Open source components present inherent risks, simply because of the way they are produced and modified. But how does that risk relate to infrastructure outsourcing? Is the situation hopeless, indicating you should forego outsourcing in order to…
Mergers and acquisitions are planned to generate increased benefits for the newly-formed enterprise. If one or both parties are actively engaged in infrastructure outsourcing – or in the midst of transitioning into an outsourcing contract – that can…
It may not be accurate to say “everybody” is doing it, but CIOs and their IT colleagues in the financial industry are moving to infrastructure sourcing in growing numbers. What’s up?
Infrastructure sourcing is becoming a sought-after solution for…
You can assure the best results from your IT consulting experience by choosing the right sourcing advisors. The best type of advisors for your firm’s IT needs depends on your enterprise itself. Here’s what you should look for in sourcing advisors…
IT cost reduction ideas are always in high demand. No matter where you are in your cost-cutting program, there’s usually yet another way to reduce further. Bear in mind, though, that most enterprise CIOs, CFOs and CEOs are now more closely focused…
It’s not enough to evaluate your IT infrastructure purely as a discrete set of capabilities. To meet today’s decision-making needs, you need a bigger, better baseline. A service-based IT infrastructure baseline looks at your entire enterprise – not…
An IT service assessment is supposed to look like a finely-wrought portrait of your enterprise, from an IT point of view, of course. You can no longer separate “IT” from the overall context of your organization, because the services you deliver to…
How well you define your current IT infrastructure service costs and output directly affects your ability to make sound business decisions, not merely your ability to tighten a few line items in your budget. You want to consider your situation from…
Who needs a formal checklist? Your key IT staff have been with your company for years. They know your systems like the backs of their hands, right? Well, in the unlikely event that is actually 100% true, an IT infrastructure assessment checklist…
Change happens. Seemingly faster and faster, especially in the burgeoning realm of IT. Regular periodic review ensures you’re not falling behind, or inadvertently falling into an “obsolescence trap.” Reviewing your enterprise-wide IT status also…
In our last post, we offered five tips on how to reduce IT infrastructure costs. We noted there are myriad opportunities to curb expenses and gain efficiencies – certainly more than five – and we also noted that how you approach cost cutting can…
Determining how to reduce IT infrastructure costs can be something of a conundrum. Doing more with less has become a way of life for IT professionals, but as the complexity of your technology environment continues to escalate, response options…
The best defense is a good offense. You don’t have to be a football fan to understand how true that statement is. Proactive, insightful business management is your single greatest weapon when it comes to conquering the competition and growing your…
Your long-established legacy mainframes are aging beyond their effective value. This situation isn’t going to fix itself. And the longer you wait to address it, the more likely your problems will morph from annoying and worrisome to dire. Now is…
Few things are more important to secure your company’s future than IT infrastructure planning. “Disaster” doesn’t have to come in the form of Katrina or Sandy to wreak havoc throughout your enterprise, bringing you to a standstill. Recovering IT…
“Do more with less” is today’s mantra for companies of all sizes. It’s become a fundamental tenet of daily business operations, no longer the theme of some one-time corporate makeover. IT is front-and-center in this new cost-reduction focus, because…
Selling a new IT infrastructure planning strategy within your organization isn’t really any different than selling your company’s products or services to outside markets. You can’t force potential customers to buy from you, and as much authority as…
There’s no question conducting an IT infrastructure assessment can benefit your company in many ways. You can use what you learn from your assessment to improve annual and long-term planning and improve daily operations so that you can reduce costs…
Developing an IT infrastructure assessment checklist is an absolute necessity if you’re considering any type of outsourcing. It’s the only way to assure you’re comparing apples to apples when it comes to potential service delivery solutions and…
Industry watchers suggest insurance companies need to improve their ability to attract new customers and retain existing ones. Because people expect to interact with you electronically -- via mobile devices, social media, online transactions, etc…
Every executive knows that you can’t make good decisions about what to change without knowing why you want change in the first place. You have long-term goals in mind, of course. But change is driven by what you don’t have – but need – to propel…
Like outsourcing itself, IT advisory services are entirely scalable. They can help you analyze and address virtually any type of IT challenge, from investigating across-the-board transformation to zooming in on one nagging deficiency. And if you…
Your company is at a crossroads. You think outsourcing might be a valuable alternative. But where to turn? Here are five signs it’s time for an infrastructure assessment:
1. Nothing works.
It’s a whole new world out there, and your infrastructure…
IT infrastructure consulting services are entirely flexible, because the services offered – by the best firms, at least – can be structured to fit your company’s individual needs. You can take advantage of services from the esoteric to the purely…
Gartner says IT demands will skyrocket in the next few years. You could have predicted that yourself. Already, next-gen infrastructure outsourcing delivery models look very different from the original all-or-nothing approach.
Remember when your long…
One of the primary tenets of outsourcing has always been that you can save money, because services are scalable and you only pay for what you get. Pricing models for IT services used to reflect that same thinking. But the world of IT is rapidly…
When we say “passing off” IT infrastructure planning to consultants, we aren’t recommending you totally abdicate responsibility. Nobody in their right mind would do that, especially if they’re running a large global company. But obtaining high-…
Behind every great team is a great coach. An entire coaching staff, actually. That’s IT advisory services.
When it comes to choosing a new direction for your company’s IT program, making the right moves makes the difference between success and…