BackNew Approaches to Building a High-Performing IT Infrastructure
Enterprise technology infrastructure has come a long way over the years. Where once most organizations simply had a collection of hardware and software in a single data center, today they have a network that often consists of the cloud, third-party software as a service (SaaS) solutions, on-premise equipment, the Internet of Things (IoT) and other solutions. Organizations also have more technology choices than ever, and there are thousands of different ways for them to design and build a high-performing IT infrastructure. However, below are some of the most promising ones:
1) Secure & Mobile Workforce
Many employees are now working outside the office and using personal mobile devices to get work done. They’re also accessing both third-party applications hosted in the cloud (SaaS) and their organization’s own applications in the cloud (IaaS/PaaS/FaaS).
Organizations used to store and manage all their applications and data in a single data center, but now companies are storing and managing their applications and data in multiple locations, such as with third-party cloud service providers, in an in-house data center, on users’ mobile devices and more. On top of this, they’re also grappling with increasingly complex regulations and rising expectations.
As a result, it’s no longer enough for your organization to secure your IT infrastructure; you have to secure your mobile workforce. But to do so, your organization has to put the right security and mobility solutions in place that will not only provide your mobile workforce with secure access to your organization’s network but also enable you to secure, protect and defend your organization’s operations, applications and data—no matter where or on what device your employees are working.
Secure & Mobile Workforce solutions can help you modernize your cybersecurity posture, deliver comprehensive and consistent security policy across your entire organization and mobile users, simplify and standardize processes and automate tasks. Moreover, these solutions can significantly increase your visibility and control to better identify and manage potential security risks, monitor and measure the effectiveness of your security program, and support regulatory compliance and reporting.
2) Cloud-Integrated Network
Organizations used to build and operate networks as a collection of individual devices. But new technologies such as the cloud, the Internet of Things (IoT), server virtualization, etc., have forced many organizations to change their approach.
Many organizations are creating a cloud-integrated network, which is a platform that essentially allows an organization to connect all of its applications and users everywhere the organization operates. The technology does this by combining the principles of software-defined networking (SDN) and intent-based network (IBN) with capabilities such as network function virtualization (NFV) and advanced telemetry into a single system. That way, they can gain more control over their network and how users connect, and increase the performance, efficiency and scale of their network. And they can also gain full visibility of all network traffic and the quality of the experience they deliver to users, while lowering their capital expenditure, delivering more consistent performance and connectivity than they could with a traditional network.
3) Multicloud Infrastructure
Most organizations today use the cloud, but often want to combine services from several different cloud providers to create the best solution for their business. To accomplish this, many organizations are building a multicloud infrastructure. This strategy and solution allows organizations use two or more public, private or hybrid clouds and storage services from different service providers at the same time. In this model, the cloud essentially becomes a consumption model for accessing and using their organization’s applications and data.
Once organizations have an intentional multicloud infrastructure, they can:
- Distribute workloads and data storage across multiple clouds to run them in the best environment; Have the flexibility they need to move workloads between clouds.
- Secure applications and workloads across multiple public and private clouds and consistently apply their organization’s policies.
- Reduce costs and eliminate dependence on individual cloud providers.
- Scale to meet cyclical or event-driven demand.
- Automate time-consuming tasks.
- Comply with laws and regulations that require them to store data in specific geographic locations, such as the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
That said, a high-performing IT infrastructure is only possible when an organization’s people, strategy and technology align. Therefore, if you’re looking to build a high-performing IT infrastructure, it’s essential to work with a company that can help you discover, design, deploy and operate the ideal solution for your business.
