The Importance of Managed IT Infrastructure for the Business

Technology has impacted and improved the way companies conduct their business, including communication, productivity, and speed in making business decisions. Which is why the importance of managed IT infrastructure cannot be underplayed.

IT infrastructure consists of all elements that support the management and usability of data and information. These include physical hardware and facilities, data storage and retrieval, network systems, legacy interfaces and software to support the business goals of the organization. The structure also includes hiring, training, policy, testing, process, upgrades and repairs.
Infrastructure management is the process of managing the components of a company’s information technology. Having appropriate methods in place for the management of the IT infrastructure allows for improved performance, improved availability and quick solutions for various issues that could arise.

Managed IT Infrastructure

A managed IT infrastructure is important because it provides structure and control for diverse technical operations which involve hardware, software and networking in both the physical and virtual environment. IT infrastructure management is also responsible for

• Asset lifecycle


• Capacity monitoring/planning


• Storage


• Network utilization


• Availability


• Energy consumption


• Environmental issues


• Hardware


• Software


• Security


• Maintenance/service updates



 
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Importance of Managed IT Infrastructure

The benefits of IT structure management all stem from the ease of operation, clarity of information and reporting and cost saving. Behavior that supports this outcome includes

• Rapid response to changing and disruptive conditions.


• Flexible and agile procedures that lead to proactive strategies.


• Automated work reduces labor, cost and impactful incidents.


• Allows for better capacity planning, centralizes information and provides near real time information and reporting.


• Streamlined day to day functions and operations, freeing up time for personnel to better plan for and meet demands of organizational goals.


• Improved customer satisfaction and overall performance.


• Reduced downtime by accelerating deployments and decreasing repair times.



 
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Importance of Service Providers for a Well Managed IT Infrastructure

While new technologies present powerful opportunities for organizations, they also introduce challenges. The pace of change in IT is unprecedented. The mobile devices and cloud based technologies that have brought in so many possibilities have also introduced a number of devices, platforms and apps for IT departments to manage and secure. These challenges add up to significant expenses such as cost of hiring and training qualified workers, purchasing the infrastructure to support and so on. Rather than struggle to keep pace with technology themselves, organizations hire service providers for help.  The third party service providers help with cloud deployments, data center solutions, mobile initiatives, collaboration tools and security.  They offer a holistic approach resulting in higher standards as compared to organizations that handle it in-house. Turning to a trusted partner offers several advantages including:

• Proactive Disaster Management



 
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If a company does not have a team dedicated to manage its IT infrastructure, it will be impossible to predict or manage disasters as they come along. This reactive approach can lead to lengthy downtimes and major data loss. Therefore being proactive will save a lot of money for the company during disasters and in their aftermath and also provide for budget for such emergencies.

• Keeping Pace With Demands for IT expertise



 
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Outsourcing functions such as cybersecurity and app development to a partner with technically skilled and specialized engineers in new and emerging technologies alleviates the pressure from the company.

• Data Backup and Retrieval



 
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If data is deleted, lost, corrupted, or compromised, it can be restored with the help of backups that have incorporated as part of the IT infrastructure. A careful and efficiently managed backup process reduces downtime, maintains productivity and  continues to provide outstanding customer satisfaction.

• Improved User Experience



 
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Being aware of the state of the IT infrastructure of the organization, can provide a better experience for the end users. Sudden downtime can be controlled or prevented by having them scheduled for maintenance . When downtime becomes necessary, the clients can be given advance notice saving the company monetary losses and embarrassment if it happens suddenly.

• Greater Scalability



 
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IT organizations spend months deploying large systems. Outsourcing the management of the IT infrastructure helps an organization to scale up or scale down depending on the demand.

• Availability



 
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There are no more standard/fixed work hours any longer and it only makes sense to have a support system that is working constantly to support users.  This can be supported by the service provider in an organized manner.

• Shifting the Burden of Compliance



 
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In addition to regular audits, organizations are also obligated to meet standards and requirements in accordance with the laws of the state. Laws could pertain to safety, reporting and security. All this can be handled by the service provider without adding the burden on the in-house staff.

Ways to Improve IT Infrastructure Management

Improving the infrastructure helps  to improve agility, reduce time, effort and cost to manage the IT infrastructure internally.  Simplifying equipment and processes will help to better identify weaknesses and necessary improvements in the infrastructure. There are a few important practices that simplify the management of IT infrastructure of an organization and improve its efficiency.

• Implementing virtualization (creating a virtual version of something) to increase efficiency.


• Backing up data to the cloud, to prevent major data loss due to unexpected failures


• Creating a ticketing system to streamline submissions and keep track of the status of issues reported by end users.


• Monitoring backup reports for any signs of malicious activity.


• Investing in cloud services that allow the company to easily scale up or down as demands and technology change.



 
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The Importance of Managed IT Infrastructure for the Business

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Conclusion

IT infrastructure forms the backbone of the economy of the company. Whether a business is small or big, its bottom line can benefit from using a managed IT infrastructure. There will be consistent monthly costs but it comes with the ability to scale and immediate access to experts – which sums up the importance of managed IT infrastructure for any business.