Last year, Forrester recommended an approach to technology decision-making that prioritizes value over cost reduction as a way to handle rushed IT investments during the pandemic and build an IT foundation for future business growth.
In 2024, Forrester recommends leading with a practical approach to IT innovation, such as using AI to automate and augment human capacity. Ultimately, the firm suggests your best course of action is optimizing your IT infrastructure foundation for business growth and focusing technology planning and investment on customer value and revenue-generating initiatives.
What is your IT infrastructure foundation?
Your IT infrastructure foundation is the basic, underlying framework that supports your organization’s IT capabilities, ensuring systems and services operate effectively and optimally. IT infrastructure typically includes:
- Hardware, including servers, data centers, computers, mobile devices, switches, hubs, and routers
- Software, such as programs and applications that handle IT processes and configurations, including network management, system administration, and performance monitoring
- Networking, including wireline and wireless connectivity between hardware components to form local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) connectivity
- Cybersecurity, such as firewalls and antivirus
- Business continuity, including data backup and disaster recovery solutions
- Data Storage, such as cloud and physical storage like hard drives and SSDs
- End-User Devices, including desktops, laptops, smartphones, tablets, and any other personal devices
What are the best strategies for optimizing your IT infrastructure foundation?
A strong IT foundation ensures efficient, reliable day-to-day operations and promotes future growth and innovation for your business. Some strategies you can use to optimize your IT infrastructure include:
- Embracing Cloud and Virtualized Solutions – Cloud computing services offer on-demand, scalable, cost-efficient resources. Cloud computing providers typically enable you to run multiple virtual machines on a single physical machine, leading to more efficient resource utilization.
- Strengthening Cybersecurity – Improve detection, response, and remediation with managed security services that offer 24/7 monitoring and dependable customer support.
- Adopting Innovative Tech – Evaluate and adopt emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, blockchain, and edge computing to gain competitive advantages and operational improvements.
- Planning for Business Continuity – Develop a clear plan for maintaining operations during network disruption, system failure, or cyberattack.
- Conducting Audits & Managing Costs – Conduct regular audits and leverage data analytics to assess your IT infrastructure’s performance and identify areas of improvement. Additionally, regularly review IT expenditures for ways to optimize costs such as renegotiating vendor contracts or switching to more cost-effective technologies.
- Partnering with an MSP – Enlist a trusted managed services provider (MSP) to help you select, deploy and manage IT solutions more efficiently. An MSP like Cox Business leverages advanced technology, decades of expertise, extensive resources, and industry relationships to optimize infrastructure management, freeing your IT team to focus on revenue-driving tasks.
Why is IT infrastructure optimization an ongoing exercise?
While your IT infrastructure is the critical foundation for your digital business, it’s not like the concrete foundation of a building that you can set and forget. Instead, your IT foundation must evolve with technological advancements and your company’s changing business requirements. That means ongoing optimization is a must to ensure your IT infrastructure not only supports your current business operations but is also positioned to drive future growth.
