The New IT PlayBook

Technology departments in non-tech companies have always prided themselves in traditionally staying one step behind on the curve caution of adopting new disruptive technologies or the hottest and the latest trends. This is part because of sound reasons like management questioning dollar spending and partly because of integration of legacy systems and thought patterns of looking at that change is not worth at this time.

This has resulted in practices where native apps are supported extensively, infrastructure perimeters are protected instead of sensitive data. And avoiding in looking into efficiency that pertain to cloud offerings and empowering employees that bring personal devices that conglomerate into the IT infrastructure. But the new IT playbook is about being more agile, more mobile, more lighter and less expensive. The new playbook dictates that if technology component does not follow this model will result in them being cost center's and support centers rather than strategic player in the mission of the organization. I love cloud services but the traditional caution model keeps me in check, though advocates challenge the benefits of SaaS and cloud enabled services I am a fan of a hybrid model. I haven't seen this heavily advocated but the idea is having high availability critical systems in the cloud (with security layers in place) and having redundancy within your data center and create a vice-versa fail over tier's. Agreed, its a little expensive but this firms up the infrastructure layer and strengthens the business application layers greatly. Costing however can be worked out if technology leverages the input of collective thinking between departments, areas of services (in my context ...ministry)and analyses what works and what does not in a evaluative matrix that circles back to the vision, mission and objectives of the enterprise. 

The hybrid model I propose incorporates the Cloud based services and the traditional in-house software and infrastructure layers. This model is not for the faint of heart as it increases measurement processes and accountability at all levels. Forces to evaluate to think out of the box with the resources we have and making cost count.

Eventually over a period of time the cost in this model comes down and benefits go up. My CEO recently talked about the fourth quadrant in his presentation today where the objective for the management is pushing the entire organization not just to high productivity but engaging individuals into core values of the organization which inherently moves a business, workplace or ministry to Greatness. And in turn gives the people involved thee impetus to be GREAT!!

 Thoughts,

 Sam Kurien