Infrastructure –
What’s it all about?

The word “infrastructure” seems to occur in almost every article, ad and public relations piece lately. What does this new buzzword, “infrastructure” mean? Well, that really depends on whom you ask. In general, the infrastructure relates to the framework that links all the components together. It may be invisible to most, though it is integral to the external product.

Infrastructure could be described as the coordination of simultaneous left and right brain activity. Think of a programmer who is proud of his accomplishment in coding logic while finessing a high degree of creativity in how the program comes together in the accessing and processing of information. It is putting order around chaos while staying flexible and creative to adapt to changing conditions.

Networked Environments

Lately, I’ve seen “infrastructure” used in relation to networking environments. In this case, infrastructure generally describes the underlying backbone of our email data transmissions and networked information technology. Cisco’s mission statement says its goal is to “Shape the future of the Internet by creating unprecedented value and opportunity for our customers, employees, investors, and ecosystem partners”. They appear to be achieving their goals based on their latest involvement with the government.

George W. Bush selected three of Cisco’s employees to serve on his education, commerce and telecommunications teams to formulate the legislative agenda during the Clinton-Bush transition phase. Here, the infrastructure is at work on several dynamic levels. First, the foundation of the networked environment with its associated standards and assumptions are combined with Cisco’s technical products, business strategy and

mission statement. Second, this framework is incorporated into levels of government to manage transition. The networked world, with its abundance of information, is becoming so complex that our large governmental infrastructure cannot cope with the technology without the expertise of those helping to create the network revolution. The networked world and the governmental infrastructure are two different frameworks that overlap.

End-to-End Business Solutions

Another example of infrastructure applies to business delivery systems. This concept applies to the architecture that links the Internet to corporate applications. It integrates graphical Internet front ends with legacy systems to produce a completely interwoven product – a seamless end-to-end solution that aligns the organization’s internal and external applications. It relies heavily on process and the integration of systems to achieve an integrated environment. As external customers have access to more information through the Internet, cohesive processes will become even more of an issue in service delivery.

Incorporating Business Framework with Technology

Another definition of “infrastructure” applies to the underlying framework that supports the technological product. Company infrastructure should include the means to have strategy development, business development, process improvement, marketing plans and operational assistance in achieving the goals. The success of any product depends on the underlying framework to make it all happen. Ways to ensure that business leaders succeed in technology delivery is to incorporate the following ideas in product strategy:

Strategy Development:

	Define organizational goals.
	Develop plans to support and achieve the objectives.
	Determine whether the internal structure supports the growth and development of the organization.

Business Development:

	Research and analyze the market.
	Set priorities.
	Search for partners and alliances.
	Structure agreements.

Marketing Plans:

	Examine critical differences among the competition.
	Identify the market opportunity.
	Determine how market penetration will be achieved with the associated financial projections.
	Develop a marketing strategy in response to what was learned by research.

Process Improvement:

	Improve productivity and efficiency.
	Determine growth objectives and communicate corporate strategy both internally and externally.
	Integrate processes to ensure that objectives are attainable.
	Create understandable workflows to be shared throughout the organization.
	Seek internal input to flow and feasibility for buy-in and acceptance.

Operational Assistance:

	Provide backup support to free up management under time constraints.
	Make the goals attainable within a given time period.
	Monitor financial statements.
	Determine if the staffing needs are met.
	Develop corporate identity and branding of company.
	Ensure that adequate resources are in place.

In summary, infrastructure and product development operates much like that of a large oak tree. The more stable the root structure and foundation, the stronger the tree can grow to extend upwards and outwards. We experience the result of the growth by watching the tree expand, but it is the underground root structure that allows the external, visible manifestation of the product to develop and grow.