IT Infrastructure Setup

IT Infrastructure Setup

 Once viewed as a back-office discipline, IT has evolved. Not only is IT already being seen as a key strategic asset, but IT’s importance to a company’s success is expected to increase. IT contribution will be cited in the top three success factors by at least half of top-performing businesses; and IT barriers will be cited in the top three failure factors by at least half of the lowest performers. One reason that the role of IT is expanding is that IT can automate routine processes. This has positive impacts at all levels of the business. For line-of-business workers and support staff, increased productivity can enable greater profitability for the company. Meanwhile, senior executives can increase their focus on initiatives that will drive innovation and growth. IT’s ability to affect the success and viability of a company goes well beyond the automation of routine tasks. IT also has the ability to

streamline critical line-of-business processes that are at the core of a company’s business. For example, retailers can now track inventory levels of specific products at the store level and automate ordering and shipping of additional units when inventory levels reach predetermined triggers. IT also has the ability to facilitate “role-based productivity,” which is a concept that focuses on productivity enhancements tailored to specific employee roles.

 IT Complexity

Having invested in legacy solutions that meet a business need, companies are frequently hesitant to replace an existing solution when new technologies are introduced. Understandably, companies seek to gain the maximum (or at least an acceptable) return on investment on the initial solution. As the original solution ages and additional technologies are added to the infrastructure and platform, IT time is invested in integrating legacy and new solutions. Companies become so dependent on the legacy solution (and the associated middleware that is created to integrate the old with the new) that the adoption of new solutions becomes increasingly more difficult.

Aligning IT with Business Strategy

Due to the increased importance of IT, certain issues now have the risk of becoming larger potential roadblocks to a company. One of these is business–IT alignment. While disconnects between lines of business and IT have always been a source of annoyance, misalignment now has a more direct impact on the success of the business. Unfortunately, many organizations struggle with business–IT alignment. For example, in a 2005 survey of 782 US business executives responsible for IT, “50% of the respondents admitted that

‘aligning business and IT strategy’ was a major problem”.

Security

Security has also increased in importance, not because security wasn’t previously a concern for businesses, but rather because of elevated risks. In a pervasively connected business environment, everything from confidential customer information to business critical intellectual property is stored on company servers, amplifying the risks associated with security breaches. According to analysis conducted by Microsoft, “disclosed

vulnerabilities for 2006 rose 41 percent over the previous year, continuing an upward trend in new vulnerability disclosures. Each infrastructure or platform Optimization model also segmented by general attributes that are typically seen in this type of IT environment. Theseare referred to at model-specific capabilities.

Adopt Industry Best Practices

 

Centrally Managed PC Settings and Configuration

This best practice involves keeping deployed PCs standardized by preventing users from making changes that compromise security, reliability, and the application portfolio. It helps organizations move from a standardized to a rationalized level of Optimization for Desktop,

Device, and Server Management in the Core Infrastructure Optimization model.

 

Comprehensive PC Security

This best practice involves proactively addressing security with anti virus software, anti-spyware software, patching, and quarantine. It helps organizations move from a basic to a standardized, and then from a standardized to a rationalized, level of Optimization for Security and Networking in the Core Infrastructure Optimization model. In addition to transition projects (of which Microsoft has identified and developed more than 100), companies are encouraged to learn and adopt industry best practices.

 

 

Standard Desktop Strategy

This best practice involves deploying a standardized desktop by minimizing hardware and software configurations and implementing a three- to four-year PC life cycle strategy. It helps organizations move from a basic to a standardized level of Optimization for Desktop,

Device, and Server Management in the Core Infrastructure

 

Comprehensive Directory Solution

This best practice requires a single directory for authentication, single sign-on capability for all computing resources, and automated password reset. It helps organizations move from a basic to a standardized level of Optimization for Identity and Access Management in the Core Infrastructure Optimization model.

 

PCs Managed by Group Policy Objects (GPOs)

This best practice requires PCs to authenticate into Active Directory and individual PCs to receive configuration, software installation, and desktop configuration through GPOs. It helps organizations move from a standardized to a rationalized level of Optimization for Identity and Access Management in the Core Infrastructure Optimization model.

 

Reduction of Third-Party Application Directories

This best practice requires the use of a single directory service for both operating system management and application directory services. It helps organizations move from a standardized to a rationalized level of Optimization for Identity and Access Management and Desktop, Device, and Server Management in the Core Infrastructure Optimization model.

This best practice requires a single directory or synchronized directories with a meta directory service and IT processes for automated user provisioning. Users are provisioned (including adds, removes, and changes) only once in a primary directory, and the changes are propagated to all related directories. It helps organizations move from a standardized to a rationalized level of Optimization for Identity and Access Management in the Core Infrastructure Optimization model.

 

Single Systems Management Tool

This best practice involves the use of a single software tool for managing software inventory, hardware inventory, and automated software distribution. It helps organizations move from a basic to a standardized level of IT Optimization for Security and Networking in

the Core Infrastructure Optimization model.

Centrally Managed PC Applications

This best practice involves keeping deployed PC applications standardized by generating software inventory reports for auditing versus standards and de-installing non-compliant software. It helps organizations move from a standardized to a rationalized level of IT Optimization for Security and Networking in the Core Infrastructure Optimization model.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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