IT
management is the discipline whereby all of the information technology resources of a
firm are managed in accordance with its needs and priorities. These
resources may include tangible investments like computer hardware, software,
data, networks and data centre facilities, as well as the staff who are
hired to maintain them.
Managing this responsibility
within a company entails many of the basic management functions, like
budgeting, staffing, change management, and organizing and controlling,
along with other aspects that are unique to technology, like software
design, network planning, tech support etc.
The central aim of IT management
is to generate value through the use of technology. To achieve this,
business strategies and technology must be aligned.
IT Management is different from
management information systems. The latter refers to management methods tied
to the automation or support of human decision making. IT Management refers
to IT related management activities in organizations. MIS is focused mainly
on the business aspect, with strong input into the technology phase of the
business/organization.
A primary focus of IT management
is the value creation made possible by technology. This requires the
alignment of technology and business strategies. While the value creation
for an organization involves a network of relationships between internal and
external environments, technology plays an important role in improving the
overall value chain of an organization. However, this increase requires
business and technology management to work as a creative, synergistic, and
collaborative team instead of a purely mechanistic span of control.
Historically, one set of resources
was dedicated to one particular computing technology, business application
or line of business, and managed in a silo-like fashion. These resources
supported a single set of requirements and processes, and couldn’t easily be
optimized or reconfigured to support actual demand. This led technology
providers to build out and complement their product-centric infrastructure
and management offerings with Converged Infrastructure environments that
converge servers, storage, networking, security, management and facilities.
The efficiencies of having this type of integrated and automated management
environment allows enterprises to get their applications up and running
faster, with simpler manageability and maintenance, and enables IT to adjust
IT resources (such as servers, storage and networking) quicker to meet
unpredictable business demand.
IT
infrastructure
The term IT infrastructure
is defined in a standard called Information Technology Infrastructure
Library (ITIL) v3 as a combined set of hardware, software, networks,
facilities, etc. (including all of the information technology), in order to
develop, test, deliver, monitor, control or support IT services. Associated
people, processes and documentation are not part of IT Infrastructure.
ITIL documents define best
practices and accepted techniques in the information technology community.
This set of guidelines is widely used in both the public and private sector,
essentially providing companies with a blueprint on how to organize and
manage information technology operations at the company. The library is
constantly updated to ensure accuracy and to include emerging technological
advances. ITIL provides a systematic and professional approach to the
management of IT service provision, and offers the following benefits:
1.
Reduced IT costs
2.
Improved IT services through the
use of proven best practice processes
3.
Improved customer satisfaction
through a more professional approach to service delivery
4.
Standards and guidance
5.
Improved productivity
6.
Improved use of skills and
experience
7.
Improved delivery of third-party
services through the specification of ITIL or BS15000 as the standard for
service delivery in services procurements.
IT management disciplines
The below concepts are commonly listed or investigated under the broad term
IT Management:
IT managers
IT managers have a lot in common with project managers but their main
difference is one of focus: an IT manager is responsible and accountable for
an ongoing program of IT services while the project manager's responsibility
and accountability are both limited to a project with a clear start and end
date.
Most IT management programs are designed to educate and develop managers who
can effectively manage the planning, design, selection, implementation, use,
and administration of emerging and converging information and communications
technologies. The program curriculum provides students with the technical
knowledge and management knowledge and skills needed to effectively
integrate people, information and communication technologies, and business
processes in support of organizational strategic goals.
Graduates should be able
1.
to explain the important
terminology, facts, concepts, principles, analytic techniques, and theories
used in IT management.
2.
to apply important terminology,
facts, concepts, principles, analytic techniques, and theories in IT
management when analyzing complex factual situations.
3.
to integrate (or synthesize)
important facts, concepts, principles, and theories in IT management when
developing solutions to IT management multifaceted problems in complex
situations.
The importance of IT management is
to understand the managing data. There are also difficulties IT managers
overcome. The amount of data is increasing, most of the data in is separated
between the organizations and collected by different departments. They may
not be using the same method or procedure. Data security, quality and
integrity is most informant in receiving information. The sources have an
impact also on the sources obtained; they may be internal or external. When
the information structures do not transfer properly with each other, that
can result in unreliable data. An important part to understand in an IT
management is Data Governance. It is an approach to managing information
across the entire organization or company. Many will also need to know
master data management, which is a process that spans all of the companies
processes and business. Without a structure your company will not be able to
function properly. Applying these processes in Databases, it your job to be
able to communicate with other departments systems and develop precise
communication and holding your organization accountable of certain data
issues. Your design and programs helps increase design and technical
knowledge throughout the business.
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