Note

Many IT departments live in Firefighting mode. They deal with chaos, instability, and stress on a daily basis. Remaining in this state is inefficient and unsustainable, yet most organizations don't have the time or resources to escape it.

Solution Set

Many IT departments are stuck in Firefighting mode and don't have the time or resources to get out of it. The transition IT makes to move from Firefighting mode requires that aspects of process, technology and people be adjusted.

Note

End user-IT relationships have an impact on overall workplace conditions. End-user satisfaction with IT service and communication determines the overall end user-IT relationship. Identify what relationship type you are in with the end user and...

Video

Info-Tech research has shown that improving end-user satisfaction with IT results in higher employee engagement, better working conditions throughout the organization, and higher employee effectiveness and productivity.

Solution Set

This solution set will help you assess your current systems management environment, business needs, and create a plan to move to service-centric systems management.

Note

Info-Tech's recent survey on cloud computing has revealed that although it is still early days, the external cloud is taking hold in small enterprises. And it appears to be more than just a fad: IT decision makers expect the external cloud to...

Template/Policy

This downtime policy template will help create a baseline for what is considered acceptable or planned downtime of systems and applications. Most assets do not require five-nines or six-nines availability, so a written policy should help...

(4-Dec-09) No one disputes that UPS systems are an essential part of any data center’s business continuity planning. However, selecting the right UPS involves weighing everything from runtime needs to long-term scaling. UPS Type &...

Failure to follow proper change management processes when adopting infrastructure change increases the number of enterprise system outages and results in severe impact to the business. Executing proper control and management of infrastructure...

Premium Resource

After the preliminary ranking of projects, actual resource availability needs to be taken into account. In this stage, IT capacity for completing projects will be measured against the projects that have already been identified as high priority.

Any small enterprise that wishes to create an agile, highly optimized server infrastructure can do so using the hardware and tools currently available. The utility infrastructure will continue to evolve and improve as more server rooms migrate...

Small enterprises will find that moving to a utility infrastructure will not happen overnight. It will require a long-term, phased approach with significant challenges along the way.

Template/Policy

Every IT organization with on-call staff should have a well-defined policy and employee agreement. Use this template to take the pain out of drafting these critical documents.

When designing the corporate Web site, IT brings a unique set of skills and expertise to the table. Follow these recommendations to ensure successful execution of IT's role in the corporate Web site design.

Rich Internet Applications (RIAs), Web applications that can run within a browser without requiring installation, provide for a much more valuable and expansive user experience. Developing an RIA is often an intricate and difficult process....

While Instant Messaging (IM) is widely used as a collaborative tool, if its entry into the environment was entirely employee-driven, important business considerations might have been overlooked in the process. Even if informal IM usage is...

When enterprises extend the scale or usage of data networks, they need to review not only the quantity of data to be transferred but also the quality of service (QoS) required. As they plan the delivery of business applications, IT departments...

Real-time network monitoring and reporting is an increasingly critical assignment for already overburdened enterprise IT departments. For many, outsourcing the task is the answer. Understand the drivers and potential pitfalls for outsourcing...

In-Depth Report

Enterprises need to take every possible measure to ensure efficient and effective recovery in the event of a disaster. Determining recovery objectives is a key step in prioritizing the resumption of IT services.

In the event of a natural or man-made disaster, recovery objectives are crucial in prioritizing the resumption of IT services. Take every possible measure to ensure efficient and effective recovery of applications and hardware should the...

Tool

Small enterprises face many choices when developing a backup strategy. Compare business demands to key media characteristics to inform backup media selection.

Tool

Small enterprises selecting backup media must consider enterprise needs including RTO and RPO, as well as media limitations in capacity, life-span, reliability, availability, off-site suitability, and cost. Use this tool, informed by enterprise...

Job Description

The Systems Architect's role is to strategically design and implement in-house information systems and networked software architectures that support core organizational functions, and assure their high availability. This individual will gain...

Job Description

The Database Developer's role is to strategically design and implement databases across the organization, while ensuring high levels of data availability. This individual is also responsible for defining standards and models for database...

Job Description

The Database Administrator's role is to design, install, monitor, maintain, and performance tune production databases while ensuring high levels of data availability. This individual is also responsible for developing, implementing, and...

Job Description

The Database Analyst's role is to direct, evaluate, review, and manage database resources and services across the organization while ensuring high levels of data quality. This individual is also responsible for developing, implementing, and...

Job Description

The Data Warehouse Architect's role is to strategically design and implement data warehouses, data marts, and data stores, while ensuring high levels of data availability. This individual is also responsible for defining data standards and...