Streamlining Asset Management in a Dynamic Business Environment

In a fiercely competitive business environment, organizations tend to make use of technological innovations to upgrade existing infrastructure or add new one. As the assets of the enterprises increase, these should be backed by productivity, cost effectiveness and good business value. Proper management if the IT assets become vital for the organizations for ensuring such business accomplishments. The progressive growth of the organization's infrastructure further demands that these should be managed effectively for proper execution of business strategies.

With business houses largely dependent on the IT, a combination infrastructure a combination between the hardware and software of various assets is necessary to ensure achievement of goals. Further the changing dynamics demands the use of advanced process to achieve higher business prospects. Implementing stable asset management strategy will not only help organizations enjoy benefits such as reduced cost, business alignment and quality service but also foster a compatible and cohesive environment.  . However, with security risks looming large over the technological upgrades organizations should consider proactive steps and robust solutions to counter attack these.

IT Asset management is a tool for managing the assets, contracts and the associated costs through out the lifecycle of the asset. However, besides the registry of physical assets, it includes documentation, service level agreements, catalogs and warranties as part of the asset management procedures. It also facilitates relationship building of these assets with customers, departments, and external agencies thus creating constant returns with reduced risks. As technological advancements came over, the cloud computing model of asset management proved to be advantageous for the new age business houses.

The cloud computing based asset management model provides organizations with a cost efficient solutions, asset discovery and maintenance of hardware and software libraries. Further, the cloud based model also facilitates software license management, contract management, supplier & vendor management, management of procurements, re-deployment and disposal. Being a web based the organizations are benefitted by the on-demand services which include real-time reports for critical decision making. 

Asset management being a challenge for the new age organization, the cloud based model streamlines and automates the asset management process. Leveraging on the efficient help desk facilities users can find solutions create requests and review reports and status. The asset management services offered  by the industry leaders include all activities aimed towards management and tracking of  assets and includes physical and logical discovery of assets, interfacing and complimenting ITSM processes and functions, interfacing with enterprise asset management system and processes, compliance to regulations and assessment of enterprise security. 

Today’s green datacenter environment of most organizations deploy efficient  identity and access management solutions that provides better end-user experience, empowers business through enhanced efficiency in asset management, provides user privacy security and agility in application  development with high ROI.

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Global sourcing needs of its customers through its Co-Sourcing model

The increase in the dependency levels of the business organizations on the information technology has made organizations ready to face the aggressive competitive markets. However, such increased dependency has moved IT from being a support function to a vital business factor in most industry segments. Further, to maintain their flexibility in IT functions organizations have taken the route of outsourcing most of the functions. The movement from the traditional support structure to the critical component of all business process has made it difficult for organizations to plan out their long-term budget, as one cannot always assess the cost of innovation.

Contemplating the problems arising from such situations, the leaders in the field of IT services have designed methods to fulfil the global sourcing needs of their customers through a process which would benefit both the clients as well as the service provider. Co-sourcing is a business practice wherein the external service provider in collaboration with the members of the client organization performs the service. This process earns an advantage over the outsourcing model in that it minimizes the risks linked with outsourcing, brings in transparency, control and clarity over the process co-sourced.

The Co-sourcing model of IT outsourcing which is based on a partnership between the customer and the service provider, offers the clients the flexibility in choosing the service delivery options ranging from asset light to cloud based services to business ready infrastructure to support SaaS platforms. Further, the co-sourcing partners are also well equipped to provide the clientele with setting up shared or dedicated delivery centers instead of opting for IT infrastructure outsourcing. Co-sourcing model can also include the process of outsourcing part of software development or software maintenance activities to an external organization, while some development in-house.

This would actually give both the organizations a better insight into the process. Based on the fundamental aspects of transparency, flexibility and value addition, the Co-Sourcing model with its striking difference from the traditional IT outsourcing one is today a vital part of the success oriented business strategies. This approach of IT outsourcing provides a number of benefits to the organizations. With an increased coverage and a decreased overhead cost, this process turns a fixed cost model into a variable cost one. Further, in a highly competitive business environment, this model helps customers provide global solutions with flexibility for capacity management and lesser load on employment liability.

Some of the co-sourcing models adapted by business houses are managed security services, Smart Service Desk Solutions, Virtual Support and Project Management Practice.

 

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Datacenter Virtualization: Towards A Greener Computing Environment

The technological innovations, advent of cloud process and global business environment has together given rise to the concept of virtualization. Hence, organizations in their attempt to go green look forward to methods to enable virtualization across network, applications and systems.

Customers with their aspirations for a more technologically innovative environment demands that enterprises are ready with the best of the breed application and the related IT infrastructure. This has led to the development and deployment of data centers which cater the clients with top of the line infrastructure, networked with security features, updated software applications with anywhere anytime access. Dynamic market environments, competitive business objectives, the need for higher service levels and budgetary limitations have paved way for datacenter virtualization.

Virtualization of data centers includes a range of activities that are aimed at creating a virtualized computing environment. Implemented initially for better utilization of the available physical resources, the focus today is on developing data centers that are dynamic, agile with services-oriented architectures.  Gartner estimates that data centers are accountable for nearly 0.5% of all global carbon emissions. Further, with the growth in the demand for cloud solutions, will only see an increase in the amount of energy required to power data centers. Datacenter virtualization will not only facilitate significant savings on floor space and power, but also enable efficient sharing of server, storage and network resources while reducing operating expenses. It empowers the IT department with tools for resource scheduling, data protection, and disaster recovery.

Leading enterprises that provide data center hosting solutions work through a phased methodology to provide cost-effective green datacenter solutions, which would also lend sustainability to the business operations. As the first phase, these service providers assess energy usage and carbon footprint of the existing datacenter environment. Further, through Gap analysis and feasibility study, they work towards identification of transformational activities. With a detailed roadmap for green IT initiatives like procurement, optimisation, recycling and resource planning the service providers completes the design phase and enters the implementation phase wherein they implement specific technologies for datacenter virtualization and IT infrastructure management.

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Deserving Returns with Efficient IT Infrastructure Management

The spurt in IT development has provoked the need for specialized training and expertise. IT infrastructure management is a complex task which will not deliver optimum results if it is not handled by specialists. Every business is reliant on IT. Your business investments will be a waste if the IT domain is not treated with priority. Survival in today’s business environment has become a major challenge and everybody is struggling to enhance their profits.

There are many outsourcing companies that provide IT infrastructure services. They have the latest and best technologies that can meet all your business requirements and make the experience truly rewarding and fulfilling. They provide flexible and customized solutions which helps in achieving maximum results. They provide a better control and higher visibility, robust services and supportive assistance.

The IT infrastructure outsourcing companies deliver streamlined, cost-effective and intelligent managed network services that can be deployed to supplement the existing structure or can be used as a replacement. The managed network services include remote WAN, LAN and WLAN, remote IP/VOIP, managed WLAN, WAN and LAN, managed IP/VOIP and professional services. They provide 24x7 services for monitoring the performance and detecting any faults. They follow ITIL approved practices and provide optimized asset management, design and engineering solutions. These companies ensure a unified reporting system and facilitate equipment fulfillment, service level management and project management.

IT security is a big concern and also an arduous challenge. The companies that provide IT infrastructure services ensure the enforcement of robust and competent managed security services with 24x7 real-time monitoring and management capabilities so that the security threats are detected and effective action is taken promptly. The managed security services are in accordance with the ITIL guidelines and thus you are assured of a high quality security strategy.

They provide comprehensive security solutions that include incident management, compliance management, policy management, configuration management, alerts and notifications, compliance reports, change management, signature updates, prevention of outbreaks, e-mail management, monitoring phishing websites, web applications and malware reporting, forensics and analysis.

The IT infrastructure outsourcing solutions have opened the doors to prosperity. The solutions provide your business with effective strategies that are customized to deliver the best results. Efficiency and performance is leveraged. The innovative solutions improve the revenue earning prospects, and provide your business with unlimited opportunities to make advantageous gains. Every business aspires to reach the peak but only those who recognize the potentials, act maturely and implement wise decisions are successful in achieving the coveted position.

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Be Energy Efficient with the Green IT Approach

Years ago Bill Gates predicted the presence of PC’s in every residence. Many opined that Bill Gates was merely promoting an unlikely situation of reaping in the benefits for Microsoft. Nevertheless, he was true in his estimation. Today not only our household, every organization is heavily dependent on the personal computer. There are cases when our computing devices are turned on unnecessarily in our home. However, for enterprises there are scopes for impacting the energy use, the public image, recycling and witness benefits by a streamlined Green IT approach.

Simply put Green IT refers to maximizing energy efficiency of the IT Data Centers, IT Hardware and other allied assets. Eliminating wastage of electronic parts forms a huge part of Green IT since it comprises of huge quantities of renewable and non-renewable sources of platinum and silicon. Eminent IT brand names that specialize in the modern day cloud computing services as well as managed hosting services profess the importance of Green IT not only in terms of energy efficiency but also focusing on the data center operations.

A Data center is a crucial part that leads to enterprise expansion. Going by a survey conducted by the AFCOM Data Center Institute, approximately 50 percent of each dollar that is used for purchasing a new server gets added on to the energy to cool and power it. Furthermore, the Lean & Green group previously predicted that as 2008 comes to an end, the server powering expense may surpass the server cost itself. Going by other reports, it is estimated that Data centers consume approximately between 1.5 and 3 percent of the overall power annually generated in U.S. When calculated and compared this is found to be equivalent to the amount of power required in Michigan for a year. Hence, one of the prime objectives of green datacenter is efficient power management. Simple everyday actions, for instance, switching of the unused PC’s, lights and other equipments are small actions leading to major changes.

The way to be able to manage the difficulties of turning a Data Center Green is adopt a holistic approach. An organization must take into consideration the overall environmental impact than just concentrating on the obvious objectives. There are cases when a plan made on paper resulted in miraculous outcome than expected. Hence, planning and deploying initiatives in a systematized manner is the key to clean, energy efficient and Green IT.

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Gaining Extra Mileage with Remote Infrastructure Management

As the competition in the business world is gaining pace it is becoming extremely difficult to implement models for generation of high quality results without any daunting demands on cost. It has become a truly intimidating challenge for the businesses to incorporate new and better methodologies without affecting the finances. Many businesses seeking alternative modes for increasing their prospects have adopted the remote infrastructure service model that has produced some appealing results and is being widely accepted as one of the means to earn handsome profits.

As the number of mobile workforce is increasing daily a business has to also ensure that the IT services are provided to this section to facilitate their operations even while on the move without causing any detrimental effects. In such a scenario remote infrastructure is a necessity that can help the mobile employees stay in touch and continue their normal work smoothly. Remote infrastructure management has also helped businesses to save their costs on IT infrastructure. Although this model has shown some remarkably positive results there are few issues that cast some doubts such as security and integrity, inadequate supply of skilled professionals, proficient tools and physical infrastructure.

Every business that adopt remote infrastructure management services should be furnished with highly integrated tools that demonstrate high levels of intelligence and insight that render optimum results. These tools should follow an automated process that ensures maximization of processes and resources, and leverages efficiency. The tools must deliver real-time reports that are required for critical business decisions. A standardized process must be enforced and a high level of network security is essential.

IT businesses can enjoy the benefits of remote infrastructure services with the help of the cloud computing model. This model provides conducive conditions for high levels of integration in applications and infrastructures. The responses are quick, and relevant due to the real-time facilitation of latest and updated information, and this is a great advantage for businesses as they can make critical decisions to help augment their performances. Storage capacity is no longer an issue as the cloud computing platform is equipped to handle any requirement or demand. It provides on-premise deployment facilities and furnishes on-demand services without any delays.

The cloud computing services maintain stringent security parameters with honorable, reliable and consistent monitoring, authentication and assessment capabilities, and provide relief to businesses from malicious intentions. Cloud computing is also considered a favorable option that helps in carrying out healthy IT operations with less energy consumption.

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Co-Sourcing Model Benefits

As IT moves away from being a support function to a key business enabler, the loss of control and inflexibility associated with the traditional approach has made it less and less favourable. Fundamentally, it is no longer possible to plan all aspects of costs and innovation over a 5 -10 year period upfront and package them as a business case and contract.  

Co-Sourcing Model

Companies can now fulfil their global sourcing needs of its customers through the new co-sourcing model which provides a new and fundamentally disruptive sourcing proposition to companies that are primarily looking for flexibility and strategic control of their overall IT outsourcing engagements. 

• * The new co-sourcing model is based on a collaborative approach to outsourcing.
• * It can be defined as a partnership between the customer and the service provider based on fundamental tenets of flexibility and transparency.
• * In a way it helps to reduce sourcing risks and provide better control over outsourced processes.
• * Some of the services include – internal audits, risk management, process definitions and amendments, IT infrastructure management etc.
• * It may also include part-development of software or conducting software maintenance activities only.
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By using the new co-sourcing model offered by consulting firms -

• * Customers have the flexibility in choosing the right sourcing model.
• * Companies can choose alternative delivery models like cloud based services (Saas)
• * They can also set up shared and dedicated delivery centres depending on their client needs while balancing cost and economies of scale.  

On the other hand, the IT outsourcing firms offer the following benefits to clients if they choose to use the co-sourcing model.

• * They partner with other hosting partners across the world to host datacenter and field services.
• * They provide desk-side support and also e-bond with their client companies to ensure that clients receive a seamless and uniform service, irrespective of the geographical location of the functions.
• * They also deliver services by leveraging uniform and standardized tools and processes across the IT function. 
• * They offer engagement flexibility depending on customer environment- whether it is completely multi-sourced or whether the consulting firm plays part of a larger framework where the company is the primary integrator.

Some of the other services provided by IT outsourcing companies may include – information security services, managed desktop services, managed print services, managed network services, application management services, service desk services etc.

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