Preparation Sheet for MI 703 Computer Information Systems
Session #12 April 18th: Optimizing IT Infrastructure Operations
Session Note
• This Session will be held by Prof Paul Tallon (tallonpa@bc.edu). I will be at the
University of Hawaii giving an invited lecture and doing some research. Prof Tallon has
taught MI 703 several times before, so you will be in very good hands!
Session Overview
As the least attractive aspect of IT, IT operations are often overlooked and ignored. When
something breaks, users frequently turn to the folks in operations to fix things. Operations are
also the one part of the IT organization where costs can grow out of control. In this case, we will
look at a technical case of server consolidation in a Swedish bank. The content of the case is a lot
more technical than we are used to up to this point, but the detail is a necessary part of
understanding what operations needs to do in order for the IT organization to be effective. We
will also examine issues surrounding chargeback systems.
The session will begin with Team H doing a 20 minute case analysis presentation, after which
Prof Tallon will lead the class in discussion of the case.
Then, in the last part of class, Prof Tallon will give a mini lecture based on some results from his
own research on IT infrastructure. Prof Tallon describes this lecture as follows: “One of the
lessons learned from the Postgirot case is that, in the right hands, infrastructure can be strategic.
More than the hardware, software and networking resources that comprise a firm’s technical IT
infrastructure, infrastructure flexibility is what ultimately determines whether a firm can adapt to
change. Those firms that are unable to adapt to change – falling into what the academic literature
calls rigidity traps – may find their competitive performance erodes to negligible levels. In this
presentation, we use survey data from 241 U.S. corporations to show how firms use IT
infrastructure flexibility to achieve and maintain competitive advantage during periods of intense
change. We will also examine a series of case studies that provide an up-close and personal view
of how IT infrastructure adapts to change in a small number of firms.”
Required Readings
1. Case Study: Postgirot Bank and Provment AB, HBS Case (Coursepack)
2. A Virtual Revolution, Business Week, 2005 (My Files)
3. Server Consolidation Delivers, Information Week (5-30-2005)
4. Building a Model Infrastructure, Computerworld (4-12-2004)
5. The Chargeback Conundrum, Computerworld (2-14-2005)
6. Server Consolidation: Less is More, Information Week (10-18-1999)
7. Determining the Cost of IT Services, CACM, 2002 (My Files)
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