If you listen to the industry pundits, 2010 looks like a year where it will be time to once again invest in technology as it looks like the economy is improving and pulling out of the global recession experienced in the last two years. Still, although many businesses are working hard to innovate there is no doubt that they (and you, as IT and business managers)will be asked to further drive growth on fewer resources than there were in the past.
So prior to committing to new multi-year infrastructure projects, you first need to dust off some of your playbooks and ensure your operations are up to snuff. You’ll need to invest in new ITSM capabilities in lock step with initiatives like virtualization, converged infrastructure, and cloud computing. If you skip this step;you risk running your infrastructure projects off the rails before you even get started. In fact organizations that have successfully balanced automation of process have freed up critical resources to allow them to be redeployed to innovation initiatives.
This is very much in step with the theme of Forrester’s Infrastructure and Operations EMEA 2010 conference, held in London on March 11 and 12 where I will deliver my keynote “Avoid Infrastructure Disasters: Focus on Operational Best Practices First” where I will be discussing examples, both good and bad, from several organizations who are leveraging virtualization and cloud computing and leveraging Operations as a critical component to their success.
If you are interested in the Forrester event, take a look at their Web site for further details, including the Hurry before spaces fill up!