IT
infrastructure is shared technology resources within the company to provide a
platform of the enterprise information system applications. Are included in the
IT infrastructure is a hardware, software, and services that are shared across
the enterprise. The main components of the IT infrastructure is a computer
hardware platform, operating system platform, software platform company,
network and telecommunications platforms, database management software,
internet platforms and consulting services as well as system integrators.
There
are five stages of evolution of the IT infrastructure. IT infrastructure is the
first stage of specialized electronic accounting machine which is a primitive
computer that is used for accounting work. IT infrastructure in the mainframe
era (1959 to present) consists of a mainframe that perform centralized
processing that can be connected to thousands of terminals, and in the end some
of decentralized computing and per department using a mini computer in the
network. PC era (1981 to present) within the IT infrastructure is dominated by
the use of desktop computers with office productivity tools. Infrastructure is
more dominate in the era of client / server (1983 to the present now) consists
of a network client to a desktop or laptop computer is more powerful servers to
handle the management and processing of data plumpness.
A
number of technological developments have implemented a sustainable
transformation of the IT infrastructure. Moore's law describes an exponential
increase in processing power and exponential decrease in the cost of computer
technology, doubling the processor power every 18 months, and lower the price
of computing half. Digital storage law explains the exponential decrease the
cost of data storage. Metcalfe's Law helps explain the increased use of
computers to indicate where the value of a network for members of the network
increases exponentially as more and more of the members.
Trends
in hardware platforms and software contemporary answer the need to reduce IT
infrastructure costs, to use computer resources efficiently, to integrate
information across multiple platforms, and to provide flexibility and good
service for the company and its customers. Integration of computing and
telecommunications platforms, grid computing, edge computing, and computing on
demand shows that more and more computational processes that take place in the
network. With virtualization, computing resources are arranged so that its use
is not limited by the configuration or geographic location. Server
virtualization makes the company able to run more than one operating system at
the same time.
Trends
in contemporary software platform includes many use Linux, open source
software, and java, software for enterprise integration, and outsourcing
software. Open source software is produced and maintained by a global community
of programmers and can be downloaded free of charge. Linux is an open source
operating system that is elastic, resilient, which can run on a variety of
hardware platforms and is widely used to run a web server. Java is a
programming language and operating system are not affected by the hardware and
the best in interactive programming environment for the web.
Software
integration-company include enterprise applications and middleware such as
enterprise application integration software and web services. Unlike EAI
software, web services are combined with software components based on open web
standards that are not limited by the product and can work with all software
applications and operating systems. Web services can be used as a component of
a web-based application that connects the system from two different
organizations or connect separate systems within an enterprise. Mashup is a new
software application, the service is based on combining different software
applications using high-speed data networks, universal communication standard
dank open source code. The company purchased new software applications from
sources outside, including software packages, with contracting out existing
application development to external vendors or hire the services of a software
application service provider.
Challenges
include the major infrastructure facing infrastructure changes, agree on
management and governance infrastructure, and investing in infrastructure
wisely. Instructions solution includes using the competitive forces model to
determine how much spending on IT infrastructure and where strategic
investments in infrastructure should be done, and calculate the total cost of
ownership of information technology assets. Total cost of ownership of
technology resources is not just the cost of hardware and software, but also
the cost of upgrades, maintenance, technical assistance, and training hardware
and software.
