This independent survey was commissioned by
Savvis and conducted with 550 CIOs, IT Directors,
Heads of IT and Senior IT Managers of global large
enterprises based in the USA (200), UK (100),
Germany (100), Japan (50), Hong Kong (50) and
Singapore (50), and was completed in August
2012. The research was conducted by Vanson
Bourne, a research based technology marketing
consultancy offering clients analysis and advice
based on incisive, rigorous research into their
market environment. The research used a
combination of online fieldwork methodology and
telephone interviewing. All research carried out by
Vanson Bourne adheres to the latest MRS Code
of Conduct. Demographic detailing respondent
communities includes industry sector, country
in which the respondents were based, and size
of business.
Bending the IT Op-Ex Cost Curve Through IT SimplificationCognizant
CIOs can cut back operations expenditures (Op-Ex) and redirect the funds to strategic digital transformation by reducing IT complexity and rooting out inefficiencies while engaged in IT simplification.
This independent survey was commissioned by
Savvis and conducted with 550 CIOs, IT Directors,
Heads of IT and Senior IT Managers of global large
enterprises based in the USA (200), UK (100),
Germany (100), Japan (50), Hong Kong (50) and
Singapore (50), and was completed in August
2012. The research was conducted by Vanson
Bourne, a research based technology marketing
consultancy offering clients analysis and advice
based on incisive, rigorous research into their
market environment. The research used a
combination of online fieldwork methodology and
telephone interviewing. All research carried out by
Vanson Bourne adheres to the latest MRS Code
of Conduct. Demographic detailing respondent
communities includes industry sector, country
in which the respondents were based, and size
of business.
Bending the IT Op-Ex Cost Curve Through IT SimplificationCognizant
CIOs can cut back operations expenditures (Op-Ex) and redirect the funds to strategic digital transformation by reducing IT complexity and rooting out inefficiencies while engaged in IT simplification.
A different way to look at the challenges of IT operations :
monitoring your environment is one thing but don't you need to know who is taking care of your issues ?
IT operations is as much about your NOC people than it is about your monitoring infrastructure
This paper will discuss how cloud is helping enterprises, governments and industries around the globe meet their current challenges through key value drivers.
Leveraging IT to create business agility: Why leading IT organisations are re...3gamma
CIOs are under pressure. Some analysts are even predicting the end of the CIO role. In the light of digitalisation and an ever-increasing need for business agility, IT is becoming an embedded part of the business. Information technology is no longer just a utility but a deeply integrated driver of products and services within most companies. An ever-changing environment means that old assumptions on how to deliver IT services need to be revisited if the IT organisation is to remain relevant.
alfabet enables companies to see, analyze, control and align IT initiatives
with business priorities continuously. Its planningIT® software
is unique in tightly coupling business priorities and IT returns
with current and future initiatives.
A different way to look at the challenges of IT operations :
monitoring your environment is one thing but don't you need to know who is taking care of your issues ?
IT operations is as much about your NOC people than it is about your monitoring infrastructure
This paper will discuss how cloud is helping enterprises, governments and industries around the globe meet their current challenges through key value drivers.
Leveraging IT to create business agility: Why leading IT organisations are re...3gamma
CIOs are under pressure. Some analysts are even predicting the end of the CIO role. In the light of digitalisation and an ever-increasing need for business agility, IT is becoming an embedded part of the business. Information technology is no longer just a utility but a deeply integrated driver of products and services within most companies. An ever-changing environment means that old assumptions on how to deliver IT services need to be revisited if the IT organisation is to remain relevant.
alfabet enables companies to see, analyze, control and align IT initiatives
with business priorities continuously. Its planningIT® software
is unique in tightly coupling business priorities and IT returns
with current and future initiatives.
Free Gartner Report: Aligning Supply and Demand for IT Services
Cloud computing is transforming how IT manages costs and standards, but its impact extends into how IT itself is managed as a business. Public cloud computing puts pressure on the entire IT cost structure to become wiser and more efficient about balancing the supply and demand for IT services.
While cloud commoditization is driving down prices, IT is forced to manage resulting increases in consumption. The report recommends steps CIOs should take to improve the maturity of their approach to IT service management, installing:
• Benchmarking and chargeback to manage demand for cloud services
• Expand their strategic vendor management and IT procurement practices
• Become a broker of services, including external cloud computing.
Consider using IT cost transparency improvement as a cultural change agent to transform the IT organization from a focus on “speed and quality” to one of “IT cost and business value”.
For more cloud management insights visit http://vmware-erdos.com
Governance and the Cloud
After a few years of hype, Cloud is now becoming part of the mainstream enterprise IT landscape. As with any technology or technology model, uptake demands compliance mechanisms. If you rely on something, you must have the rules and metrics required to set the standards of performance, usage and return.
In this white paper, Getronics examines cloud governance, with particular focus on how cloud-specific governance becomes an integral element of overall IT and business governance models.
A consolidated data center has been an attractive alternative for CIOs to protect the IT investment as many of them have realized that centralized infrastructure and processes help optimize the shared resources and in turn bring greater ROI from their IT investments. This whitepaper explains the various benefits of data center consolidation and how CIOs can work collaboratively with service providers to build an outcome based IT framework that can deliver cost efficiencies, savings and innovation in an organization.
This paper will discuss how cloud is helping enterprises, governments and industries around the globe meet their current challenges through key value drivers.
How to Better Manage Your IT InfrastructureEdarat Group
Cloud computing can benefit a business in various ways. But before we discuss this in details, it’s better to have an elementary idea about cloud and its functionality. Cloud computing outlines a scenario in which hosted services are delivered over the internet. Cloud is essential for businesses because computation and storage have long been two vital requirements for enterprises. Through cloud computing, these requirements can be met easily and instantly without hardware usage.
IT organizations are witnessing a need to drive seemingly conflicting mandates of efficiency and transformation, characterized by a “do more with less” philosophy. The key challenge for the CIO is to generate funding for the transformational agenda by driving greater efficiencies without compromising service delivery levels.
The cumulative effect of decades of IT infrastructure investment around a diverse set of technologies and processes has stifled innovation at organizations around the globe. Layer upon layer of complexity to accommodate a staggering array of applications has created hardened processes that make changes to systems difficult and cumbersome.
Netmagic solutions, leading IT Managed service provider with Data centers & Cloud Computing in India fulfills your entire IT infrastructure requirements: from collocation services to dedicated hosting, diaster recovery & data Storage solutions.
The purpose of IT infrastructure management is to provide structure and control of the functions responsible for diverse technical operations which generally involve hardware, software, and networking in both physical and virtual environments. The main goal is to minimize downtime and maintain business productivity.
You Can Hack That: How to Use Hackathons to Solve Your Toughest ChallengesBooz Allen Hamilton
“Hackathon” has become a trendy word in today’s business vernacular, and for good reason. The word “hackathon” comes from both “hack” and “marathon.” If you think of a “hack” as a creative solution and “marathon” as a continuous, often competitive event, you’re at the heart of what a hackathon is about. Hackathons enable creative problem solving through an innovative and often competitive structure that engages stakeholders to come up with unconventional solutions to pressing challenges. Hackathons can be used to develop new processes, products, ways of thinking, or ways of engaging stakeholders and partners, with benefits ranging from solving tough problems to broader cultural and organizational improvements.
This playbook was designed to make hackathons accessible to everyone. That means not only can all kinds of organizations benefit from hackathons, but that all kinds of employees inside those groups—executives, project managers, designers, or engineers—should participate and can benefit, too. Use this playbook as a reference and allow the best practices we outline to guide you in designing a hackathon structure that works for you and enables your organization to achieve its desired outcomes. Give yourself anywhere from six weeks to a few months to plan your hackathon, depending on the components, approach, number of participants, and desired outcomes.
Contact Director Brian MacCarthy at MacCarthy_Brian2@bah.com for more information about Booz Allen’s hackathon offering.
Booz Allen's U.S. Commercial Leader and Executive Vice President, Bill Phelps, recently released his list of 10 Cyber Priorities for Boards of Directors. As we peer into how business, technology, regulatory, and cyber threat realities are evolving in the coming year, here is a reference guide for board members to use in validating their company's cybersecurity approach.
We looked at the data. Here’s a breakdown of some key statistics about the nation’s incoming presidents’ addresses, how long they spoke, how well, and more.
Our Military Spouse Forum built a roadmap to help you navigate your career between deployments, moves, and the unpredictable. Interested in how Booz Allen can help you navigate your career? Check out our opportunities at www.boozallen.com/careers
In August 2016, Booz Allen partnered with Market Connections to conduct a survey of National Security Leaders and the General Public to understand their perspectives on the current threats. Fifteen years after the September 11 attacks, we wanted to know what keeps them up at night today, and what they will be worried about in 15 years. This infographic provides the high-level results of our survey and we will be releasing a more detailed report later in the month of September – so stay tuned. #NationalSecurity2031
Booz Allen convened some of the smartest minds to explore making healthcare more accessible. This report shares the latest healthcare payment trends and what policy experts discovered when planning for different health reform scenarios.
An interactive workshop that guides you through the many relationships that exist in an agile team, with a business value emphasis. Team members gain empathy, discover expectations of others and the importance of these agile team relationships.
An immersive environment allows students to be completely “immersed” in a self-contained simulated or artificial environment while experiencing it as real. With immersive learning, you can show realistic visual and training environments to teach complex tasks and concepts.
Nuclear Promise: Reducing Cost While Improving PerformanceBooz Allen Hamilton
To remain competitive, nuclear operators must take aim at all addressable costs, ensuring maintenance is optimized, taking proactive steps to minimize unplanned outages and, where possible, reducing administrative and other overhead costs. There are multiple opportunities to reduce capital and operational spending, while improving safety and reliability.
General Motors and Lyft; Target and Walmart; Netflix and Amazon - we call these “frenemies”. A strange trend is emerging as unlikely partner companies join forces, and they’re transforming industries around the world. Understanding what's driving the frenemies trend, knowing what options best fit your needs, and making yourself an effective partner are all critical to success.
Threats to industrial control systems are on the rise. This briefing explores potential threats and vulnerabilities as well as what organizations can do to guard against them.
Booz Allen Hamilton and Market Connections: C4ISR Survey ReportBooz Allen Hamilton
Booz Allen Hamilton partnered with government market research firm Market Connections, Inc. to conduct the survey of military decision-makers. The research examined the main features of Integrated C4ISR through Enterprise Integration: engineering, operations and acquisition. Two-thirds of respondents (65 percent) agree agile incremental delivery of modular systems with integrated capabilities can enable rapid insertion of new technologies.
Modern C4ISR Integrates, Innovates and Secures Military NetworksBooz Allen Hamilton
A majority of the military believe Integrated C4ISR through Enterprise Integration would provide utility to their organization. Check out other key findings from our study in this infographic http://bit.ly/1OZOjG2
Agile and Open C4ISR Systems - Helping the Military Integrate, Innovate and S...Booz Allen Hamilton
Integrated C4ISR is a force multiplier that significantly improves situational awareness and decision making to give warfighters a decisive battlefield advantage. This advantage stems from Booz Allen Hamilton’s Enterprise Integration approach http://bit.ly/25nDBRg: bringing together three disciplines and their communities—engineering, operations, and acquisition.
Booz Allen Hamilton created the Field Guide to Data Science to help organizations and missions understand how to make use of data as a resource. The Second Edition of the Field Guide, updated with new features and content, delivers our latest insights in a fast-changing field. http://bit.ly/1O78U42
Building RAG with self-deployed Milvus vector database and Snowpark Container...Zilliz
This talk will give hands-on advice on building RAG applications with an open-source Milvus database deployed as a docker container. We will also introduce the integration of Milvus with Snowpark Container Services.
Enchancing adoption of Open Source Libraries. A case study on Albumentations.AIVladimir Iglovikov, Ph.D.
Presented by Vladimir Iglovikov:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/iglovikov/
- https://x.com/viglovikov
- https://www.instagram.com/ternaus/
This presentation delves into the journey of Albumentations.ai, a highly successful open-source library for data augmentation.
Created out of a necessity for superior performance in Kaggle competitions, Albumentations has grown to become a widely used tool among data scientists and machine learning practitioners.
This case study covers various aspects, including:
People: The contributors and community that have supported Albumentations.
Metrics: The success indicators such as downloads, daily active users, GitHub stars, and financial contributions.
Challenges: The hurdles in monetizing open-source projects and measuring user engagement.
Development Practices: Best practices for creating, maintaining, and scaling open-source libraries, including code hygiene, CI/CD, and fast iteration.
Community Building: Strategies for making adoption easy, iterating quickly, and fostering a vibrant, engaged community.
Marketing: Both online and offline marketing tactics, focusing on real, impactful interactions and collaborations.
Mental Health: Maintaining balance and not feeling pressured by user demands.
Key insights include the importance of automation, making the adoption process seamless, and leveraging offline interactions for marketing. The presentation also emphasizes the need for continuous small improvements and building a friendly, inclusive community that contributes to the project's growth.
Vladimir Iglovikov brings his extensive experience as a Kaggle Grandmaster, ex-Staff ML Engineer at Lyft, sharing valuable lessons and practical advice for anyone looking to enhance the adoption of their open-source projects.
Explore more about Albumentations and join the community at:
GitHub: https://github.com/albumentations-team/albumentations
Website: https://albumentations.ai/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/100504475
Twitter: https://x.com/albumentations
GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using Deplo...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
How to Get CNIC Information System with Paksim Ga.pptxdanishmna97
Pakdata Cf is a groundbreaking system designed to streamline and facilitate access to CNIC information. This innovative platform leverages advanced technology to provide users with efficient and secure access to their CNIC details.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 5DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 5. In this session, we will cover CI/CD with devops.
Topics covered:
CI/CD with in UiPath
End-to-end overview of CI/CD pipeline with Azure devops
Speaker:
Lyndsey Byblow, Test Suite Sales Engineer @ UiPath, Inc.
Dr. Sean Tan, Head of Data Science, Changi Airport Group
Discover how Changi Airport Group (CAG) leverages graph technologies and generative AI to revolutionize their search capabilities. This session delves into the unique search needs of CAG’s diverse passengers and customers, showcasing how graph data structures enhance the accuracy and relevance of AI-generated search results, mitigating the risk of “hallucinations” and improving the overall customer journey.
Maruthi Prithivirajan, Head of ASEAN & IN Solution Architecture, Neo4j
Get an inside look at the latest Neo4j innovations that enable relationship-driven intelligence at scale. Learn more about the newest cloud integrations and product enhancements that make Neo4j an essential choice for developers building apps with interconnected data and generative AI.
Unlocking Productivity: Leveraging the Potential of Copilot in Microsoft 365, a presentation by Christoforos Vlachos, Senior Solutions Manager – Modern Workplace, Uni Systems
Encryption in Microsoft 365 - ExpertsLive Netherlands 2024Albert Hoitingh
In this session I delve into the encryption technology used in Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Purview. Including the concepts of Customer Key and Double Key Encryption.
Essentials of Automations: The Art of Triggers and Actions in FMESafe Software
In this second installment of our Essentials of Automations webinar series, we’ll explore the landscape of triggers and actions, guiding you through the nuances of authoring and adapting workspaces for seamless automations. Gain an understanding of the full spectrum of triggers and actions available in FME, empowering you to enhance your workspaces for efficient automation.
We’ll kick things off by showcasing the most commonly used event-based triggers, introducing you to various automation workflows like manual triggers, schedules, directory watchers, and more. Plus, see how these elements play out in real scenarios.
Whether you’re tweaking your current setup or building from the ground up, this session will arm you with the tools and insights needed to transform your FME usage into a powerhouse of productivity. Join us to discover effective strategies that simplify complex processes, enhancing your productivity and transforming your data management practices with FME. Let’s turn complexity into clarity and make your workspaces work wonders!
Unlock the Future of Search with MongoDB Atlas_ Vector Search Unleashed.pdfMalak Abu Hammad
Discover how MongoDB Atlas and vector search technology can revolutionize your application's search capabilities. This comprehensive presentation covers:
* What is Vector Search?
* Importance and benefits of vector search
* Practical use cases across various industries
* Step-by-step implementation guide
* Live demos with code snippets
* Enhancing LLM capabilities with vector search
* Best practices and optimization strategies
Perfect for developers, AI enthusiasts, and tech leaders. Learn how to leverage MongoDB Atlas to deliver highly relevant, context-aware search results, transforming your data retrieval process. Stay ahead in tech innovation and maximize the potential of your applications.
#MongoDB #VectorSearch #AI #SemanticSearch #TechInnovation #DataScience #LLM #MachineLearning #SearchTechnology
Threats to mobile devices are more prevalent and increasing in scope and complexity. Users of mobile devices desire to take full advantage of the features
available on those devices, but many of the features provide convenience and capability but sacrifice security. This best practices guide outlines steps the users can take to better protect personal devices and information.
Climate Impact of Software Testing at Nordic Testing DaysKari Kakkonen
My slides at Nordic Testing Days 6.6.2024
Climate impact / sustainability of software testing discussed on the talk. ICT and testing must carry their part of global responsibility to help with the climat warming. We can minimize the carbon footprint but we can also have a carbon handprint, a positive impact on the climate. Quality characteristics can be added with sustainability, and then measured continuously. Test environments can be used less, and in smaller scale and on demand. Test techniques can be used in optimizing or minimizing number of tests. Test automation can be used to speed up testing.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of technologies, XML continues to play a vital role in structuring, storing, and transporting data across diverse systems. The recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) present new methodologies for enhancing XML development workflows, introducing efficiency, automation, and intelligent capabilities. This presentation will outline the scope and perspective of utilizing AI in XML development. The potential benefits and the possible pitfalls will be highlighted, providing a balanced view of the subject.
We will explore the capabilities of AI in understanding XML markup languages and autonomously creating structured XML content. Additionally, we will examine the capacity of AI to enrich plain text with appropriate XML markup. Practical examples and methodological guidelines will be provided to elucidate how AI can be effectively prompted to interpret and generate accurate XML markup.
Further emphasis will be placed on the role of AI in developing XSLT, or schemas such as XSD and Schematron. We will address the techniques and strategies adopted to create prompts for generating code, explaining code, or refactoring the code, and the results achieved.
The discussion will extend to how AI can be used to transform XML content. In particular, the focus will be on the use of AI XPath extension functions in XSLT, Schematron, Schematron Quick Fixes, or for XML content refactoring.
The presentation aims to deliver a comprehensive overview of AI usage in XML development, providing attendees with the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions. Whether you’re at the early stages of adopting AI or considering integrating it in advanced XML development, this presentation will cover all levels of expertise.
By highlighting the potential advantages and challenges of integrating AI with XML development tools and languages, the presentation seeks to inspire thoughtful conversation around the future of XML development. We’ll not only delve into the technical aspects of AI-powered XML development but also discuss practical implications and possible future directions.
Epistemic Interaction - tuning interfaces to provide information for AI supportAlan Dix
Paper presented at SYNERGY workshop at AVI 2024, Genoa, Italy. 3rd June 2024
https://alandix.com/academic/papers/synergy2024-epistemic/
As machine learning integrates deeper into human-computer interactions, the concept of epistemic interaction emerges, aiming to refine these interactions to enhance system adaptability. This approach encourages minor, intentional adjustments in user behaviour to enrich the data available for system learning. This paper introduces epistemic interaction within the context of human-system communication, illustrating how deliberate interaction design can improve system understanding and adaptation. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate the potential of epistemic interaction to significantly advance human-computer interaction by leveraging intuitive human communication strategies to inform system design and functionality, offering a novel pathway for enriching user-system engagements.
Epistemic Interaction - tuning interfaces to provide information for AI support
RightIT™ Maximizing Government IT Efficiency
1. RightIT™
Maximizing Government IT Efficiency
by
Eugene Bounds
bounds_eugene@bah.com
Louise Campanale
campanale_louise@bah.com
Marguerite Morrell
morrell_marguerite@bah.com
Michael Schoep
schoep_michael@bah.com
2. RightIT™
Maximizing Government IT Efficiency
The budget deficit and need for comprehensive spending become fragmented, reducing economies of scale and
cuts have increased the need to control spending. Federal resulting in unnecessary cost burdens. Government
agencies must acquire needed Information Technology organizations experience these inefficiencies across
(IT) at the right costs. Booz Allen Hamilton’s RightIT™ all elements of their budgets from desktop to
methodology baselines IT infrastructure and related data centers, in hardware and software, as well as
costs, provides benchmarks to measure IT performance, telecommunications and data networks. Exhibit 1
analyzes alternatives and develops a plan to achieve shows how inefficient practices create unnecessary
efficient and effective IT support. Then, Booz Allen brings complexity in the IT environment and drive up costs. In
together certified cost analysts, world-class IT technologists addition, there are often hidden IT costs (e.g., the cost
and other experts to deliver long-term IT solutions to our of power, real estate, and administrative overhead for
federal agency partners. This paper provides an overview IT operations).
of RightIT™, presents samples of the significant results
Across the federal government, agencies spend almost
achieved by our clients, and outlines how the approach can
$80 billion per year on IT. Because of the significant
be used by federal agencies to create efficient and effective
size of the expenditure, IT is a target for cost-
IT operations.
rebalancing actions and directed budget reductions.
Current State of Government IT Environment Today, the majority of federal IT investments are
As IT enterprises have evolved over the decades, defined, funded, and operated by individual programs
information infrastructure and related applications have of record or functional organizations in a decentralized,
Exhibit 1 | Impact of Inefficient Practices in Current Government IT Environment
Typical Current State Impacts
■ Multiple overlapping systems create a ■ Costly and complex technology
need for expensive system interfaces environment
■ IT requirements are focused on supply ■ Ineffective demand management drives
■ Lack of enterprsise-level acquisition up cost per user
strategy reduces buying power ■ IT is purchased in an ad hoc or
■ Server environments are managed by piecemeal fashion rather than in an
multiple organizations ef cient, end-to-end acquisition
■ IT cost drivers are not well understood ■ Fragmented IT management and
oversight makes accountability dif cult
■ Hidden IT costs often result in
sub-optimal decisions
Source: Booz Allen Hamilton
1
3. often ad hoc, manner. In many cases, the individuals identify IT acquisition strategies that capture savings
who generate program requirements are not familiar and drive increased performance. Our comprehensive
with available enterprise capabilities. As a result, assessment will highlight performance improvement
IT environments consist of a patchwork of one-off and savings opportunities as outlined in Exhibit 2.
systems with incompatible, inefficient, and costly The overall objective of our approach is to reduce IT
networks. Furthermore, budgets for power and real spending, while retaining value-added IT capabilities
estate are managed outside of IT programs. These and improving enterprise-level performance.
“hidden” IT costs can account for 30 percent or more
The approach is designed to realize short-term savings
of annual IT operating budgets. The current planning,
at the outset by implementing improvements within the
programming, budgeting, and execution process
immediate control of the IT organization. While initial
does not provide adequate transparency. As a result
savings are being realized, Booz Allen simultaneously
of this lack of insight, it is nearly impossible for
analyzes the IT environment for additional efficiencies
federal agencies to produce a comprehensive, current
that can be harvested as savings over the longer term.
state cost baseline. Without the ability to accurately
characterize IT costs, there is no effective way to With RightIT™, we begin using a diagnostic process
quantify the return on investment (ROI) of IT initiatives to evaluate the client’s entire IT environment. Our
or recommend the most cost-effective approach to approach identifies the total cost of ownership (TCO),
meet federal IT mandates. including hidden IT costs. Our experts then highlight
potential savings in the areas of infrastructure
Achieving Cost-Effectiveness with RightIT™ management (e.g., data center consolidation and
Booz Allen’s RightIT™ methodology is a proven new technologies like cloud computing), requirements
approach to achieve cost-effective IT capabilities. Our management (e.g., service level agreements to control
world-class team of cost, IT, and change management demand), acquisition management (e.g., strategic
experts uses this powerful methodology to analyze sourcing), and process management (e.g., streamlined
both supply and demand factors. It also helps us IT business processes).
Exhibit 2 | Areas for Performance Improvement and Savings with RightIT™
Infrastructure Requirements Acquisition Process
Management Management Management Management
■ Enterprise ■ Service Level ■ Strategic Sourcing ■ Change Management
Architecture Agreements ■ Contract Consolidation ■ Security Organization
■ Data Management ■ Technology Limits ■ Contract Management ■ Performance
■ Data Center on Staff Measurement
■ Outsourcing
Consolidation ■ Budget Transparency ■ Business Process
■ Service-based Pricing
■ Server Consolidation ■ Commercial Market Reengineering
Surveys ■ Portfolio Management
■ Service Consolidation ■ IT Governance
■ Cloud/Virtualization
■ Asset Management
Source: Booz Allen Hamilton
2
4. Booz Allen will identify opportunities for re-designing • We helped a major military command validate its
IT infrastructure utilizing consolidation, virtualization, corporate architecture and performance (CAP)
cloud computing and other technologies. These standards for IT services. Our experts then
technologies maximize system availability and are baselined the command’s 10 installations against
designed to be rapidly shifted to adjacent systems to the CAP standards, and provided the command’s
accommodate maintenance windows, system outages, Chief Information Officer with “best practice”
and other events that affect infrastructure availability. benchmarked costs for providing IT services at
An enterprise focus eliminates service gaps and each base. The command used the cost model
redundancies. we developed to identify inefficiencies and assess
trade-offs on technology investments. The result was
The RightIT™ approach evaluates IT requirements
a well justified budget for base-level IT services.
from both the supply and the demand management
perspectives. We evaluate which investments are • Booz Allen helped a global pharmaceutical and
required to align with the agency’s end-state goals, and consumer products company make informed IT
we use multiple performance parameters to measure choices that saved between $34 and $50 million
ROI and per-unit technical performance. on a $164 million baseline, or 20 to 30 percent.
The company had a distributed IT function that was
We use the strategic sourcing perspective to evaluate
expensive and difficult to administer. Booz Allen
an agency’s IT environment, identifying near-term
helped them remedy those problems by establishing
cost savings that can offset future investments.
an IT shared services model that was both effective
This analysis of the various cost efficiency drivers
and economical.
ensures that our clients are paying the right price for
the IT services they need. As a result, IT acquisition • A large federal government organization lacked the
management is rational and efficient. capability to effectively manage IT investments. As
a result, it was unable to evaluate benefits, costs
Identifying the right IT organization structures,
and risk in its IT investment projects. Booz Allen
streamlined business processes, and most effective
developed and implemented a portfolio management
governance models are included in our RightIT™
process that resulted in a 40-percent reduction in
assessment. This is not only important by itself, but
proposed enterprise architecture expenditures and a
also helps to fit all the other management elements
21-percent reduction in office automation spending.
together into an integrated IT environment that benefits
The new portfolio management process is both
and serves the entire enterprise.
effective and transparent.
Our comprehensive RightIT™ approach to improving
• Booz Allen helped a government health organization
IT environments ensures that our clients understand
create an effective IT investment management and
which activities have the greatest potential
decision making framework that aligned spending
for improvement and savings. We also deliver
with medical transformation objectives. Booz Allen
a comprehensive efficiency and improvement
analyzed IT requirements, developed an investment
implementation plan that considers mission
evaluation process, built a detailed transition plan,
requirements, available budget resources, timing,
and stood up a governance structure to manage IT
and risk factors, along with the value of enhanced IT
investments. The enterprise wide solution will save
performance and potential savings.
more than $20 million.
Helping Clients Get Results with RightIT™ • A national diagnostics testing company was
Booz Allen’s RightIT™ approach has already helped undergoing a merger and was expected to reduce
government agencies improve IT performance and operating expenses. Booz Allen developed an IT
reduce costs. The following are some of our client infrastructure baseline, determined total cost of IT
engagements: ownership, established benchmarks, and prepared
3
5. short-term, mid-term, and long-term action plans or reviewed by government oversight entities. It also
to rationalize IT operation within the merged provides an important support for agency budget
organization. As a result, the client’s IT costs were requests.
reduced by approximately 20 percent, a savings of
$43 million. Diagnostic Phase
• A defense acquisition program inherited numerous Compile Current State Baseline
aging servers with no centralized management A comprehensive understanding of IT expenditures is
process to effectively monitor or manage their important to create a current state baseline. Through
system. As a result, IT costs were very high. Booz careful navigation of multiple appropriation baselines,
Allen re-designed the IT infrastructure utilizing financial systems, and execution vehicles, Booz Allen
consolidation, virtualization, and cloud computing can compile a comprehensive IT cost baseline. During
technologies. These efforts reduced maintenance the initial diagnostic phase, we also establish a series
downtime by 75 percent and saved $6 million in of per-unit costs (e.g., power consumption per server
hosting and licensing costs. We also developed an and cost per user), which are then used to calculate
optimized architecture that used virtualization to expected cost savings associated with IT alternatives.
reduce the program’s IT footprint by 83 percent.
Benchmark Against Best Practices
The Three-Phased Approach of RightIT™ With a TCO baseline established, the RightIT™
To improve IT performance and achieve savings, we approach benchmarks the status quo against industry
implement the RightIT™ approach in three phases: averages. The differences found when comparing the
Diagnostic, Planning, and Implementation (as shown baseline line-items with the benchmarks will help
below in Exhibit 3). This approach ensures that our identify where cost savings can be achieved most
federal clients are compliant with agency mandates effectively. Benchmarking will also highlight target
and documentation requirements that may be audited areas for IT service performance improvement.
Exhibit 3 | Three Phases of Booz Allen’s RightIT™ Methodology
Implementation
Diagnostic Phase Planning Phase Phase
Delivers
improved IT
Identi es each client’s Builds a detailed plan to
performance
unique IT challenges address the challenges
and creates
savings
Implement
Compile Deliver
Benchmark Develop Prepare Ef ciencies
Current Ef ciency
Against Best Strategic Analysis of and
State Implementation
Practices Options Alternatives Technology
Baseline Plan
Initiatives
Source: Booz Allen Hamilton
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6. Develop Strategic Options Deliver Efficiency Implementation Plan
With visibility into how an agency’s IT environment The efficiency implementation plan maps the approved
compares to industry standards, alternatives can be IT solutions into an executable game plan that
identified and evaluated. Our approach considers ensures all the improvement initiative priorities and
which savings and improvement strategies will yield dependencies are integrated and work together to
the greatest value to the organization. Trade-offs deliver the expected results. This step ensures that all
between expected benefits, implementation costs, initiatives contribute to the enterprise-level end-state.
desired service levels, budget resources, and delivery Booz Allen also ensures that robust documentation,
methods are examined to determine which options communication plans, and stakeholder coordination are
will achieve required service levels and generate the part of the planning process.
most efficiency. Through this process, the optimal
architecture and delivery methods are identified. Technology Efficiency Implementation Phase
Typical alternatives include data center consolidation,
Implement Efficiencies And Technology Initiatives
migrating to cloud computing, and performing business
The RightIT™ approach is designed to ensure that
process reengineering across the enterprise. However,
end-state goals for performance enhancement and
every agency’s solution set will be unique.
cost savings are achieved. During the implementation
phase, the Booz Allen team expands to include
Planning Phase appropriate IT experts needed to complete every task
Prepare Analysis Of Alternatives on time and within budget. Our world-class IT expertise
Our approach provides a robust mechanism to evaluate will ensure that the implementation fully achieves the
the TCO of alternatives, whether those alternatives results outlined in the efficiency implementation plan.
exist at the enterprise level (e.g., data center
consolidation) or within a particular concentration Right-sizing with RightIT™
area (e.g., private cloud as opposed to public cloud or The RightIT™ approach is a comprehensive analytical
hybrid cloud). Our methodology accounts for agency- framework for making informed decisions that
specific compliance policies for evaluating technical maximize savings and IT performance, while reducing
and cost parameters, as well as auditing requirements. costs and minimizing risks in pursuing the approved
The RightIT™ approach leverages the expertise of IT solutions. It begins by developing a current state
our world-class cost and IT analysts to evaluate IT IT cost baseline. Once this baseline is established,
alternatives for decision makers. We use agency- appropriate benchmarks will help identify savings and
specific Business Case Analysis (BCA) to highlight improvement targets. The efficiency implementation
the benefits, costs, and risks of various solutions. plan provides a detailed roadmap for achieving cost
The Booz Allen team has the capability to evaluate savings and improved performance. To implement the
the industry vendor base, available contracting plan, Booz Allen will bring world-class talent to the
mechanisms, and the requirements of the federal engagement, ensuring expected results are delivered.
budgeting system to ensure BCA recommendations can
be incorporated into the next budget cycle.
Contact Information:
Eugene Bounds Louise Campanale Marguerite Morrell Michael Schoep
Senior Vice President Principal Principal Principal
bounds_eugene@bah.com campanale_louise@bah.com morrell_marguerite@bah.com schoep_michael@bah.com
703-377-4186 703-377-5242 281-280-6199 202-203-3746
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7. About Booz Allen
Booz Allen Hamilton has been at the forefront of resources, and deliver enduring results. By combining
strategy and technology consulting for nearly a a consultant’s problem-solving orientation with deep
century. Today, Booz Allen is a leading provider of technical knowledge and strong execution, Booz Allen
management and technology consulting services helps clients achieve success in their most critical
to the US government in defense, intelligence, and missions—as evidenced by the firm’s many client
civil markets, and to major corporations, institutions, relationships that span decades. Booz Allen helps
and not-for-profit organizations. In the commercial shape thinking and prepare for future developments
sector, the firm focuses on leveraging its existing in areas of national importance, including
expertise for clients in the financial services, cybersecurity, homeland security, healthcare, and
healthcare, and energy markets, and to international information technology.
clients in the Middle East. Booz Allen offers clients
Booz Allen is headquartered in McLean, Virginia,
deep functional knowledge spanning strategy and
employs more than 25,000 people, and had
organization, engineering and operations, technology,
revenue of $5.59 billion for the 12 months ended
and analytics—which it combines with specialized
March 31, 2011. Fortune has named Booz Allen one
expertise in clients’ mission and domain areas to
of its “100 Best Companies to Work For” for seven
help solve their toughest problems.
consecutive years. Working Mother has ranked the
The firm’s management consulting heritage is firm among its “100 Best Companies for Working
the basis for its unique collaborative culture and Mothers” annually since 1999. More information
operating model, enabling Booz Allen to anticipate is available at www.boozallen.com. (NYSE: BAH)
needs and opportunities, rapidly deploy talent and
To learn more about the firm and to download digital versions of this article and other Booz Allen Hamilton
publications, visit www.boozallen.com.
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