Summary

No matter how extensive or simple your business plans are, it is critical to think about the performance of the applications you depend on. All the money spent on web servers, network hardware, and bandwidth will not make your business successful if your applications and the infrastructure that supports these applications are not available and performing when you need them.

Poorly performing applications can have far-reaching consequences. For example, poor performance equals loss of productivity for internal employees, partners, and even the IT department as they try to troubleshoot problems. Today, poor performance can even affect a company's stock price.

In this economy, applications are caught in the middle. They support the business and they rely on the infrastructure. Because applications are the glue between the business and infrastructure, your focus should start with them. The business itself may not be aligned with applications or the infrastructure; part of the optimization process should include ensuring this alignment takes place. It is critical to understand which applications and indeed which parts of the application are important to the business model. This understanding must be based on a technical and business-unit perspective, including setting expectations and ensuring that the performance goals are realistic and subsequently met.

TCO is an important aspect of your business model. By understanding TCO, you potentially can reduce your operating costs and more fully understand the use of your infrastructure. You can use this data in an overall optimization model.