Bangalore, March 19 2015: Customer-facing organizations  today grapple with  how they can better leverage  their IT infrastructure investments, using them optimally, in line with their business strategies. For many it makes sense to concentrate on their core competencies  and  to outsource their IT infrastructure management to specialist agencies.  

New delivery models such as the Cloud, and technologies like server virtualization have made  it an even more attractive proposition -- a win-win for client and service provider alike.
Cannily anticipating the trend,  a company  like NIIT Technologies   is  taking its focus on managed services to the next level by establishing  Infrastructure Management Services (IMS) as a separate Business Unit.
In a special briefing for IndiaTechOnline,  Arvind Mehrotra, President & Global Business Head, IMS, NIIT Technologies, shared some of the strategies  the company has put in place  for its IMS  business, harnessing  the trishul of Big Data, Cloud and  Security.
Mehrotra explains that IT infrastructure typically consists of heterogeneous components such as complex server and storage environments, business applications, network and security environment, operating systems and tools, and databases. Management of such  complex IT infrastructure is often a significant portion of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Organizations need their IT infrastructures to be available and performing optimally at all times.
"In today's digital world, one can see a shift  in emphasis from controlled sharing to  controlled access", he adds, "This access  is increasingly sought from  multiple devices  not just from one desktop.  Client platforms  may range from  laptops to tablets to smart phones."

In recent years, NIIT has  brought its  IMS expertise into play on behalf of some of the world's most critical operations:

• EuroStar, the  high speed train service that directly links the UK to France and Belgium via the Channel Tunnel  turned to NIIT to connect all client offices and stations through a new Wide Area Network (WAN); to set-up a helpdesk to provide multi-lingual support for operations in the UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands.  NIIT  provided  a turnkey solution towards Infrastructure Management, Apps Development and Maintenance, Wide Area Network (WAN) design and implementation that included  all gates, kiosks and other customer-facing interfaces.
• In another use case,  a US based public gaming corporation that owns and operates over 50 casinos, hotels, and seven golf courses  turned to NIIT for technology infrastructure support in the US that included robust, and tested network and servers; storage back-up and IT service management. The client  also need a partner who would   ensure that  regulatory approvals are received in all jurisdictions where it operates.
• Nearer home NIIT  has been entrusted by the Airports Authority of India with  its airport modernization plan for 10 airports in India.  Starting with Chennai last year,NIIT is  helping to set up   Airport Operations Control Centres (AOCC) and Data Centres  in each airport sharing a common Airport Operational Database (AODB). The solutions involving Airport Management System and Resource Management System supplied by SITA have been implemented and integrated with the existing key airport systems..

Managed IT infrastructure  increasingly  makes sense to  many corporations  particularly those with large customer facing operations and NIIT is showing that the India brand of  IMS is a respected and sought after service.

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