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How to Find Alignment in IT Infrastructure Management

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How to Find Alignment in IT Infrastructure Management


Technology and business needs are constantly evolving, and as they do, companies must ensure IT infrastructure and overall operations maintain alignment. However, misalignment is all too easy when technology is constantly updating.

What Types of Changes Occur in Infrastructure?

Companies’ most common mistake is not understanding how much, how often, or what types of changes occur within their infrastructures. Many organizations do not have the right level of visibility and control of change, and that’s the root of most IT-related issues. A single unforeseen change can create a domino effect of other issues.

The Problem With Manuel Tracking

Often, companies deal with change by keeping track of IT resources in spreadsheets. You would be surprised how some multibillion-dollar firms still rely on Excel to track what they have and where things are. Ultimately, however, the Excel files are outdated the second they document things.

Manual tracking also means an increased likelihood of miscounting, mistracking, and other human error mistakes. This unnecessarily creates more work for everyone involved.

Typically, the various teams in IT, from server and application to data center infrastructure and so on, all rely on different tools to get a sense of their environments. These teams do not rely on a single source of data to make decisions, and strings of data are lost easily. This is why it’s crucial to align your IT infrastructure with your business.

What Companies Miss When Not Prioritizing IT Infrastructure

Disconnects occur when companies don’t maintain their IT infrastructure. Outages can cost a company about $300,000 per hour on average.

Aside from outages, when brownouts occur (when computer systems, websites, and apps have slow response times), consumers often abandon ship. After all, nearly 60% of customers will exit a page that takes longer than three seconds to load. Without proper IT investments, organizations can lose present and future business along with their reputations.

How IT Organizations Help

The best chief information officers are focused on three things: how to save money, how to make money, and how to stay out of trouble.

Needs for IT Infrastructure Management

Proper IT infrastructure management tools look at gaps and can save companies money by creating more efficient systems and supporting new business initiatives. New technologies and processes help employees work more efficiently as well.

Full Visibility and Compliance

With better IT, companies provide full visibility to abide by external and internal compliance mandates, helping stay out of any legal trouble. IT technology can also report and block malware and data breaches, which can be costly for any organization.

How to Boost Your IT Infrastructure

Here is how you can help get your business and its IT infrastructure on the same page.

1. Get better single-source visibility.

More information and visibility that all teams rely upon collectively will allow organizations and companies to make smarter decisions faster.

Greater visibility into regulated entities helps improve the enforcement of rules and regulations. Clear rules and processes can eliminate potential arguments or concerns. The foundation of greater visibility requires harnessing true and accurate data. Once that’s set, transparency about processes and analytics solutions can help build stronger business cultures.

2. Invest in more automation.

Specialized IT software firms have invested heavily to help IT teams collect, discover, normalize, categorize, and enhance data based on patented technologies. Recently, artificial intelligence has enabled teams to speed up work that would take years to do manually.

Automation

Automation-based technologies help companies streamline processes and tasks to pick up speed and save on labor costs. While machines can’t replace every job, they can help you free up your time to check other tasks off your to-do list.

3. Improve your customer service.

Customer service professionals should be trained on not only the basics of your company but also how to help customers handle issues and identify IT-related problems and solutions. When the two are aligned, there is no miscommunication, and everyone in your company is on the same page.

Get Your IT infrastructure up to date

Ultimately, your company misses out when your IT infrastructure is not up to date. The connection between the two is crucial but not impossible to achieve. A few intentional steps in investing toward a better IT infrastructure can change the course of your company’s success moving into the future, so don’t delay — because the technology won’t.

Image Credit: Christina Wocintechchat; Unsplash; Thank you!

Yama Habibzai

CMO

Yama Habibzai is the chief marketing officer at Device42, a comprehensive IT discovery, asset management, and dependency mapping platform.
The Device42 platform was built to solve the essential problem of many corporate data center and cloud managers lacking the visibility and control they require to most effectively manage both planned and unplanned changes.
With 25 years of experience across 11 other IT management companies, Yama brings a wealth of experience in driving business demand and market recognition.

Politics

Fintech Kennek raises $12.5M seed round to digitize lending

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Google eyed for $2 billion Anthropic deal after major Amazon play


London-based fintech startup Kennek has raised $12.5 million in seed funding to expand its lending operating system.

According to an Oct. 10 tech.eu report, the round was led by HV Capital and included participation from Dutch Founders Fund, AlbionVC, FFVC, Plug & Play Ventures, and Syndicate One. Kennek offers software-as-a-service tools to help non-bank lenders streamline their operations using open banking, open finance, and payments.

The platform aims to automate time-consuming manual tasks and consolidate fragmented data to simplify lending. Xavier De Pauw, founder of Kennek said:

“Until kennek, lenders had to devote countless hours to menial operational tasks and deal with jumbled and hard-coded data – which makes every other part of lending a headache. As former lenders ourselves, we lived and breathed these frustrations, and built kennek to make them a thing of the past.”

The company said the latest funding round was oversubscribed and closed quickly despite the challenging fundraising environment. The new capital will be used to expand Kennek’s engineering team and strengthen its market position in the UK while exploring expansion into other European markets. Barbod Namini, Partner at lead investor HV Capital, commented on the investment:

“Kennek has developed an ambitious and genuinely unique proposition which we think can be the foundation of the entire alternative lending space. […] It is a complicated market and a solution that brings together all information and stakeholders onto a single platform is highly compelling for both lenders & the ecosystem as a whole.”

The fintech lending space has grown rapidly in recent years, but many lenders still rely on legacy systems and manual processes that limit efficiency and scalability. Kennek aims to leverage open banking and data integration to provide lenders with a more streamlined, automated lending experience.

The seed funding will allow the London-based startup to continue developing its platform and expanding its team to meet demand from non-bank lenders looking to digitize operations. Kennek’s focus on the UK and Europe also comes amid rising adoption of open banking and open finance in the regions.

Featured Image Credit: Photo from Kennek.io; Thank you!

Radek Zielinski

Radek Zielinski is an experienced technology and financial journalist with a passion for cybersecurity and futurology.

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Politics

Fortune 500’s race for generative AI breakthroughs

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Deanna Ritchie


As excitement around generative AI grows, Fortune 500 companies, including Goldman Sachs, are carefully examining the possible applications of this technology. A recent survey of U.S. executives indicated that 60% believe generative AI will substantially impact their businesses in the long term. However, they anticipate a one to two-year timeframe before implementing their initial solutions. This optimism stems from the potential of generative AI to revolutionize various aspects of businesses, from enhancing customer experiences to optimizing internal processes. In the short term, companies will likely focus on pilot projects and experimentation, gradually integrating generative AI into their operations as they witness its positive influence on efficiency and profitability.

Goldman Sachs’ Cautious Approach to Implementing Generative AI

In a recent interview, Goldman Sachs CIO Marco Argenti revealed that the firm has not yet implemented any generative AI use cases. Instead, the company focuses on experimentation and setting high standards before adopting the technology. Argenti recognized the desire for outcomes in areas like developer and operational efficiency but emphasized ensuring precision before putting experimental AI use cases into production.

According to Argenti, striking the right balance between driving innovation and maintaining accuracy is crucial for successfully integrating generative AI within the firm. Goldman Sachs intends to continue exploring this emerging technology’s potential benefits and applications while diligently assessing risks to ensure it meets the company’s stringent quality standards.

One possible application for Goldman Sachs is in software development, where the company has observed a 20-40% productivity increase during its trials. The goal is for 1,000 developers to utilize generative AI tools by year’s end. However, Argenti emphasized that a well-defined expectation of return on investment is necessary before fully integrating generative AI into production.

To achieve this, the company plans to implement a systematic and strategic approach to adopting generative AI, ensuring that it complements and enhances the skills of its developers. Additionally, Goldman Sachs intends to evaluate the long-term impact of generative AI on their software development processes and the overall quality of the applications being developed.

Goldman Sachs’ approach to AI implementation goes beyond merely executing models. The firm has created a platform encompassing technical, legal, and compliance assessments to filter out improper content and keep track of all interactions. This comprehensive system ensures seamless integration of artificial intelligence in operations while adhering to regulatory standards and maintaining client confidentiality. Moreover, the platform continuously improves and adapts its algorithms, allowing Goldman Sachs to stay at the forefront of technology and offer its clients the most efficient and secure services.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Google DeepMind; Pexels; Thank you!

Deanna Ritchie

Managing Editor at ReadWrite

Deanna is the Managing Editor at ReadWrite. Previously she worked as the Editor in Chief for Startup Grind and has over 20+ years of experience in content management and content development.

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Politics

UK seizes web3 opportunity simplifying crypto regulations

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Deanna Ritchie


As Web3 companies increasingly consider leaving the United States due to regulatory ambiguity, the United Kingdom must simplify its cryptocurrency regulations to attract these businesses. The conservative think tank Policy Exchange recently released a report detailing ten suggestions for improving Web3 regulation in the country. Among the recommendations are reducing liability for token holders in decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and encouraging the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to adopt alternative Know Your Customer (KYC) methodologies, such as digital identities and blockchain analytics tools. These suggestions aim to position the UK as a hub for Web3 innovation and attract blockchain-based businesses looking for a more conducive regulatory environment.

Streamlining Cryptocurrency Regulations for Innovation

To make it easier for emerging Web3 companies to navigate existing legal frameworks and contribute to the UK’s digital economy growth, the government must streamline cryptocurrency regulations and adopt forward-looking approaches. By making the regulatory landscape clear and straightforward, the UK can create an environment that fosters innovation, growth, and competitiveness in the global fintech industry.

The Policy Exchange report also recommends not weakening self-hosted wallets or treating proof-of-stake (PoS) services as financial services. This approach aims to protect the fundamental principles of decentralization and user autonomy while strongly emphasizing security and regulatory compliance. By doing so, the UK can nurture an environment that encourages innovation and the continued growth of blockchain technology.

Despite recent strict measures by UK authorities, such as His Majesty’s Treasury and the FCA, toward the digital assets sector, the proposed changes in the Policy Exchange report strive to make the UK a more attractive location for Web3 enterprises. By adopting these suggestions, the UK can demonstrate its commitment to fostering innovation in the rapidly evolving blockchain and cryptocurrency industries while ensuring a robust and transparent regulatory environment.

The ongoing uncertainty surrounding cryptocurrency regulations in various countries has prompted Web3 companies to explore alternative jurisdictions with more precise legal frameworks. As the United States grapples with regulatory ambiguity, the United Kingdom can position itself as a hub for Web3 innovation by simplifying and streamlining its cryptocurrency regulations.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Jonathan Borba; Pexels; Thank you!

Deanna Ritchie

Managing Editor at ReadWrite

Deanna is the Managing Editor at ReadWrite. Previously she worked as the Editor in Chief for Startup Grind and has over 20+ years of experience in content management and content development.

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