Future Proofing Your IT Infrastructure
- Dec 4, 2016
- 3 min read
Technology changes at a rapid pace. What was top of the line last week is middle of the pack this week. With these rapid changes comes the issue of keeping up with the technology you have. Making sure that your technology is as future-proof as possible will help with that.
Future-proofing technology is a matter of understanding the latest trends. If processors change drastically from year to year to year but hard drives remain relatively unchanged, except for size and speed, then the focus should be on the processor rather than the hard drive. Some components will never be future-proof given the ever-changing technology landscape. But there are things that can be done to help mitigate that.
Paul Goepfert, a writer for the IT blog “The ERP Channel”, gives five tips for future-proofing your technology. Tip one is getting more value out of your IT system. You already have a system in place, learn what it can do and use it for those purposes. The capabilities of a network don’t do you any good if they are not utilized. Tip two is making sure your system is functional and flexible. It should be able to do everything you need it to do now and be capable of handling anything you have coming up with in the near future. Tip three is getting good support from the vendor. Good support can keep a system running longer and more efficiently. Tip four is making sure that an upgrade is actually needed before upgrading. You need to find out if your system will still function and do everything you need it to do if you don’t upgrade it. If it will, then paying for a major upgrade is not necessary. And tip five is managing your infrastructure. A well maintained infrastructure will work at peak performance. If you can get a system to operate at peak performance, you can delay updating or upgrading the system until it no longer does what you need it to do, whether through software updates that can’t be installed or hardware failing due to age. One good way of managing your infrastructure is through the cloud. Whalen, Donnell, and Tartakovsky (2014) suggest using cloud based routers and content filtering to easily monitor your network. With a cloud solution, you don’t have to worry about what the solution will be hosted on locally, and the cloud vendor will keep the software up to date.
Hardware maintenance is another way to help future proof your technology. If the hardware is properly maintained and cared for, it will last longer than if you didn’t maintain it and keep it in good repair. Whalen et al (2014) suggest making sure the power supply is reliable and high quality. This can be done through proper sizing of the power system, automatic voltage switches, and uninterruptable power supplies. These steps can go a long way to ensuring you will be able to use the technology you have for a long time.
Our lives are the same way. In order for us to operate the way we were intended to, we need to be connected to a reliable power supply as well. His name is Jesus. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:4-5, KJV). By staying connected to Jesus, we get the nourishment and energy to face what life throws at us.
P Goepfert. (ND). Five tips to future proof your IT investments. (Web log).
Retrieved from: http://erpchannel.com/website/item/94-five-tips-to-future-proof-your-it-investments
Whalen, C., Donnell, D., & Tartakovsky, M. (2014). Supporting research sites in
resource-limited settings: Challenges in implementing information
technology infrastructure. J Aquir Immune Defic Syndr, 65. Retrieved from:
http://ovidsp.tx.ovid.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/sp-3.18.0b/ovidweb.cgi?WebLinkFrameset=1&S=MBPFFPADNIDDADADNCJKPDGCPHPHAA00&returnUrl=ovidweb.cgi%3f%26Full%2bText%3dL%257cS.sh.22.23%257c0%257c00126334-201401011-00012%26S%3dMBPFFPADNIDDADADNCJKPDGCPHPHAA00&directlink=http%3a%2f%2fgraphics.tx.ovid.com%2fovftpdfs%2fFPDDNCGCPDADNI00%2ffs047%2fovft%2flive%2fgv024%2f00126334%2f00126334-201401011-00012.pdf&filename=Supporting+Research+Sites+in+Resource-Limited+Settings%3a++Challenges+in+Implementing+Information+Technology+Infrastructure.&pdf_key=FPDDNCGCPDADNI00&pdf_index=/fs047/ovft/live/gv024/00126334/00126334-201401011-00012
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