The Business Challenge
In today’s complex business environment, there is more pressure than ever on Information Technology (IT) departments to deliver business value, despite challenges such as shrinking budgets, rapidly changing technologies, and increasing security issues. As companies grow, their IT infrastructures typically grow along with them. More often than not however, the pace of that growth is uneven, driven as much by the conditions under which they operate as the model they aspire to. Most organizations increasingly view IT as a key value generator. The focus is shifting from keeping the business up and running to a critical engine that drives responsiveness and agility across the organization.
Organizations are looking to implement technologies which help them to manage their changing workforce and enhance their customer’s experience, as well as continuing to meet the demands and regulations imposed on them. The key challenge is to strike the right balance between managing the infrastructure and adding business value. Analysts say that each year, more than 70 percent of IT budgets are being spent on maintaining what is already in place, as opposed to a mere 30 percent of IT budgets being spent proactively on new initiatives that add business value and increase productivity.
Microsoft Infrastructure Optimization Model
To help companies address the challenge of balancing maintenance with new, more strategic projects, Microsoft has introduced the Infrastructure Optimization (IO) Model. This model outlines the steps companies can take to analyze their current state, and to plan for and create an IT environment that is well managed, more-secure, and efficient. In the most mature state, IT is incorporated into business strategy and is used as a valuable asset in the growth and success of the company.
As part of the IO Model, Microsoft has delivered a set of virtualization technologies allowing IT organizations to significantly reduce operating costs, drive up server utilization, and achieve better return on investment. As a result of moving IT from a cost center to a strategic asset, organizations can free up resources and budget to allow for deeper investment in value-added activities.
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