2023 will see more businesses than ever before working to modernize their IT infrastructure. But what does a modern, future-proof infrastructure look like?
Thanks to the major developments in information technology over the last 3 decades, the productivity and reach of businesses has increased exponentially. Even so, technology is known develop so quickly that many solutions can become out of date very quickly. This is why many more businesses are placing significant emphasis on IT modernization in 2023. We spoke with TechQuarters, an IT support provider London-based companies have been working with to modernize their IT for more than a decade. According to them, there are 4 main areas that businesses should be looking at if they want to modernize their IT infrastructure.
Storage
When talking about information technology, storage is one of the most important things for businesses to focus on. Not only is ensuring that an organisation has sufficient storage for all their data important, but ensuring said storage is highly secured is a necessity, given the current landscape of cybersecurity. According to TechQuarters, who provide support for tech dependant companies like those who need the kind of IT Support Law Firms use, modernize information storage solutions can lead to better task management and workflows, and better application performance. So, what in particular should businesses be considering?
Virtualised Storage – Hardware and software technologies are being increasingly integrated to produce more robust solutions. A perfect example is with virtualised, software-defined storage solutions like containers, hypervisor-based storage, and distributed file systems.
All-Flash Storage – With the exponential increase in data volumes, businesses may wish to seriously consider incorporating more flash storage into their data centers – particularly with the rise in affordable Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) solutions.
Networking
With more and more emphasis being placed on internet connectivity (particularly when many businesses are looking to setup hybrid working), it is important for businesses to look at their network, and ensure that it is robust and has plenty of bandwidth. Some examples of modernize networking solutions include:
Wi-Fi 6 – This is the most recent generation of wireless connectivity. With (theoretical) speeds of up to 9.6 gigabits/s, Wi-Fi 6 offers an ample upper limit that guarantees a business’ overall wireless network performance will not be inhibited.
Intent-based networking – The network management is just as important as network speeds. With intent-based networking, network administrations can define the desired state and settings for a network, in accordance to a range of scenarios – this in turn means that many aspect of network management can be automated. For example, admins can make policies for the prefer network state for specific types of traffic, so as to maximise performance.
Networking management – Many software solutions are now available to make the management and administration of networks easier. This is a straightforward way for organisations to lessen the burden on their IT admins.
Compute vs. Cloud
One of the biggest sources of performance throttling in many IT infrastructures is outdated (or legacy) compute resources. TechQuarters confirmed that the cloud and Office 365 Consulting businesses seek from them often involves auditing their compute resources. Servers are often the culprit of an inefficient IT infrastructure, as they tend to become outdated in just a few short years – replacing servers can improve performance, decrease downtime, and reduce costs associated with power and maintenance of the hardware.
TechQuarters also confirmed that many businesses are replacing their compute network resources entirely in favour of cloud computing. By undergoing digital transformation, businesses can eliminate their reliance on on-premises hardware as part of their IT infrastructure. There are two main options for utilizing the cloud – public clouds (such as those offered by Microsoft Azure), or private clouds, which an organisation must build themselves. The benefit of public clouds is that they require no hardware maintenance, and are easier to manage. The benefit of private clouds are that they are more private and more secure overall.
