5 IT Cost Saving Strategies for Your Enterprise Infrastructure

COVID-19以多种方式影响了组织为客户十大赌博正规老平台的能力，同时确保员工的福祉，并将持续到2020年下半年甚至2021年. In response, 大多数领导者在为员工和客户解决新现实的同时，制定了IT成本节约计划.

随着经济开始缓慢反弹，被认为不重要的企业开始谨慎地重新开业, Park Place has learned more about the impact on IT organizations.

CIO recently did a COVID Impact Survey which revealed, not surprisingly, 2020年IT预算受到COVID-19的影响，成本控制/费用管理现在是IT领导者的首要任务. Prior to COVID-19, 59% of IT Leaders expected an increase and 34% expected a flat budget in 2020, but post COVID-19 only 25% expected budgets to be higher than 2019 levels.

The analyst community also expects contraction in spending in technology. IDC expects a decline of 2.7% in worldwide IT spending with every industry impacted. Hospitality, tourism-related industries, and personal and consumer services are expected to decline by 5% or more. 因此，自COVID-19开始以来，学习如何削减IT成本已成为优先事项.

Gartner paints a more grim outlook, declaring they expect an 8% decline in global IT spending. According to John-David Lovelock, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner, “CIOs have moved into emergency cost optimization 这意味着投资将被最小化，并优先考虑保持业务运行的操作, which will be the top priority for most organizations through 2020.”

5 IT Cost Reduction Strategies

As we go into the second half of 2020, Park Place希望分享在应对COVID-19期间降低IT基础设施信息技术成本的5种技术.

看看Park Place Technologies的解决方案架构师对节省IT成本的看法.

1. Prioritize Optimization Programs

组织应该确保他们有适当的优化程序，以确保他们不会浪费资源. Often, 主要的项目已经到位，但在确保它们以最佳方式运行和尽可能节约成本方面做得很少. 分析和优化网络硬件支持合同可以帮助您确定通过推迟不必要的硬件购买来延长现有资产寿命的选项.

The ClearView™ network hardware contract analyzer 能否就扩展支持的最佳组合(包括应该留在OEM支持的资产)提供公正的建议, assets that could provide cost savings if moved to third party IT maintenance, and equipment that is a good match for NetSure+, our Cisco SmartNet alternative that combines of third-party support with our global logistics expertise.

2. Speed up Transformation with Cloud Migrations

许多组织计划在2020年或以后进行云迁移，但这些计划仍在预算中. 现在是加快这些转型项目的大好时机，以便从加速实施计划中获得成本效益. The accelerated transition may not lower IT costs immediately, but they could reduce overall operations expenses over the coming years. Look to storage migration services 从受信任的IT合作伙伴处获取，以确保有效的迁移，而不会在过程中丢失数据.

3. Utilize On-Demand Resources

Unfortunately, 人员配置仍然是全球公司降低IT成本的首选技术之一. 许多组织不得不改变现有的人员配备水平，特别是在非关键角色或主要总部或关键技术中心以外的领域. 然而，这并没有改变在全球其他地区支持关键硬件的需求.

Instead of hiring additional staff later, it may be a good idea to look at project or ad hoc staffing options for break/fix, remote hands support, or Install/Move/Add/Change services, and IT deployment services for projects that are still necessary. These on-demand approaches can create data center cost savings over the long haul, as salaries can represent a large percentage of some organization’s costs.

4. Limit New Assets or Extend Lifecycle of Current Assets

硬件刷新应限于帮助更改工作环境(如远程工作或实现新产品/十大赌博正规老平台)所需的硬件. Third-party maintenance options can extend the lifecycle of server, network, and storage hardware post OEM warranty/support. You can also consider purchasing pre-owned used hardware to reap additional information technology cost savings, when additional capacity is required or even gain additional revenue from ITAD programs if necessary too.

5. Partner with Key Vendors, Control Costs and Gain Flexibility

As you make cost control adjustments, 重要的是要确保主要供应商的健康，并利用合作伙伴关系，以创造双赢的机会. For example, perhaps an infrastructure managed service provider 或第三方维护提供商将在十大赌博正规老平台水平协议方面提供更大的灵活性. You may be able to even alter the SLAs by location when an OEM may not be able to do so. 当双方以双赢的心态处理挑战或目标时，合作通常可以为管理IT成本提供新的机会.

IT Cost Reduction: OpEx vs. CapEx

Optimizing OpEx

经营费用是指为维持企业日常运作而发生的任何持续费用. OpEx spending uses a “pay-as-you-go” approach, as there are no long-term assets involved. Within the IT industry, operating expenditures account for employee wages, energy costs, bandwidth charge, equipment leasing fees, and much more. Two strategies for reducing OpEx costs include: 

1. Lower Maintenance Spend

To lower your maintenance costs, focus on your support value. Renegotiate hardware, maintenance, and support contracts, getting rid of those that are too expensive and securing lower payment schedules for others. Third party server hardware maintenance, storage maintenance, or network hardware maintenance is an affordable alternative to costly OEM support contracts, averaging anywhere from 30% – 40% less than that of the manufacturer.  

2. Lower Hardware Costs

您不再需要购买开箱即用的设备来获得制造商提供的好处. Certified, pre-owned IT hardware is available from trusted providers, 并提供可靠的硬件，您的测试或备份环境需要没有过高的价格标签. Curvature, a Park Place Technologies company offers high quality, refurbished parts, with the sole difference being the prior use that makes for significant savings in comparison with buying new. 

Optimize CapEx Spend 

A capital expenditure, or CapEx, is a one-time expense that involves the purchase of a tangible asset, usually in the form of property or equipment. 因此，数据中心环境中的所有IT基础设施都是资本支出. Unfortunately, CapEx also applies to the cost of repairing or upgrading your data center assets over time. Below are the best strategies for optimizing on your CapEx spend: 

1. Extend Equipment Lifespan

尽可能推迟新资产的采购，并选择替代昂贵的硬件更新. 第三方维护提供商可以从任何地方延长数据中心设备的使用寿命 5 – 10 years past End of Service Life. Because we’re brand agnostic, our multi-vendor hardware maintenance doesn’t come with an expiration date. 

我们唯一的目标是尽可能长时间地保持设备的功能，以确保您实现最大的投资回报率. 扩展支持计划可以显著降低维护成本，帮助您获得更好的基础设施投资回报. 延长设备寿命也有助于推迟昂贵的硬件升级，直到当前的财政限制消退.  

2. Consolidate Data Center Assets

Gartner recommends consolidating data center sites. Such a move will help rid you of redundant IT assets, maintenance and support, and disaster recovery contracts. A data center consolidation strategy is vital right now, as I&Os globally are having to pack more workloads into fewer systems. 

Even in the case your organization is 85% or 90% virtualized, if the systems those virtual workloads are running on are only 20% utilized, there is room for improvement through consolidation. Savings from consolidation can range from 5% to 15% of the overall data center budget. 

The impact of COVID-19 will be felt throughout 2020 and into 2021. 企业仍然需要十大赌博正规老平台客户和员工——尽管可能与过去有所不同. In many cases, this has accelerated digital transformation. However, 业务现实是，IT领导者将不得不在努力控制成本的同时进行调整.

Park Place Technologies is happy to help you succeed. Contact us today to learn how!