Information Technology infrastructure for businesses Essay

Information Technology infrastructure for businesses - Essay Example Moreover, which would be the needs of such plan, meaning especially the people, organization and technology issues related to the specific business initiatives. Also, the implications of choosing hardware and software for the IT systems of a particular organization would be taken into consideration by the organization’s managers at an early stage, i.e. while planning the specific project, aiming to limit the chances of a potential failure. Choosing hardware and software for the organization can be a critical decision. IT systems have a key role in the development of each firm’s operations. However, their involvement in daily organizational activities can be differentiated across firms in accordance with the sector in which the firm operates, the business culture and the funds available for the support of the organization’s IT infrastructure. ... At the same time, choosing the appropriate hardware and software could affect the development of the organization; a highly performing IT system can result to the increase of the quality of customer services and the improvement of communication – exchange of information – across the organization; in other words, an effective IT system can lead to the increase of organizational performance offering to the organization a competitive advantage towards its rivals. However, in order for the above choice to be successful, it is necessary for certain people, organization and technology issues to be taken into consideration. More specifically, the managers involved in the specific decision have to ensure that the organization’s employees have the skills and capabilities required for handling the chosen software and hardware. Without the appropriately skilled staff, the new hardware and software would be of no value for the organization. Of course, it would be possible fo r the organization’s employees to be trained accordingly – a scheme which would be necessary in any case, under the terms that the chosen software and hardware would have specific requirements and the firm’s employees could not be aware of all of them (Kangas 2003). At the next level, it is required that the technology chosen to be compatible with the firm’s existing IT systems; if the replacement of the firm’s IT network is decided, then it would be made sure that the chosen hardware and software could cooperate – for example, a common operational environment would be chosen for the firm’s computers. Moreover, the cost of the software/ hardware chosen should be taken into consideration; this cost would include: the cost of the system’s