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Is Fast IT Growth Leading You to Chaos?

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CIOL Bureau
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  • Desktop PCs

    They’re everywhere, they’re everyone’s interface to business apps. They’re
    troublesome, always obsolete, expensive to maintain by the hundreds, and a
    burden when they age. How do you manage your desktop flock?

  • Software

    Enterprise apps are a different ballgame from your word processors, yet today’s
    mantra for both is the same: standardize. Even vanilla office suites and mail
    packages take on a new complexion with volumes, as you plan and negotiate
    multi-license packs and cross-upgrade deals with reluctant vendors

  • Servers

    They’re the heart of your network. Unlike desktops, they often live on for
    10 years or more, yet you can’t afford to switch them off even for minor
    repairs. No wonder server selection is so critical

  • Networking

    As more and more business apps get deployed over networks and the Net becomes
    all-pervasive, the need to design an intelligent network becomes even more
    critical

  • Network Vendors
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When Bharat Petroleum Corporation decided to standardize its IT set-up in
1997, information services officer SK Dwivedi landed in the hot seat. Dwivedi
had to contend with an unending stream of posers. Thousands of existing PCs had
varying configurations and specs: which ones to upgrade, which ones to discard,
how many new ones to be bought, and of what specs? And BPCL had a history of
employees using software of their own choice and comfort level, which one to
standardize on? What servers would complement the company’s various business
functions?

Finally, what networking options would suit the PSU best? Hobson’s choice
indeed...

"We were clear that we would not lag behind technology, but we had to
ensure the benefits would justify the cost…and there was no way we could throw
away all existing hardware. We had to arrive at a cut-off level, a minimum specs
level and cut-off standards," Dwivedi recalls. The answer–BPCL dumped all
386s, upgraded higher versions to the set standard, and bought new PCs of
uniform configuration. For software, all 5,000 PCs were loaded with Windows 95,
Office 97 and Outlook 98. Similarly, a standard version was arrived at for all
225 servers.

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Around the same time, PepsiCo India also decided to take up standardization
of its network.

Being PepsiCo has its own advantages...the MNC walked the
biggest-bang-for-the-buck route. Also, the IT systems here were relatively new
and the IT chief did not have many legacy problems. PepsiCo opted for new PCs
and servers with the hottest specs. The few old PCs were scrapped.

These are just two approaches towards optimization of IT resources at Indian
enterprises. But thousands of Indian enterprises are facing their own strain of
IT problems. Dataquest took up the mantle to chart out a guide-map to optimizing
IT procurement, utilization and maintenance. Some of the top companies were
studied on various aspects of IT strategies. A special panel of seven top CIOs
was also invited for a discussion on problems faced over the years in keeping
systems up to date. So what do these Big Boys do? They

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  • Standardize

  • Negotiate

  • Outsource

This three-step mantra has worked for them, and in this issue, we explain how
it can work in your company as well.

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