IT Physical Infrastructure: The Silent Enabler From the perspective of a proud Data Centre Engineer

IT Physical Infrastructure is something almost nobody knows about, is taken for granted and is hardly ever appreciated until it fails.

Therefore, the biggest question to date is what is IT Physical Infrastructure and more importantly what is its impact in our environment?

Let me break it down…:

When you wake up at that odd time of the night/morning and decide to book your travel for work or pleasure via your web browser, THAT is IT Physical Infrastructure at work.

When you arrive at the airport parking and are welcomed at the gate (okay admittedly by that annoying voice " welcome to OR Tambo international Airport”), the boom opens, and you get your parking ticket. THAT is IT Physical Infrastructure at work.

When you get to check-in at the Web Kiosk or ask for directions at the automated info-gate machine or If you are like me and like the personal touch; go to check-in counter; book-in and get your boarding pass, drop your bag off at the counter and without a second glance know that it will arrive at your end point destination for your collection, THAT is IT Physical Infrastructure at work.   

The Flight Information Display System (FIDS) that advises the Arrival and departure times, including which gate or carousel you may collect your bags from... THAT is IT Physical Infrastructure at work.    

The fuel system that provide jet fuel for your plane; The communications from ground staff to pilots THAT is IT Physical Infrastructure at work   

Even though much of management don’t like to admit it, IT Physical Infrastructure is the engine that drives business success, but it is the most under-financed division, with the highest impact. Without it, a company, building, even an airport is merely a cold structure made from steel bricks and mortar.

So, without a solid IT Physical Infrastructure at work to drive processes ……., it will not matter how expensive or fancy your building may be. It will be like a world without Internet; Smart Phones; WhatsApp; Netflix; or even worse Facebook or Instagram.

                                           Regan Flashman: CDCP-CDCS-CDCE-CDFOM-CITM