Executive Summary

IT infrastructure exhibits peculiar disconnect. While the software and hardware components of IT have enjoyed continuous innovation and technical advancements, the activities associated with operating and maintaining these components has not kept the same pace of change. This operations impediment has resulted in a significant spending inconsistency that continues to grow. Today US$1 in hardware spend requires as much as US$2 in operational expense.

An important consequence of lagging innovation is a lack of flexibility in the IT operations platform. The IT operations platform has grown in cost and scope as new hardware technologies have been added and as distributed computing has continued its penetration of the enterprise environment. Enterprises have attempted to deal with this complexity through a variety of methods including the adoption of asset-heavy outsourcing, investment in tools and the adoption of methodologies such as ITIL. Unfortunately, each of these methods have only added to the sizes and inflexibility of the IT operations platform and acted to further constrain innovation and drive up cost.

Lack of innovation, spending discord, and a monolithic approach to IT infrastructure operations is prompting the emergence of a new operational model that Everest calls “Fluid IT Architecture.”  Fluid IT is different from other infrastructure delivery approaches (e.g., cloud or utility computing). It can deliver significant value as well as cost savings to IT buyers and open new opportunities for IO suppliers. The fluidity of this approach to IT operations – enabling continuous innovation, improvements in the effectiveness of service delivery, and dramatic cost reductions – suggests a shift to a new paradigm rather than incremental advancements – a tsunami rather than a ripple in impact for the enterprise.

The flexibility in adopting Fluid IT Architecture through liquefying IT infrastructure operations in layers over time positions enterprises to move at their own pace, capitalizing on the opportunity to deal with the highest value areas in the near term without the risks of a “big bang” implementation.

Scope

This white paper discusses:

• Historical deficiencies in today’s IT infrastructure operations
• Factors driving the emergence of the new Fluid IT Architecture operational model
• Key aspects of the Fluid IT model and likely roadmap of Fluid IT adoption in the industry