Today’s tech-driven world makes IT infrastructure services vital to your company. No doubt, small businesses are familiar with how they need an IT specialist they can turn to for their devices and make sure they all function as required.
A dependable IT team can provide your business with network connections, server and storage systems, collaboration tools, cybersecurity, and optimization services. Additionally, with the shift from working at the office to staying at home, having a dependable IT team is essential to support the company.
With this article, learn about IT services, their different components, how they keep your company secure, and their other benefits.
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What Are IT Infrastructure Services?
Most information is accessible from our hands, making optimization and security more valuable than ever. This makes information technology (IT) and infrastructure services part of your essential pillars, as it serves the functional core of your business.
IT infrastructure comprises hardware and software solutions that provide your team with the necessary operations tools. Whether or not your company specializes in technology, you’re sure to have tools that require the expertise of an IT professional or two to manage your operations.
While IT issues may seem unavoidable at times, it’s important to note that as one of the fastest growing industries in the world:
- The US tech industry shows a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5% through 2024.
- 87% of executives plan to expedite cyber resilience with more substantial policies, processes, and standards.
- There’s an expected growth rate of 104% for emerging tech starting from 2018 to 2023.
As rapidly as tech grows, so too does the IT department that has to support it. Infrastructure services are generally divided into two categories: Traditional and cloud-based infrastructure. How are these two types different, and which one should your company utilize?
Traditional Infrastructure
Perhaps what first comes to mind when you hear the term IT is a room full of servers and data centers where on-premise workstations and desktop computers are connected to access the company’s database.
This falls under the traditional infrastructure category and is usually managed by the business’s in-house IT team. They’re in charge of hardware and software maintenance, providing work tools and giving access to the company members. Making sure devices are secure and invulnerable to malware and other viruses is also part of their responsibilities.
How does it benefit your company, and why should you opt for traditional IT infrastructure?
- Control of the IT System – Rather than relying on an outsourced provider, you manage the IT system for your company. You get to know the ins and outs of your system without having to go through a middle man.
- Full Access On-Site – As the name suggests, a traditional IT setup lives in the main headquarters of your company. This applies to most established enterprises who’ve had their own space for a while and have everything set up for their company to work on-site.
- Customizable Applications – Setting up your own IT infrastructure means you can customize it as you please. This benefits companies with specific needs that require a tailor-fit of tools and systems for their team.
- Set Your Security Standards – Having exclusive access to your infrastructure means it’s as secure as you make it to be. Additionally, your IT department will likely limit access to their team, which adds a level of privacy since only those who need to access it will have it.
Some things to consider in using traditional infrastructure:
- Limited access and capacity following outages or due to improper maintenance.
- Storage and network management make the department less scalable and vulnerable to human error.
- More costly than a cloud computing service due to high capital expenditure out of pocket.
Cloud-Based Infrastructure
Could-based infrastructure has your IT services accessible through the internet. Most, if not all, of the same services and tools, but users can connect to them without having to be on-site through virtual data solutions.
You could have a team based from anywhere in the world who can access your resources through cloud computing.
This can be set up through your servers or, the most likely of the options, outsourced IT services.
What benefits does a cloud-based infrastructure offer, and why should you choose it for your business?
- Cost-Efficient and Flexible – Partnering with a cloud computing service means not having to set up the space, invest in the hardware, and hire a team to maintain the setup. This makes cloud-based infrastructure more cost-efficient, and you can simply rely on a dedicated team to manage it. Moreover, your team can access your company database worldwide, as you’re not limited to working in the same place.
- Protected from Downtime – Cloud-based setup has the benefit of being supported by multiple servers managed by a load balancer. Should there be failure errors or lost connection, rest assured that your data has been saved by supporting servers that mirror your content.
- Scalable to Growing Teams – Save on time and funds from having to worry about where to put traditional setup to grow with your team. Partnering with a service provider makes it a faster process since you don’t have to worry about finding more space and ordering new equipment.
Considerations in using a cloud-based infrastructure:
- Limited control due to outsourcing service, instead of in-house team fixing the problems.
- Vulnerable to network outages and similar service issues when not prepared.
- Partial management of security operations due to a separate party in charge of infrastructure maintenance.
Companies entirely based at the office have the most to gain from traditional IT setup but can also benefit from cloud-based services. Integrating both into your business operations and establishing a hybrid cloud solution gives your team the options to do their work best while safeguarding your database and processes with flexible tools.
Different Components of Information Technology Infrastructure
There are several moving parts and types of information technology. Consider the following as you set up the infrastructure for your company:
Physical Components of IT Infrastructure
The primary essentials to your IT setup, having these ready and on hand when you begin operations, make the rest of your setup easy to assemble.
- Network devices – links your devices to the network, such as routers, modems, switches, and hubs.
- Storage devices – where your data is kept, such as the RAM, ROM, hard disks, optical disk drives, and SD cards. Virtual cloud options are also available, but hardware on-hand is good.
- Server hardware – a super data processor-accessible locally or over the internet, including web servers, email servers, and file transfer protocol (FTP) servers.
- Computer hardware – the elements that make your computer functional, such as the motherboard, central processing unit (CPU), power supply, monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
Digital Components of IT Infrastructure
A very close second to the physical components of your setup, digital software is what makes it all work together. For a company, the following are typically the essential tools you need to function:
- Operating systems – the central hardware manager of the computer, the OS is the interface that the user can interact and engage with. The commonly known operating systems include Windows, Linux and Mac OS.
- Enterprise applications – comprises of software that an organization needs to conduct business, such as content management, security tools, process management, and automation programs.
Telecommunication platforms partner with a service provider offering internet access, data connectivity, and networking setup.
Internet platforms – typically comprise the company website, business tools, online applications, and even social media accounts where your audience can engage with your business.
How Do IT Infrastructure Services Work Together?
Setting up your hardware is essential, followed closely by the necessary custom software company product your company will use for its operations. You can’t have one without the other – investing in hardware and software for your setup gives you as much control over your processes as you prefer. That said, it’s also an option to outsource your IT operations as needed.
What Do IT Infrastructure Services Include?
Whether you decide to manage your own IT or partner with a dedicated technology services provider for it, below are the services you should make sure are included in your functions:
- Support for IT operations and end-user usage
- Security and anti-virus tools
- Data storage and management
- Virtualization services
- Network and connectivity solutions
- On-site and remote IT provisions
Beyond the basics, here are some points to consider as you organize your IT infrastructure. How have you prepared for your business objectives? How technical and technological are your workplace operations? How have you planned to scale up?
Thinking about how your business will grow can direct how you should set up your IT tools.
The Benefits of IT Infrastructure Services
New companies have the most benefit from working with IT service providers. The same benefits apply to established enterprises who can also opt to hire for their IT processes. Chances are they will have established their traditional setup. That said, no matter how developed your company is, you can undoubtedly partner with an IT service provider as needed.
Why Work with an IT Infrastructure Service Provider?
- Work with Experienced Professionals – Outside of hiring the people yourself, you can be sure that a service provider has the people with the exact skillset and experience to support your team.
- Focus on your Expertise – Working with an IT company means you can worry less about managing an in-house IT team and focus on your business.
- Cost-Effective Pricing – Outsourcing your work functions is a good option that helps lower your business expenses while collaborating with people with the appropriate skills.
- Dedicated Support and Maintenance – It’s great to have an excellent support system that keeps your IT operations functional and secure. While encountering technical issues is to be expected, it’s less of a hassle for your team since you can work on your business as a dedicated IT company can solve any problems you encounter on the way.
Professional IT services can help you in that regard by providing their expert opinion on the matter and guiding your business as fits your market.
