A sensible IT Strategy extract from

A sensible IT strategy (what I have advocated since 2000)

Overview
Some of the key points can be summarised below:
- Access: core systems should be accessible from anywhere via internet protocols (and not require VPNs) i.e. Troux (Metaverse/Team server), JIRA, Confluence, Domino etc. We should discriminate against users out of the office.
- LAN - should not be used for document storage/repositories (that is the function of the Team rooms and other Domino document databases). And ALL documents of record (contracts, deliverables) should reside in repositories. No new people were to be connected to the LANs after 2000.
- Printing - services need to work in all offices (until we can find a remote solution).
- NW Access - local offices should just provide effectively ISP access (plus printing).
- Devices - all devices connected to local NW should be treated as potentially hostile (i.e. we can't control the devices of all Associates).
- Browser - Firefox is browser of choice (was Netscape), IE should only be used when it must be (e.g. some tools unfortunately require it).
- Email clients - Thunderbird or Note (i.e. not Outlook - which should not exist on any business owned PCs). SMTP/POP/IMAP services provided by Domino.
- IM - AOL/AIM is the IM all users should use. People can use what clients they want to (AIM was the default, but won't connect to other services Cf. GAIM, Trillion).
- Office Productivity - we should aim to move away from MS Office (and should avoid purchasing new copies). Especially we should avoid using the new extended document formats.
- Drawing tools - the default tool should be OpenOffice stardraw (or Troux Architect) - Visio should not be the default (and we should purchase copies of it). If it is needed for specific projects they should fund this (6the proprietary format is not a suitable format for communication).

Document management
Notes client (fat client) allows automated replication of documents - it also provides Web access to documents. Documents used frequently should be replicated so that local copies are keep on the client (this significantly reduces the load on the PC). Large documents should typically not be sent in emails they should be referenced i.e. to team room location.

Our default document database on Notes is a very primitive one called a team room - its main purpose is to replace the file system e.g. LAN). It is does not have great control for concurrent editing (locking, check-in/check-out) - but in practice this is very seldom an issue. There is an index of team rooms which provides you a simple drill down access to all team rooms (i.e. it is a table of contents for the team rooms).

Model repositories
Troux team room - should be used to store copies of models that need to be shared or archived.

Other repositories
JIRA - is used for bug tracking, issues tracking etc.
Confluence - is used as a wiki for informal communications (it is NOT where documents or record should reside).

Other newer issues
- Skype should be used for VoIP (but should not be left running as a default IM).
- PDA/Phones - people will use a variety
- Wireless - our strategy for these needs revision i.e. external services/standards.
- Office formats - we should aim at ODF (not Office XML).
- Project - MS Project vs Open project [need to consider]

Special cases
The above does not apply to 2 special cases - SW developers - who needed what ever their project demands, Accounting. Re Development they will need a range of specialised tools/technologies oriented (IDEs, UML modellers, ER modellers, Databases etc.]