Digi Skills Agency

You are here: Home / Archives for Infrastructure

Infrastructure

What does an Infrastructure Manager do?

by

An infrastructure manager is responsible for the hardware, operating systems, and tools used to organise large computer installations. This position is also known as an information technology architect or technical systems manager. All three titles refer to the connectivity and hardware responsibilities that are the focus of this position.

The information technology (IT) infrastructure manager is responsible for coordinating system management, building in redundancy and room for growth, and emergency planning. This position typically reports to the director of information technology or a similar role within the organisation. Software and application managers are equivalent in rank, but often rely upon the expertise of the infrastructure manager when planning new projects.

System management coordination occupies the vast majority of the manager’s time. In most organisations, the system operations staff report directly to this position. The systems operators are responsible for maintaining all the different programs and routines necessary to keep the system up and running.

In order to become an IT infrastructure manager, you would have usually completed post-secondary education in computer science, computer system management, or information technology. Many employers also expect candidates to have completed additional training in operating systems, hardware structure, and system infrastructure. People who enjoy working with technology, like a challenging work environment, and can work in a continuously changing industry report the greatest satisfaction. Teamwork is essential in this role, as multiple people are required to achieve the initial set up and maintenance of this type of infrastructure. A proper system design, complete with room for expansion, back-ups, and redundancy is the primary responsibility of this job.

A career as an Infrastructure manager requires dedication to continuing education. Both the hardware and software are constantly changing in this field, and it is expected to continue to change into the foreseeable future. This career is forecast to have an increased rate of growth in the next five to ten years. In order to advance your career, candidates must obtain further education through certification in a specific technology or graduate-level training.

Emergency planning includes back-up and restoration systems, remote system management, specially designed server rooms, and other structural settings. This part of the job requires a significant investment of time and then a minimal level of maintenance on an annual basis. Take the time to test this system thoroughly to ensure it will work if required.

To find our more information on our Infrastructure Manager jobs available please click here.  If you would like help and advice on how to progress your career as an Infrastructure Manager, Technology Architect or Technical Systems Manager please call us on 0330 2233 047 or send en email to hello@graffitirecruitment.co.uk

 

– Wise Geek

UK’s Broadband Network Described as ‘Unacceptable’

by

The UK’s Business Secretary has called the Country’s business broadband “unacceptable”.

Greg Clark, the business secretary, has said that major broadband upgrades are needed to support the government’s plans for industry. Speaking at the Institute of Directors’ annual conference, he said that the state of UK broadband was “unacceptable” for 2016.

Clark told attendees that he wanted entrepreneurs in the UK to be valued the same way that Olympians and Paralympians are, but that there were significant obstacles preventing British companies for achieving that – including the quality of broadband and mobile.

“We have new infrastructure like Crossrail about to open, but we have roads that are bottlenecked, trains overcrowded, and broadband and mobile coverage that is simply unacceptable in 2016,” said Clark.

“I believe it is time for our country to have an upgrade – an upgrade in our infrastructure so that we have smart and modern connections, physical and electronic.”

The government’s multi-million pound Broadband Delivery UK Fund has been driving fibre rollouts across the country, connecting 91% of the population to faster broadband already. It hopes to reach 95% by the end of next year, but that will still inevitably leave some areas without a decent connection.

Clark said that, while different parts of the country have different needs, government policy has treated everywhere as if it was the same.

Clark said: “It seems to me that helping Cornwall make the best of its future is as vital to a comprehensive national success as helping Birmingham – but what is needed in each place is different, and our strategy must reflect that.

“Many of the policies and decisions that form our industrial strategy will not be about particular industries or sectors, but will be cross-cutting.”

Clark likely found a receptive audience to his criticisms – the Institute of Directors has indicated that it wants a 10Gb broadband available to all businesses by 2030. Meanwhile, the government’s incoming Digital Economy Bill includes a universal service obligation of just 10Mb.

If you found this article interesting, make sure you check out our latest job role which involves advising business on the best possible communication solutions. It may be just right for you! View it by following this link!

– Duncan Heaney

10 IT Infrastructure Skills every IT Master should know

by

Infrastructure is no longer static, immovable, or inflexible — and neither should be an IT pro’s skill set.

Take a look at 10 of the hottest Infrastructure skills that IT pros should be considering today.

 

1. Cloud Security

The sad reality about new IT technologies is that security is often an afterthought. Cloud computing came along and people jumped onboard before a robust and well-planned security roadmap could be established. Because of this, many early cloud adopters are scrambling to re-architect their cloud services with advanced security. While cloud security essentially uses the same tools found in traditional infrastructure security, there are more things to consider. Security considerations ranging from third-party data storage, data access, and even multi-tenancy issues are new skills you can acquire.

 

2. Software-Defined WANs

As a whole, it’s going to take some time for end-to-end software defined networking (SDN) to take hold. But one specific aspect of SDN, namely software-defined WANs, can and should be implemented today. For many companies, SD-WAN will be their first foray into SDN — and it’s a skill that will be the tip of the “software-defined” iceberg.

 

3. Cloud Service Broker

As server and network infrastructures continue to be outsourced into the cloud, some in-house infrastructure administrators are left wondering what role they may play in the not-too-distant future. One skill set that will be useful is that of a cloud service broker. In this role, the broker will evaluate various cloud services and form/maintain relationships with them on behalf of the organisation. And, while negotiating contracts may be a major skills change for many administrators, this role still requires a deep understanding of the underlying infrastructure technologies that cloud providers offer. So if you’re looking to still use the technical skills you have, while also seeking to move toward more of a non-technical role, then this might be the right fit for you.

 

4. Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)

Next-generation firewall skills are currently in very high demand. Today’s NGFWs not only incorporate traditional layer 3/4 access controls and stateful inspection, they also perform layer 7 packet inspection to identify and apply policy traffic based on application type. In many ways, the NGFW is the linchpin for other modern security tools — and thus a skillset that every enterprise will soon require.

 

5. Cloud-Managed Networking

Cloud-managed networking is still in its infancy. Wireless LANs were the first part of the network to move to the cloud. But because of the popularity of cloud-managed WLANs, routing, switching, and network security is also becoming more popular. While networking is networking, regardless of where it’s managed, most vendors are using completely new interfaces that administrators must master.

 

6. Collaboration

It used to be that enterprise collaboration tools consisted of desk phones, videoconference rooms, and perhaps a chat client. But these days, collaboration is far more wide reaching. We’re talking about personal meeting rooms with full HD video capabilities, smartphone apps that fully mimic your office phone and chat applications, and shared project-management tools that tightly integrate with other enterprise tools such as mail and calendaring. Collaboration tools are becoming hugely popular in the new “work from anywhere” world in which we live.

 

7. Mobile Device Management (MDM)

The use of employee-owned mobile devices and laptops in the enterprise continues to explode. Most enterprise applications these days have smartphone or Web-based apps that employees can — and do — use. Companies that were early BYOD adopters are finding that their infrastructure is left vulnerable because there is little to no security protecting potentially insecure devices from accessing company resources — or from preventing the loss of intellectual property on personal devices. Mobile device management is a popular way to alleviate many of these problems — and thus it is a great skill to know.

 

8. Malware Sandboxing

Advanced malware is becoming an increasingly difficult problem for enterprises to tackle. Even with the use of tools like next-generation firewalls, intrusion prevention, advanced security gateways, and desktop malware prevention, advanced malware often squeaks through. Malware sandboxes are one of the newest and most popular tools used to catch malware that other tools can’t. Data flagged as potentially suspicious is placed in a simulated and segregated environment called a sandbox. The data then is allowed onto the simulated network, where it’s run through a gauntlet of tests to determine if the code starts doing something malicious. For security administrators, malware sandboxing is a great tool to have in the tool belt — and one that’s likely to grow in popularity.

 

9. Application Containers

Many people think application containers are the next evolutionary step in data center virtualization. Instead of virtualizing entire servers to host a single application, application containers allow for essentially the same thing, except they’re running on a single OS. An application container does this by creating virtual containers that enable OS settings unique to one particular application and hiding them from other applications. Data centers can run the same number of applications with far lower memory and storage requirements. Those who are heavily involved in server virtualization absolutely must look into containers.

 

10. Data Center Switching

Switching in the data center is far more advanced — and far more specialized — than it used to be. Today’s data centers often use a combination of switching, virtualized routing, and various application load-balancing and high-availability techniques that are growing in complexity. Add to this SDN’s creep into data center switching architectures and you have an area of networking that is highly complex, cutting edge, and in high demand.

 

Conclusion

Not only does this list encompass a wide range of infrastructure responsibilities, the skills also vary in technical complexity. In the end, there is almost certainly a skill or two that any infrastructure administrator has (or soon will have) on their “to learn” lists. The world of IT Infrastructure is growing rapidly, therefore this skill list will continue to expand over the course of time.

 

For more news on Information Technology, visit our ‘latest industry news’ page by following this link!

If you are looking for a new career within the IT Industry, check out our latest jobs by visiting our Jobs Page!

 

– Andrew Froehlich

6-STEP Guide on Transitioning from Excel to ERP

by

Transitioning from Excel spreadsheets to an ERP system can be daunting. These tips will help ensure the process goes smoothly.

Spreadsheets are cheap, easy to manage and can accommodate many different types of data. Therefore, it’s no surprise that, according to reports, 71 percent of companies still rely on spreadsheets as a pose to ERP for budgeting and planning. For many small businesses, spreadsheets are a system of first choice when just starting out.

However, something happens when your business matures and becomes more successful. As an organization grows, so much data is generated that it makes manipulating figures and creating accurate financial statements a time-consuming and error-prone task when using spreadsheets.

The biggest problem with spreadsheets is often their isolation from the rest of the enterprise, making collaboration fraught with challenges. Data cannot be automatically or even easily incorporated in the system. Even when it is, it is nearly impossible to prevent multiple versions of the same data from distorting results.

Most organizations accept that spreadsheets are going the way of landlines, encyclopedias and floppy disk drives. However, after making this tough decision, businesses face a challenging prospect: how to get all that data from Excel and into their ERP software of choice. Modern-day ERP offers some powerful tools for seamless integration – and the resulting solution is well worth the time and effort.

Here are six tips for making your transfer from spreadsheets to ERP as easy and painless as possible.

1. Evaluate Your Current Data Processes

When businesses have used the same systems for years, they can fall into a pattern of habituation, where tasks and reports become automatic, filled out without much thought to their need and use. Only when an issue with an internal procedure/process arises does a system get reevaluated and updated.

The transition from a system of Excel spreadsheets to an ERP solution can be an ideal time to take another look at the processes your business has in place. Evaluate what information you currently gather, how that information is used and what additional information would be beneficial. The added capabilities provided by ERP systems can also provide you with a new lens through which to consider your current processes — and may unearth new procedures you wouldn’t have considered otherwise.

2. Determine if You Need All the Data

In addition to reviewing processes and procedures, take a closer look at historical data and consider how often it gets used – and what might no longer be needed. Determining a specific date and only transferring files from after this date can optimize the process and save a lot of time and energy. You can always go back and add additional data if needed.

Speaking with an expert who has experience in this area can be helpful, as they will already understand potential pitfalls and help you avoid them. Check with other business owners in your circle who may have already completed their own transitions, or ask the companies you are considering purchasing your system from for references.

3. Break Data up into Sections

Just like anything else in business, you need a plan to be successful when transitioning data over to a new finance system. Decide if it makes more sense to attempt a mass transition, or a slow and gradual process. Keep in mind that most companies benefit from a gradual process, but there are instances where a quicker transition might be the better option. An example of this would be if the data is used regularly and needs to be accessible in its entirety, even during the transition.

Make a list of the milestones you need to achieve. Include steps like picking out the right product, testing the system and training end users. This list will ease some of the stress associated with the migration.

4. Choose ERP Product Based on Your Specific Needs

Before choosing an ERP solution, you need to understand all of your options, both customized and out-of-the-box solutions. First, however, you should understand which kind of systems your organization needs. Once you have this information, it will be easier to compare software programs and choose the right solution.

For example, a company that outsources its marketing functions may have little use for an ERP that prioritizes marketing. However, that same company may thrive on the increased knowledge it has from automated financial reports that highlight just where improvement is needed and which areas of the business are performing best.

It sounds like a no-brainer, but when making a decision, pick a finance system that meets your exact needs. Try not to make any assumptions at this stage in the process, as the answer to a quick question can often change the direction that your company chooses to go in. It is important to uncover what exactly each vendor offers and how it could benefit your company’s operations. There are many systems out there capable of managing your finance system, but powerful capabilities are only beneficial if they can be directly applied to your business.

5. Prepare Your Team

Most likely, you aren’t transitioning to a new financial system alone. Consider how you want to prepare your team to help in the transition. You have two types of people to prepare as part of your transition: team members who will help you migrate your information, and end users of the software programs selected. Get feedback from both of these groups on what they need out of the new system early in the process so they remain more invested over the long run.

Regardless of how you choose to transition the data over, allow extra time in your plans. Something unexpected may come up and you don’t want to be caught off guard. By anticipating that the project may take a little extra time and preparing your team for this, you may be pleasantly surprised with an earlier-than-planned finish.

6. Remember Long-term Benefits of ERP

It is easy to forget the reasons why you are transitioning to a new system in the middle of the process and instead be caught up in the ups and downs of day-to-day work, that, let’s be honest, can be tedious and challenging when working on a full data transfer. Whenever you question if the process is worth it, try to take a step back and remember all of those benefits of switching to a new accounting system, including increased accuracy, better analytics and a streamlined business process. Encourage the rest of the team to do this as well.

In Conclusion

Setting out to implement a new ERP solution, especially when it comes to your business’ financials, is a daunting task. However, by approaching the task with the right mindset — and a few industry tips — you can reduce stress and minimize the time it takes to be up and running with a new system. Organizations that go beyond spreadsheets are able to make faster and better decisions by reducing manual routine work and human error.

Are you already familiar with Enterprise Resource Planning strategies? Looking at taking the next step in your career within the ERP Business Analytics sector? Why not check out our latest job role by clicking here!

 

Cloud Competition: Amazon vs Google vs Microsoft

by

With Amazon, Google and Microsoft all reporting strong growth on the back of cloud, we take a closer look at how they have achieved it

The grip that Amazon Web Services (AWS) has on the infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) market can make it hard for even relatively big players to get a look-in when enterprise CIOs shop around for cloud services.

Microsoft has managed to hold its own, with the help of its Azure platform, by focusing on convincing its existing base of on-premise enterprise customers to ditch their own servers and use its cloud infrastructure.

It is a strategy that appears to be working very well for Microsoft. Its fourth-quarter 2016 financial results saw the Azure cloud division emerge as one of the company’s best-performing business initiatives, with revenue growth of 102%.

In recent years, the company has also publicly committed to matching AWS on price for various commodity cloud services, which has been a useful marketing tactic.

For instance, every time Amazon decides to publicly announce a price cut for any of its cloud infrastructure services, Microsoft grabs the opportunity to crowbar its way into that narrative and announce a price cut of its own.

This has helped to create the impression that the IaaS market is something of a two-horse race between AWS and Microsoft, which is an image Google has been working hard to dispel since late 2015 when it appointed former VMware co-founder, Diane Greene.

A Google board member since 2012, Greene was appointed to oversee the running of Google’s newly-converged cloud services business, bringing the product, engineering, sales and marketing efforts of its off-premise infrastructure and software initiatives under one roof for the first time.

Unified approach

The move was comprehensively referenced during a conference call to discuss Alphabet, Google’s parent company, and its 2016 second-quarter results, with CEO Sundar Pichai, who described how taking a more unified approach to cloud was opening doors for it in the enterprise.

“It’s a big set of changes, and it’s obviously having an impact,” said Pichai on the call transcribed by Seeking Alpha.

“So for me, I see a shift to a world-class enterprise approach, and it’s definitely having an impact on the type of conversations we are having and the outcome of the RFPs [requests for proposals] we are engaged in.”

Proof of that is evident in some of the high-profile contract wins Google has secured this year with the likes of music-streaming site Spotify and Apple.

To keep up this momentum, the company outlined the steps it has taken to increase its headcount across several areas of the business, including its cloud division, with more than 2,460 recruits taken on in the previous quarter.

Google vs AWS

At present, Alphabet does not provide a breakdown within its financial results of the cloud’s contribution to its wider business, which banked a profit of $4.9bn against revenues of $21.5bn in Q2.

Instead, it is reported as “other revenue”, which means the performance of Google’s converged cloud unit is muddied because its figures are lumped in with those for Google Play and the company’s hardware ventures.

Even so, this part of its business brought in revenue of $2.2bn, up 33% on the year before.

It is currently unclear just how big Google’s cloud business is, but there is no denying that AWS has the upper hand, based on its financial results, which were released the same day.

The activities of AWS alone brought in $2.9bn in revenue for its parent company, Amazon.com. This figure is 58% higher than that for the same quarter a year ago, and equates to about 9% of Amazon’s total sales.

During a conference call to discuss the results, also transcribed by Seeking Alpha, the senior management team at AWS said the work being done behind the scenes to improve the efficiency of its infrastructure was having a positive impact on its revenue generation.

Datacentre footprint

The company is also currently building out its datacentre footprint across the globe in response to customer concerns about latency, data sovereignty and security, and this looks set to bring a fresh tranche of users on board, it said.

Brian Olsavsky, chief financial officer at Amazon.com, said: “When we expand geographically, existing customers will run more of their workloads on AWS. Sometimes they have local latency concerns or security issues that require them to run things in their country, so that helps.

“We also open up to new customers when we add these regions, and it is certainly an exciting investment for our customer base.”

In view of Google’s and Microsoft’s attempts to become even bigger thorns in the side of AWS, the company is in no danger of overlooking the competitive threat either of these rivals pose to its market-leading position in the cloud.

Particularly, as Olsavsky referenced elsewhere during the results call, there is a strong chance that AWS, Google and others will find their services being used by the same customers as enterprises move to adopt a multi-cloud approach in their IT environments.

“We have been in this business longer than anyone,” he said. “Having said that, there is plenty of room for multiple suppliers in this business.

“What we focus on is innovating on behalf of customers and expanding our geographic footprint to make our services more widely available.”

In a briefing note following the recent wave of financial results, Kate Hanaghan, research director at analyst house TechMarketView, said AWS clearly continues to lead the way in the cloud market.

“We know more about the performance of AWS than its competitors,” she said. “Google’s cloud revenue is buried, and while we know Microsoft’s Azure revenue was up 102% in its last quarter, this was from an unknown base.

“Our view is that AWS is growing at a slower rate in the UK specifically. That said, AWS is outpacing the market and most of the other players.”

– Caroline Donnelly

7,000 Shropshire Jobs to be Created

by

More than 7,000 Shropshire Jobs will be created and 2,800 homes built under plans revealed today for our region.

Marches Local Enterprise Partnership has submitted a bid for almost £68 million of Growth Deal funding from Westminster, which would be used for projects across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Herefordshire. A huge number of Shropshire Jobs will be generated as a result.

Projects put forward for funding include the development of Oswestry Innovation Park, a £13.2 million scheme which would see 1,400 jobs created, and Enterprise Telford, a £19 million manufacturing and innovation development estimated to create 1,250 homes and 1,650 full time equivalent jobs.

If successful the funding bid would be matched by more than £75 million from organisations and private sector partners delivering the projects.

The proposal also includes a bid for £7.5 million to support the development of an innovation and enterprise scheme in Newport, £2 million towards the development of the Flaxmill Maltings in Shrewsbury, and £1 million towards the delivery of new homes in Telford, which will be matched with £9 million of private sector investment.

Chairman of the Marches LEP, Graham Wynn OBE, said the bid was supported by its public sector partners, Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council and Herefordshire Council as well as the three area Business Boards.

He said: “We are asking for funding for 11 projects which include not only major infrastructure and shovel-ready schemes, but also proposals to help develop our workforce, by making 1,000 undergraduate and 80 post-graduate places available and investment in IT and digital equipment and training facilities that will benefit over 3,700 young people and apprentices.

“The total cost of these projects is more than £144 million and they will create sustainable private sector jobs, starter homes and access to higher education and training for the people who live and work in the Marches.

“Our bid also sets out our ambition for this enterprising region with a strategy to deliver economic growth through investment in innovation, higher levels skills, housing and business sites.

“We have a record for delivering large-scale projects successfully and our bid has the universal backing of our businesses, our partners and our MPs.”

A decision on funding allocations is expected to be made in the autumn budget statement.

The Marches LEP is one of 38 across England bidding for a slice of the £1.8 billion of Growth Deal funding.

– Shropshirestar

Fancy a career within the IT Industry? Be sure to check out our latest job roles by clicking here!

© 2025 Digi Skills Agency Ltd. All rights reserved. Sitemap

Website Design by Yellow Marshmallow.