In the face of rapidly changing demands, organizations are being forced to rethink their IT priorities. There is an increasing demand for resilience and security, operational agility, and immediate cost savings. To meet these demands, organizations need to simplify complex online initiatives and increase speed across their entire IT infrastructure. 

That's where <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/04/02/it-modernization-the-backbone-of-business-transformation/?sh=3d942dc56520" rel="noopener" target="_blank">IT modernization</a> comes in. Modernizing your IT infrastructure <a href="https://devops.com/it-modernization-yields-business-benefits-even-in-early-stages/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">can help the organization</a> in many ways. Modernization empowers your organization with agile processes, digital services, and reliable business intelligence, which can help you adapt to the ever-changing organizational needs more quickly.  

In this blog, we'll take you through the steps Webhead takes to transform any aspect of an organization's technology infrastructure and, in the process, augment productivity, enhance employee satisfaction, and enrich the customer experience. Read on. 

<h2>What Is IT Modernization?</h2>
To understand how IT modernization can transform your organization, you need to have a good understanding of the concept. What is IT modernization? To put it plainly, IT modernization is the process of moving your organization from legacy platforms and processes to a modern IT ecosystem. 

In the digital era, modernizing IT infrastructure is an unavoidable requirement for organizations looking to deliver: 
<ul>
	<li>Efficiency</li>
	<li>Functionality</li>
	<li>Security</li>
	<li>Quality services for end-users </li>
</ul>

While the terms 'IT modernization' and 'digital transformation' are often used interchangeably, they don't mean the same thing. Modernization is all about updating your IT infrastructure and automating processes to secure more efficiency, security, and agility in operations. Digital transformation, on the other hand, focuses on how organizations transform their business models to operate more efficiently and improve customer satisfaction. 

<h2>The Path to IT Modernization</h2>
Every organization that wants to increase agility and meet expanding customer demands must move away from outdated software and hardware solutions to more automated, innovative solutions. The widespread adoption of cloud and mobile technologies are some of the key drivers of IT modernization. 

IT modernization requires strategies that set the right pieces of the puzzle in place for your organization’s specific needs. Strategies are steps to achieve your goals. Below, we've laid out a four-step approach to help your organization move away from legacy tech towards newer tools that streamline, simplify, and automate business processes. 

<h3>1. Alignment of IT and Business</h3>
Aligning IT with business strategies within an organization is the first step towards modernizing IT. In this stage, IT leaders will examine the state of your current IT infrastructure and future business goals. This step will help you determine which improvements benefit your overall business strategy, it will identify opportunities that align with that vision, and help you develop a plan. 

<h3>2. Simplify and Optimize Your IT Environment</h3>
Step two involves simplifying and optimizing your IT environment by implementing lean processes and automation. This step helps you eliminate unused or underused systems and free up resources. Outdated, overly complex systems can slow down production, increase costs, hinder quality, and keep your organization from focusing on strategic goals. 

<h3>3. Modernize Your Applications and Data</h3>
Modernizing your applications and data are a key part of IT modernization. Recognizing the importance of securing applications and underlying data, organizations are adopting cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) operating models and launching agile DevSecOps processes. Modernizing or updating applications also enables speed, agility, and cost savings. 

<h3>4. Operate a Hybrid IT Environment</h3>
When it comes to modernizing IT, most organizations will opt for a hybrid IT infrastructure strategy, at least for the near term. In a hybrid IT environment, organizations can continue innovating, delivering IT assets on-demand, and maintaining consumption elasticity while getting rid of older IT assets. Organizations operating in industries with habitual fluctuations in demand can more easily and quickly respond to market changes. 

<h2>Wrapping Up</h2>
IT modernization takes your technology infrastructure to the next level via key upgrades. Modernizing IT streamlines business processes, automates productivity, and brings new efficiencies. But you have to plan for it, which can be challenging. 

Do you wish to operate IT more efficiently at an affordable cost by modernizing your technology infrastructure but don't know where to start? Consider enlisting expert help. Webhead specializes in helping organizations with IT modernization and can help you choose the right strategy for your goals. <a href="https://webheadtech.com/connect/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Talk with an expert today</a>. 