For operation purposes, the company must ensure the efficiency of its infrastructure and Back Office software tools.
To that end, the relevant implications must, therefore, be clearly defined. If such IT aspects constitute the hidden part of the iceberg, their role is of no less importance as we tackle the structures and foundations of the IT services provided.
The Infrastructure
The infrastructure encompasses a set of elements contributing to the proper functioning and – more generally – to an optimal management of the company’s IT services. In this respect, the purpose of good IT services management is to ensure their improvement (in terms of speed, stability, etc.) and requires a global approach to manage available resources (such as teams, platforms, etc.) given the fact that some companies’ computer parks are of a great size. The ability to ensure maintenance of workstations and servers through automated deployments will – therefore – considerably reduce potential complexities and risks. In general, the infrastructure includes:
- Hardware (including computers, routers, printers, etc.);
- Software (including content management systems, operating systems, applications, etc.);
- Network (including Internet connections, firewalls, routers, etc.).
Two types of infrastructure mainly exist, namely the classic and the cloud computing infrastructure.
The classic infrastructure is characterized by the centralization of elements (i.e., data centers, servers, etc.) across its premises.
Whereas, the cloud computing infrastructure is characterized by the outsourcing of all or part of the elements (such as Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure to name just a few).
The Back Office
This term covers the company’s activities involved in the support, control and management of operations (i.e., through monitoring, invoicing, complaint handling, technical support, etc.), of which so many aspects are invisible and inaccessible to the end user.