IT automation is essential to IT optimization, digital transformation and business scalability, allowing IT teams to focus on security and growth while working with automation engineers to streamline daily maintenance.
What is IT automation used for?
- IT automation is the use of software to create repeatable processes that replace or assist human interactions with IT systems.
Just about every IT task can be automated to some degree, creating incremental optimizations throughout the IT stack that lead to significant growth opportunities. Ultimately, IT automation is meant to eliminate repetitive and manual tasks to free IT staff members up to focus their attention on more productive areas while reducing errors. A few common utilities of automation in information technology include IT migration, application deployment, provisioning and more.
What are examples of IT automation?
- Some examples of IT automation include network automation, streamlined infrastructure and cloud provisioning.
There are many automation opportunities that exist throughout an IT environment, all dedicated to saving time for IT teams and providing more space for growth opportunities. Some common IT automation areas include IT migration, application deployment, provisioning, and cybersecurity and compliance.
IT migration is the maneuvering of data or software from one system to another, often consisting of several moving parts that need to be accounted for in order to reduce errors, downtime and create a faster overall process. Automation is key to application deployment when preparing for a move into a live environment, helping reduce errors in the building process and reducing necessary troubleshooting before the launch. Additionally, having standardized, automated security processes in place is amongst the most essential needs for growing businesses. Finally, as infrastructure is key to the growth of a business, establishing Infrastructure-as-Code provides automation tools that can take human error out of the setup and maintenance of all business infrastructure.
What are the advantages of IT automation?
- Advantages IT automation has over traditional IT include effective deployment of scalable workloads and reducing manual tasks.
IT automation offers several advantages over traditional IT workflows, allowing IT teams and managers to have better control over their workloads and focus on larger opportunities for the business. One major benefit IT automation provides IT managers is the ability to ensure workloads remain manageable for employees without needing to bring on additional staff. Instead, managers can program many of the menial tasks associated with IT with tools like Ansible or Kubernetes in order to keep up with growing operational needs. This also allows employees to provide their best work to benefit the company, increasing the value of the investment placed in each staff member.
IT automation greatly benefits DevOps workflows as well, ensuring that experimentation and iteration can be executed in a timely manner by freeing up of IT resources that can be allocated towards development. DevOps prioritizes speed and trial-and-error as a means of production, which lead to several IT challenges emerging along the path to iteration. Therefore, the more automation IT can implement, the faster developers will be able to release.
