In the context of rapidly developing information technology, Taiwan faces unprecedented IT operations challenges.
As enterprises and government departments increasingly rely on information systems, the efficiency and effectiveness of IT operations have become critical to ensuring business continuity and information security.
However, traditional IT operations models exhibit significant shortcomings in addressing the complexity and dynamics of modern information environments.
This article aims to analyze the current state of Taiwan's IT operations environment, identify the main issues, and explore the potential impacts on enterprises and government departments.
From a professional division perspective, IT operations work is divided into multiple fields such as systems group, applications group, and security group, each requiring specific technical expertise and experience.
However, this division often encounters difficulties in talent integration and technical upgrading, leading to challenges in maintaining operational efficiency and quality.
Moreover, outsourcing IT maintenance projects has become a common practice, but ensuring the quality and service level of outsourcing providers, as well as effectively managing and supervising maintenance projects, remains a pain point in IT operations management.
This article will reveal key issues through in-depth analysis of Taiwan's current IT operations environment,
including insufficient technical expertise of professionals, inability to address technical challenges of diverse equipment, difficulties in controlling maintenance costs, and the impact of frequent personnel changes on operational stability.
Through a comprehensive analysis of these issues, this article aims to provide readers with deep insights into Taiwan's IT operations environment and offer references for future optimization and innovation in IT operations.
A. Classification by Technical Attributes of Information Technology
● Systems Group - (Hardware and Low-level Operating Systems)
Data Center Infrastructure
Power, Air Conditioning, Cabinets, Temperature, Humidity, Leak Detection, Access Control
Network Architecture/Network Security (e.g., Firewalls) and Network Equipment (Switches)
Server Hardware/Operating Systems
SOC (Security Operation Center) Information Security
● Applications Group - (Direct User Systems)
Dedicated Application Systems
Service Server Systems
Middleware
Databases
● Security Group - (User Endpoint Information Security)
User Behavior
Various Types of Antivirus Software
SOC (Security Operation Center) Information Security
B. Classification by Administrative or Professional Departments
Application-oriented units manage their own information equipment, regardless of system, application, or security.
Examples: Forecast Center, Instrument Control Division
C. External Stations
Due to fewer personnel and information equipment, business units manage their own information equipment, regardless of system, application, or security divisions.
● Hardware and Low-level Operating Systems
Warranty Responsibility
Original Manufacturer, Distributor, Maintenance Vendor
● Maintenance Responsibility
Primarily staffed by professionals within each unit, with some outsourced maintenance
Mainly outsourced maintenance, with unit staff serving as management
● Application Systems
Original Software Designers, Distributors, Professional Staff within Units
Under the current government IT structure, IT operations and maintenance work largely rely on IT outsourcing strategies, with information maintenance projects contracted out to professional system integrators (SI companies).
This approach involves not only the scale and capacity of vendors but also the evaluation of IT operations plans and recommendations, budget control, and the technical proficiency of IT professionals.
Improving the quality and efficiency of IT operations is key to evaluating the success of plans. However, the main challenges currently faced include:
➢ Certification and licensing levels of IT professionals;
➢ Professional technical capabilities for diverse brands and models of equipment, including scenario simulation and problem-solving strategies;
➢ Lack of sufficient experience for effective debugging and problem localization;
➢ Difficulty establishing effective pre-warning mechanisms to reduce the occurrence of system anomalies and improve IT operations efficiency;
➢ Frequent personnel changes impacting team stability;
➢ Lack of effective integration management and communication mechanisms.
Facing these challenges,
we must explore effective strategies to reduce operational costs and improve service quality, minimizing user complaints.
In addition to strengthening professional training for IT personnel, advanced technologies and management tools should be introduced, along with improved team communication and collaboration mechanisms, to ensure IT operations work achieves optimal efficiency and quality.
IT professionals have always accounted for a significant portion of overall IT operations costs, including the costs incurred due to personnel changes.
With the continuous growth of data center equipment and the rapid increase in professional field technologies, IT managers need decades to master the technical knowledge, and even with time, they may lack the diverse equipment opportunities to learn, making it difficult for IT managers to keep up with the learning curve.
Maintenance budgets are gradually being reduced, leading to a decline in the quality of professional talent, which in turn affects the key performance indicators of data center operations.
Establishing IT equipment only requires "money," but maintaining normal operations requires substantial "manpower."
Many units and departments currently implement outsourced IT maintenance projects, and without effective assessment of IT professionals' capabilities, professional certifications are often used to evaluate competence.
However, IT professional certifications are only an entry point, and reaching a level of rich situational handling experience requires a long journey.
The highest cost in IT operations management is "people," but mastering each system may take years.
IT operations management personnel, when changing roles, need to quickly understand the architecture and applications of all systems.
IT operations management requires professionals with expertise in various fields to handle the ever-increasing IT systems.
Systems include operating systems, virtual systems, storage systems, network management systems, security systems, application systems, environmental control systems, and terminal systems, among others.
For IT personnel, their technical levels can be segmented from different perspectives, including server and operating system installation setup, daily operations, regular checks, and problem-solving.
Network management professionals need to master the installation, operation, inspection, and troubleshooting of related systems.
Additionally, application system personnel need to address the needs of different industry fields, such as ERP systems for manufacturing, import/export and customs systems for trade, and accounting systems, among others. This involves various web programming languages such as Cgi, HTML, Java, .NET, as well as traditional systems like COBOL and various database systems like Oracle, MySQL, MsSQL, etc.
This broad yet shallow skill tree often leaves many organizations struggling with complex issues.
To effectively enhance the quality and efficiency of IT operations,
organizations need to explore more flexible and efficient solutions to maximize the potential of existing teams without increasing human resource costs.
By introducing advanced management tools and technical support, teams can better grasp deep-level knowledge and operational skills of various systems,
thereby significantly improving the overall performance of operations management.
This not only enhances system stability and security but also improves the team's ability to handle complex issues, further reducing risks and costs associated with technical inadequacies.
