Welcome to B & M Bulletin, produced specifically for users of IT technical services. In this issue:
• Collaborative technology for the big society
• Tech View: Systems integration and rationalisation
• 10 benefits of cloud computing
• B & M TechConsult
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Collaborative technology for the big society
With the new UK coalition government focused on enabling change at community level, Jerry Smart considers the role of collaboration of people and technologies to its success
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Enabling change at community level
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As a society we are becoming increasingly more tolerant and less radical. Each successive generation sees greater social integration and this is supported by the proliferation of personal communication and media exposure.
Under the banner of ‘The Big Society', the new coalition UK Government has set out to devolve powers to local communities. This, coupled with a trend towards a greater proportion of the population to live in towns and cities (80% in the UK), means significant challenges for the infrastructure that delivers services.
The economic pressures to make efficiency savings and deal with increased demands means that new applications of technologies are key to addressing social issues such as traffic management, energy provision and conservation, carbon capture, education, healthcare, business integration, building infrastructure and environmental services.
To manage our towns and cities effectively we will need to share systems, services and information. This synergy is likely to be delivered by employing shared technology based on cloud-based systems that will enable collaboration and increased levels of service, but at the same time offer the potential for reductions in cost.
If we are to improve our quality of life in the future then it will be through the unrestricted collaboration of people, government and other authorities.
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Systems integration and rationalisation
B & M Technical Manager Paul Smith considers a different way of integrating systems
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There are several pressures that drive change in an organisation’s IT environment, but the most fundamental is always the needs of the business. Common goals for IT change include:
- Reducing IT support costs
- Reducing complexity
- Improving business agility in the market place
- Raising the business' profile
- Maintaining or improving workforce moral
- Maximising profitability
IT Systems Integration is often seen as one way of achieving these goals, so a business may decide to reduce cost and complexity by retiring a legacy system, for example. However, projects of this type can soon become mired if (or when) management and technical managers start to fight for their own corners and are not able to work together effectively. Using methodologies such as Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) can help define priorities and offer a resolution that is acceptable to all parties, perhaps through a solution that combines legacy migration and IT rejuvenation as the best way forward.
Retiring a core business application/resource is not a trivial undertaking and in real terms, could take five+ years to achieve. We've all been part of 'ditch the dinosaur mainframe' discussions and a business may decide that a legacy z/OS, WebSphere, DB2 system is no longer the best solution and that there are better ways to achieve business goals. However, given the length of time it will take to do this, organisations still need to deliver data to their disparate platforms in order to keep the business running. For example, Linux could replace z/OS, but the business could still use WebSphere and DB2.
As many companies are discovering, System Z hardware is not only good at running z/OS but also multiple Linux images too, delivering improvements in power efficiency into the bargain. This route could appease both the IT and operational arms of the business, as the company can save money and the technicians get to learn new disciplines.
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10 benefits of cloud computing
Jerry Smart, MD of B & M Europe, considers ten benefits of using cloud computing
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- Reduced cost of owning and maintaining multiple servers
- Improved business collaboration due to fewer technical barriers
- Improved scalability when business needs change
- Quicker adoption of IT change
- Improved deployment of internal resources
- Increased storage
- Improved flexibility
- Greater mobility as users can access data wherever they are
- Non-stop change implementation
- Reduced energy costs
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B & M TechConsult
authoritative technical consultancy
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B & M TechConsult is a specialist technical consultancy service for large enterprise systems, delivering strategic advice and recommendations to enable projects to be implemented in a timely and cost-effective manner.
We offer authoritative technical consultancy services for z/OS, AIX, HP-UX, Solaris and Linux environments and network connectivity, with consultancy projects typically including:
- Strategic Reviews
- Feasibility Studies
- Audits
- ICT Health Checks
- Process development
- Technical assurance services
B & M TechConsult delivers tailored services that enable customers to make the most of their large platform IT investments. Our consultants use their in-depth knowledge to make recommendations that can deliver dramatic improvements in an organisation's IT infrastructure - typically delivering results in a short timescale. Consultancy is undertaken using best practice standards and objectives and deliverables are always agreed in advance.
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