricing structure will be the best fit, it’s essential to understand how the technology will be used in the organization, what the technical requirements are, and how many users will there be. Because of the risk involved in getting tied down to the wrong pricing, there’s value in partnering with a managed service provider (MSP) that can provide technical advice and suggestions based on your needs.
System Requirements
Defining IT infrastructure needs is complex when it requires supporting both future and legacy software solutions. This is especially true when future needs are only loosely defined. Industry best practices can provide some guidance, but most companies have unique operational setups.
If in doubt, an industry-specific MSP should be able to provide advice on which is the best solution. They also have insight into emerging technologies and their influence on the workplace, so preparing for future tech requirements becomes less of a guessing game.
User Experience
An aspect of technology infrastructure that’s often overlooked is the impact to user experience. It’s a human habit to want to work with what’s familiar. New technology requires learning new ways of doing things and can impact productivity and efficiency in the short term. Additionally, there’s often resistance from employees that are entrenched in familiar ways of working.
It’s not uncommon for tech upgrades to fail because employees find a new structure or technology too difficult to work with. This is an expensive mistake to make. It’s worthwhile ensuring decision makers understand what the user experiences are in both legacy and new technologies. For example: does the company have a hybrid or remote working policy and how is this supported in terms of IT infrastructure so that employees have fast and reliable access to systems?
Security
No company has the luxury of taking a relaxed approach to security. While it’s true that most vulnerabilities occur in aging infrastructure, misconfigurations in new systems are also often a major cause of security breaches.
Firewalls and antivirus software is poor protection for business systems. How IT infrastructure is set up, layering in different levels of security and access control can help companies achieve a more robust security posture. This is an area that requires specific expertise, drawing insights from people immersed in the world of cybersecurity and who know how to reduce cyber risk.
Balancing Security and User Experience
Both security and user experience add complexity to IT infrastructure. The additional challenge is that they’re often at odds, working against each other.
Take for example multi-factor authentication (MFA). This is a well-established technology and a relatively simple way to authenticate access. It’s not fool proof by any means but it does often act as a deterrent to threat actors looking for easy targets. Yet most employees loathe having to use alternate methods of authentication when they need to log into systems. They say that it’s inefficient and slows productivity.
Additionally, apps and quick fixes that promise greater efficiency may have vulnerabilities that are easy to exploit. Consider chat forums, social media, and even video calling software. They’re built for connecting and gaining work efficiency, but don’t always have robust security features.
Balancing user experience and security needs is an important consideration when looking to improve IT infrastructure. Incorporating advanced security solutions such as zero-trust, giving careful consideration to how systems are structured, and understanding the impact to both security and user experience can help companies achieve better IT infrastructure.
Broadening IT Infrastructure Accessibility
Many organizations, and this is especially true of educational and retail organizations, feel that there is value in extending accessibility beyond internal users.
Consider a university that is hosting a conference on campus. Their usual lecturers and students will still need secure access to learning resources. At the same time, guests will expect connectivity so that they can browse for whatever resources they need. This can be a security challenge without the right infrastructure in place.
Similarly, connectivity is the expectation of modern customers. Most shopping malls and public spaces offer guest Wi-Fi. In retail, providing accessibility could even be seen as a competitive advantage, improving the customer experience. However, achieving this requires well thought out IT infrastructure with security solutions to match.
Accessibility considerations also extend to remote working and how companies can support employees with access to company systems while keeping them secure. Where employees are working from and how to secure devices and access points is especially important.
IT Infrastructure Takeaway
Feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of these considerations? It’s a lot to take in, we know. Hopefully, we’ve at least been able to highlight why getting IT infrastructure right can be such a complex task.
Technology will continue to drive innovation and usher in new ways of working. Having a future-forward company requires IT infrastructure that is flexible, scalable, accessible, and secure. It’s a complex task to achieve, especially with the pace at which technology is continually evolving.
Accessibility is not just about systems, it’s about partnerships and understanding what’s needed to gain and improve operational efficiency. Companies can learn from industry best practices and adapt to improve their own connectivity and accessibility.
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