Technology Management: Getting as much—or as little—as you want

What does "technology management" mean to you?  Chances are, your expectations for this or any other kind of service are defined by what you've received in the past. In this issue, we explain the different components of technology management so you can decide if you're getting everything you want from your technology management team.

Your organization’s accountant may be a professional who pays the bills, does the bookkeeping, and prepares your taxes. And you might be happy with that. The organization down the street may have an accountant who does all these things, but also looks at the company’s comprehensive financial profile and revenue trends to help inform strategic organizational decisions. Both companies call the role by the same name, but are receiving two very different levels of service. Point is—definitions differ, and you never know if what you have in place is the best solution for you until you have a point of comparison.

So, how do you define IT support? Technology management? How do your definitions influence provider performance and expectations? Is there a better way to evaluate your technology support resources? The answer is yes.  There is a benchmark with which to better gauge your IT management. We have developed the “Optimal Technology Stack” to help you define and assess your organization’s IT function—a function, by the way, that can be housed internally, outsourced, or fulfilled through a combination of the two.

The Optimal Technology Stack is comprised of six services; all are interrelated and work to support each other. Without one, your organization’s entire IT initiative could falter. The levels are as follows:

• Network and Connectivity: This is the level at which your IT team ensures the functionality of your network components, including cabling, firewalls, switches and routers. They are working with service providers to maintain connectivity to remote offices and the Internet. They ensure the security of your network from external and internal threats.
• Server Management: At this level, your IT professionals monitor servers on a constant 24x7 basis, schedule patching and upgrades of operating systems and security software, and troubleshoot issues behind the scenes. They are also creating, modifying, and deleting network users, profiles, and permissions. In addition, the team is backing up data and providing for disaster recovery scenarios.
• Workstation Management: To fulfill this function, your IT group maintains workstation health with regular upgrades and patching of operating systems and security software (antivirus, antispyware, antispam). They standardize software and hardware configurations to ensure maximum protection and efficiency, and create and maintain a replacement schedule for an up-to-date hardware and software environment.
• User Support: IT partners that provide user support usually offer desk-side engineering support for hardware and software set-ups, issues, questions, and training. They support mobile devices such as BlackBerrys, iPhones, and other PDAs. In addition, they offer helpdesk support for users via phone or email, even after hours, to accommodate fluid work schedules and emergencies.
• Business Application Support: IT professionals that offer this service install, configure, upgrade, and improve line-of-business applications. They coordinate training and administration for both external-facing (web) and internal applications.
• Strategic IT Direction: This is a value-add, higher level of technology service and support. IT professionals offering this level of service create and lead internal technology committees; propose improvements for business processes; identify new technologies for cost savings and operational efficiencies; benchmark against industry best practices; initiate, budget, and coordinate projects; and plan disaster recovery procedures and systems. They also approach technology as a key component to the organization’s business plan, and may even perform a S.W.O.T. analysis to support organizational goals. (Strengths of your organization’s current technological systems, Weaknesses in system functioning, technological Opportunities that might benefit your organization, and technological Threats. How are your industry competitors using technologies to move forward and create better economies of scale?)

Last Word
A robust IT management function means more than fixing the network when it crashes and dealing with day-to-day operations and system coordination. IT professionals should be intimately involved with business application-related decisions. They should relate technology to organizational goals and make strategic recommendations to further the organization’s growth. With Optimal’s Technology Stack, you now have the tools with which to evaluate your organization’s IT support. How does it measure up?

Have questions about the information contained in this article? Is there a new technology topic you would like to learn more about? Email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . We want to hear from you! Your topic may be covered in an upcoming issue of Optimal Impact.

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