Optimisation is about tying the elements of your infrastructure together in such a way that you achieve benefits such as cost reductions, flexibility and greater freedom to innovate. For example, consider the multiple platforms that an organisation is likely to have. Now consider the fact that each server will typically be working at only five or ten per cent capacity. If you were to convert those servers into a consolidated platform, you'd still have the grunt to cope with your workload demands but you'd be achieving much higher utilisation per dollar.

The same logic can be applied to storage infrastructure. The amount of data that people store on their hard drives is growing rapidly. When capacity is reached, the answer for most midsize businesses is to simply buy another hard drive. However if you take a step back and think about the information you have and what you want to do with it, that's where you can bring some intelligence to the solution, perhaps by introducing an information lifecycle management system.

Improving information lifecycle management might encompass measures such as archiving emails on a tape-drive system, so that your hard drives aren't being filled up unnecessarily. While this is a simple example, the difference in spend on the fast, responsive hard disk drive versus the much lower cost per gigabyte of tape-drive a demonstrates how optimisation can drive better use of investment dollars. This approach could also be applied to your server storage infrastructure.

Where can I get started?
Infrastructure optimisation can be a difficult landscape to navigate, especially if you're working with limited in-house resources. A contracted services provider can help by giving you access to a specialist solution designer or consultant, who can devise policies and offer recommendations on technologies that you might benefit from.
Once upon a time, calling in an external services provider was a major step for an organisation. However today's model of acquiring selected services on an as-needed basis – rather than transferring people, assets and entire departments to the provider – is much more in tune with the flexibility that midsize businesses require.
Contracted services have evolved to the point where you can say, 'I just want you to manage my server infrastructure' or 'I just want you to manage my storage'. It might be as simple as taking advantage of an assessment or consultation to discuss what you want to achieve and get a high level idea of the solutions that might be appropriate for your business. This allows you to maintain full control over your infrastructure. You can even take parts of your business to different vendors to ensure you get the most competitive price.
Whether you're needing help with that first shift into a consolidation environment, or looking to integrate new services into your already consolidated system, a contracted service provider can help you move to the next step.

What does the future hold?
Cloud computing is now making it possible for organisations to optimise even further. Instead of buying infrastructure, they pay for a service and connect through the internet.
Organisations currently have the option of establishing a cloud-based infrastructure in their own private network, or utilising a public cloud. As these models are adopted by more and more Australian businesses, organisations will need to assess whether this technology is right for them – and if it is, how it can best be employed. For instance you may evaluate the importance of a workload such as finance and decide that this is best suited to an internally built and managed cloud infrastructure. Less important workloads may be better suited to a public cloud, which offers the benefits of not having to buy the infrastructure, establish or maintain it.
As this is relatively new technology, finding the combination of public and private cloud models that's right for your needs can be complicated. Businesses should work with a partner who has specific experience in delivering cloud-based solutions to help them leverage this technology in the most effective way possible.

“Optimising your IT infrastructure basically means to take advantage of the latest and proven technology and what it has to offer - from cost cutting and agility, to ease of management and ease of deployment.”

Mazin Salim believes optimising is about utilising your IT infrastructure in a better way, either through buying new infrastructure or, in many cases, converting the current infrastructure from a physical format to a virtual format.

Before optimising, an organisation should create a plan that identifies which areas of their infrastructure will be maintained in-house and which components can be outsourced to capable, well-established brands.

Mazin believes that “A challenge for midsized businesses is managing the costs associated with deploying your own infrastructure when you choose to virtualise, maintain, manage and upgrade it.”

To overcome this barrier, major vendors like IBM have started to offer infrastructure as a service for midsized organisations. Once exclusive to large enterprises, this scaled down virtual offering could actually end up saving you money, particularly when strategically combined with other outsourced services

Most importantly though, your data is safe and secure, your back-ups are managed and you are no longer required to procure the software and the hardware. Mazin adds: “What you can gain from major players in terms of up time is probably very hard to match if you want to develop it in-house.”

For businesses that are reluctant to outsource, they can take advantage of a mixed or a hybrid model where certain elements of their infrastructure stay on premise while other non-core elements can be outsourced to providers.

The first step, however, is to analyse your infrastructure and make a decision. If you have the advantage of in-house scale, then keeping it on-premise may work in your favour. If not, major players offer many affordable and useable solutions that have been especially designed for midsized businesses.

1. Why outsource?
Outsourcing allows you to focus on your core business rather than technology. By letting people with the technical expertise handle the tech requirements, you are free to focus on other core areas of the business.

2. What should I outsource?
Analyse your infrastructure and decide what components need to be maintained internally and what components can be handled externally by a capable, well-established brand. You will get better value and more reliability and security if you outsource elements you don’t need in-house.

3. When should I virtualise?
Whenever you have an opportunity to virtualise, take advantage of it. Virtualisation gives you far better resource utilisation than the physical or actual servers.

4. What are the advantages?
What you can gain from major players in terms of up time is probably very hard to match if you want to develop it in-house due to their high-level infrastructure offerings.

5. Is there help out there?
Take advantage of the cost-effective solutions major players in the market are now offering midsized businesses.