Infrastructure

IBRS has found that the mobility needs of many organisations can be covered by just one or two “generic use case” categories. Thus many user demands for mobility can be met with just one or two development approaches.

In spite of some benefits in security, remote access and speed of deployment, VDI has remained a niche product. This has largely been due to the higher complexity and much greater capital cost compared with a Full Desktop. However, as VDI infrastructure innovations continue to close the gap, the adoption of VDI will increase beyond this small base. Due to the risks and costs of switching from a well understood model to a relative unknown model, the adoption will increase at a moderate rate and there never will be a “year of VDI”.

Circa 1960: The “Hard theory of platforms” In the early days of information technology, hardware was THE platform. Companies such as IBM and DEC provided the big iron. Business software was THE application. In those days even software was as hard as stone. The term application platform was unheard of. Circa 1980: The “Soft theory of platforms” Later, in the 1...

No, and there never will be “the year of VDI”. However, now that the capital cost of VDI is close to that of a Full Desktop the adoption of VDI will begin to increase beyond its current small niche. The large capital cost and complexity of replacing the existing desktop fleet, the perceived risks in using to a new desktop approach, and a general lack of experienced staff will ensure adoption of VDI will proceed slowly. For the next 5-7 years organisations will continue to use a range of desktop deployment techniques (such as Full Desktop, Laptop, Remote Desktop Services aka Terminal Server) with VDI being just one of many.

The foundation of any BYO device initiative is a robust BYO device policy. The policy must set the boundaries for acceptable use, costs and security. Ensure device security is driven by business stakeholders and is based on pragmatic risk analysis rather than technical concerns from IT staff, or FUD from vendors who are anxious to sell their wares. Robust policy, strong corporate culture and proper training can be more effective than technology in securing corporate data and controlling costs and risk. Use policy, culture and training to drive compliance, minimising the need for complex and expensive technological controls.

The forecast growth of data transmission over the Internet in the next decade means the role of content distribution networks will probably rise. As demands on bandwidth grow, efficient management of online data will be at the centre of many organisations’ online delivery strategy. While it may seem that improved broadband and the arrival of the NBN (when that occurs) will solve the issues of speed, it will not because more users, richer media and more applications will fill the bandwidth. Consequently a content distribution network (CDN) strategy ought to be part of any organisation’s online planning.

The idea of Bring-Your-Own (BYO) Laptop has been bandied about for the last seven years, but it is not as common as implied by the press. Few ANZ organisations have BYO Laptops, however some have implemented BYO smartphones and many intend to do so in the next 18 months. The driver of BYO device in the organisation is not avoidance of the capital costs but rather the need to accommodate users’ expectations of technology, which have been significantly increased by the consumerisation of IT, and largely driven by the iPhone and iPad.

Oracle will continue to excel in the Application, Middleware and Database markets, but it also intends to radically transform and simplify IT infrastructure. Oracle’s strategy is to eliminate complexity, create significantly greater business value and reduce infrastructure costs using an Integrated Systems approach. The objective is to enable customers to focus on applications, instead of infrastructure, in the hope they consume more Oracle software. IT executives should keep abreast of Oracle’s infrastructure innovations, as well as the competitors’, and be prepared to rethink their existing infrastructure approach if an Integrated System can create a significant new opportunity for the business.

The discipline of Enterprise Architecture has evolved from the need to articulate and maintain a big picture overview of how an organisation works, covering organisational structure, processes, and systems. Whilst Enterprise Architecture can assist in implementing industry best practices, several-fold improvements in productivity and quality are only possible if the organisation makes a conscious effort to attract and retain top-level subject matter experts, and if it commits to a so-called Domain Engineering / Software Product Line approach to the strategic analysis of market needs and the design of products and services.

Poor quality and incomplete requirements continue to be a leading cause of IT project failure. While the more widespread use of iterative project management techniques is minimising the impact of bad requirements, it is still not addressing the underlying cause. Accountability for improving the quality of requirements remains elusive. Enterprise architects must take a stronger role in the validation of requirements, and be prepared to intervene when necessary.