Transcript Chapter 12: Strategies for Managing the Technology Infrastructure

Chapter 12
Strategies for Managing the
Technology Infrastructure
Agenda
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Technology infrastructure
Objectives of IT infrastructure
Business issues in managing technology
Justify IS/IT investment
Management issues
Technology strategies
IT Infrastructure
• Physical infrastructure of hardware, software, &
network
• Architectures (plan) for information, process,
organization, & technology
• Management policies for service delivery,
capacity, security, privacy, sourcing, & audit
• Management processes & services for facilities,
training vendor management, & technical support
Objectives of IT Infrastructure
• Provide proper infrastructure to support business
IS needs
• Maximize the use of information and IS for
business
• Provide a high degree of IS/IT integration in terms
of cost, quality, & benefit
• Facilitate rapid application development
• Reduce complexity and non-standardization
• Build a global communication infrastructure
Business issues in Managing
Technology
• Link IT investment to business needs
• Identify technical opportunities
• Identify IS/IT investment by competitors &
partners
• Business and technical awareness
• Relate IT resources to business needs
• Appropriate user support
Justify IS/IT Investment
• Application specific cost/benefit analysis
• Replace obsolete technology
• Using more efficient technology for
reducing costs of existing applications
• An enable for the overall business strategy
• Embrace growth in business volumes
Management Issues
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Information era
Location and control of technology
Integration challenges
Security & privacy
Contingency management
Vendor management
New technology
Information Era
• New geopolitical order in world
• New environment in the market place
• New environment with business
Location and Control of
Technology
• Centralization or decentralization
• Selection criteria
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Economic
Enterprise style
Innovation
Resources
Multinational organization
Integration Challenges - I
• Environment
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Various platforms of hardware & software
Decentralization
Global organization
Different policies & procedures
Integration Challenges - II
• Solutions
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Common operating systems
Sharing databases
Common application development tools
Common or integrated hardware
Integration of legacy and new systems
(middleware)
– Integration of packages
Security & Privacy
• Security
– Protect data, information, IS/IT facilities
• Privacy
– Protect confidential information of individuals
Security & Privacy
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Logical security
Physical security
Data security
Communication security
Administration security
Application security
Physical Security
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Location (traffic)
Security (lock)
Environmental (air)
Fire
Power
Logical Security
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Photo
Fingerprints
Voice
Eye
Signature
Password
Data Security
• Minimal privilege
• Minimal exposure
Communication Security
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Firewall
Decryption
Encryption
Private & public key
Administrative Security
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Policy
Procedure
Hardware
Software
Employee
Data
Application Security
• Input security
• Processing security
• Output security
Contingency Management - I
• Types
– Emergency plan (natural disaster)
– Backup plan
– Recovery plan
• Contents
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Procedures
Testing
Practicing
Updating
Vendor Management
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Reputation
Future growth
Product consideration
Good lawyer and contract
Others?
Contingency Management - II
• Disaster Recovery firm
– Outsource strategic function?
• Planning steps
– Discovering the important critical IT functions and
process
– Identifying the cost to have information unavailable
– Balancing the cost of unavailability with the cost of
recovery
Contingency Management - III
• Hardware backup
– Hot site
– Cold site
– Mobile facility
• Software and database backup
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Selective backup
Incremental backup
Total backup
On site backup
Off site backup
Contingency Management - IV
• Telecommunication backup
– Fault-tolerant networks
• Personnel backup
– Name
– Phone no.
– Address
• Back-up power generators
• System
– Scaled-down manual system
– Parallel systems
New Technology
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Identification & investment
Experimentation, learning, and adaptation
Rationalization and management control
Widespread technology transfer
Technology Strategies
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High potential
Strategic
Key operational
Support
High Potential
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Prototyping development
R&D control, separate actitivity
New technology or new use of technology
Application generator/ RAD tools
External skills, knowledge transfer
Application evaluation
Determine next stage of development
Strategic
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Application generator
Incremental development
Relational or object oriented database
Ideal technology – new skills
Flexible architecture
Peak demand capacity
Tested contingency plan
External technology influence
Isolate risky systems
Tailor package to needs
Key Operational
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Software engineering and SDLC
Integrated architectures
Quality/charge control
Peak capacity planning
Hierarchical or network database
Tested contingency plan
Incremental technology
Application packages- enhanced
Mandatory standards
Careful technology selection – IT veto
Support
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Evolutionary technology
Capacity plan on average requirements
Disinvestment
End user support
Avoid obsolescence
Low priority contingency plan
General purpose application package/unmodified
Sustained quality and efficiency