siliconindia | | MAY 2024 19not be viable for a good number of businesses as it rests on knowing exactly what your digital ecosystem is like today and where it is going, which is not something many businesses can do. Furthermore, it is also likelier that what the business needs today will be drastically different from what it needs tomorrow.The Core of Future-EnablementFuture enablement involves looking for modularity in each element of a technology solution and avoiding lock-in as much as possible. Not only does this give enterprises the ability to change functional elements of IT in line with changing business objectives, but it also allows them to better respond to disruption. For instance, the sudden shift to remote working forced at the outbreak of COVID-19 was a fine example of how flexible, mobile-friendly network and data infrastructure was critical to skirting the painful obstruction to operations. The gulf between businesses that could navigate this disruption and those that can't has become night and day. But even on a more basic scale, regular developments associated with growth, like opening a new office or merging with another company, can drastically change your operational needs and the demands you make of your IT solutions. Flexibility is crucial in these instances, too.Another impediment to flexibility is vendor lock-ins. Ultimately, options are good, and the more viable options in hand, the better as businesses are not shackled by large or long-term commitments. Even if you get a significant pricing discount for a long-term commitment, you must weigh that discount against the cost of paying for a solution that suddenly cannot meet your needs.In lieu of that, organisations should weigh how to leverage a commodity-based consumption model. Companies that operate in the cloud are free of monolithic infrastructure costs, five-year equipment renewal cycles and forklift upgrades for infrastructure. Instead, when moved to a consumption-based operating model, you can accommodate most big changes through software refreshes or staff training.Companies that operate in the cloud are free of monolithic infrastructure costs, five-year equipment renewal cycles and forklift upgrades for infrastructure
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