Introduction
Over the last two decades, the digital revolution has completely transformed how organizations and businesses work. Computers now allow one person to do the amount of work that previously took 10 people to do in a fraction of the time. Internet and local networks ensure that everything is up to date in real-time.
And as the raw processing power and the interconnection within the organization burgeoned, the IT department was born to manage, maintain, and protect it.
So any company that wants to be relevant in the 21st century must have its own in-house IT department. This has now become a critical resource for any global or national company’s operation.
Global Company’s IT Structure
Let’s look at how IT departments are structured in Global Companies. Everything that has to do with information processing technology is handled by this department. So, this includes setting up local networks and file sharing solutions for the company and securing the company against cyber threats.
Similar to how other departments work in a company, the IT department has its own infrastructure composed of hardware systems, software systems, network systems, and database systems. Think computers, network routers, data servers, and terminals throughout the company. All of these are managed by IT experts. This extends to software portals and email servers all seamlessly running thanks to these experts.
While hierarchies can differ from one company to the other, the objective of the IT department remains the same. Provide support and solutions in all matters related to processing information digitally and securing this information from all threats both inside and outside the company.
The Challenges Faced When Setting Up IT Infrastructure
Enterprises these days are hugely dependent on their cyberinfrastructure. In fact, a hiccup in their network system for just a mere hour can end up costing the company millions. This gives the IT department a huge responsibility of building and setting up a strong foolproof infrastructure.
The first challenge most IT departments face is aligning their own goals with those of the overall company and the product. While it may seem obvious at first glance, sometimes it’s not as clear as it should be, especially in huge global companies. That’s why they must reevaluate what they are doing and match it with the company’s objectives.
Another challenge that IT departments face is that they sometimes have to deal with paradoxical tasks. On one hand, they want to make their system robust and complex so it works like a fine-tuned machine, and on the other hand, minimize the complexities because non-IT staff also have to use it.
Additionally, securing your company’s network against malicious actors is another challenge that companies face these days. This becomes even harder because most of the time, a company’s security is breached not because of any shortfall from the IT department, but because cyber illiterate employees of other departments aren’t careful enough. In fact, a lot of IT departments run educational seminars and scenarios to educate other employees on good IT practices.
