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IT Infrastructure & Emerging

The document discusses IT infrastructure and emerging technologies. It covers the components of IT infrastructure, the evolution of IT infrastructure through stages and technology drivers, current trends in computer hardware and software platforms, and challenges of managing IT infrastructure and management solutions. An opening case study describes how a company used desktop virtualization to improve collaboration with outsourcing partners.

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48 views

IT Infrastructure & Emerging

The document discusses IT infrastructure and emerging technologies. It covers the components of IT infrastructure, the evolution of IT infrastructure through stages and technology drivers, current trends in computer hardware and software platforms, and challenges of managing IT infrastructure and management solutions. An opening case study describes how a company used desktop virtualization to improve collaboration with outsourcing partners.

Uploaded by

pmech consultant
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CHAPT E R 5 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After reading this chapter, you will be able to answer

IT the following questions:


1 What is IT infrastructure, and what are its
compo- nents?
Infrastructure 2 What are the stages and technology drivers of
IT infrastructure evolution?

and Emerging 3 What are the current trends in computer


hardware platforms?

Technologies 4

5
What are the current trends in software platforms?
What are the challenges of managing IT
infrastruc- ture, and what are management
solutions?

O PENI N G CAS E

Desktop Virtualization Pays Off


Dutch company VocaLink designs outsourcer is located half way VocaLink created 200 virtual desk-
and delivers domestic and interna- around the world and there are cul- tops that could be used by its Indian
tional automated payments tural differences. But for VocaLink, developers. This allowed the Indian
systems and ATM switching the problem that arose while work- programmers to work directly on
solutions. ing with their outsourcer was sys- VocaLink’s core systems, eliminating
VocaLink’s switching platform con- tems integration. “Until about 18 the steps of integration and testing
nects more than 65 000 automated months ago, our Indian developers from the development cycle. This
teller machines (ATMs), the world’s would work on the code on their improved agility and helped their two
busiest network, while its payments own servers,” recalls IT director outsourcing partners, Perot Systems
platform processes more than 3.5 bil- Nick Masterson-Jones. “They would and Wipro, to better collaborate.
lion payments per year, totalling then send that code back over to the There are unexpected
more than $668 million daily in UK, and we would have to spend consequences of most software
transac- tions. In addition, in Great time integrating it into our existing implementation pro- jects, such as
Britain, more than 90% of salaries, sys- tems and testing those VocaLink’s desktop virtu- alization
70% of bills, and almost all state integrations.” VocaLink turned to project. According to Masterson-
benefits are processed through desktop virtual- ization to solve this Jones, “We liked the way it took the
VocaLink. These are very issue. According to Masterson- capital cost out of deploying new
sophisticated systems, and VocaLink Jones, “We wanted the developers projects. Previously, new projects
partners with outsourcers, primarily in India to be able to write code as if always began with buying more serv-
in India, to develop the software it was being written here in the UK. ers.” Using desktop virtualization,
code for its systems. That was the genesis of our pro- jects can now be started using
Outsourcing means contracting virtualization project.” existing unused capacity on the
with others to perform some opera- Using a combination of Citrix and company’s hardware. This led
tions that could be done in-house by VMWare desktop virtualization soft- VocaLink to apply virtualization to its
the company itself. As you can ware, combined with blade servers existing corporate systems, which
imag- ine, this creates a number of and a storage area network (SAN), centralized IT support, reducing
chal- lenges, especially when the
problem resolution time.

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