An Evaluation of Information Technology Infrastructure Flexibility in Global Banks

Xiao Yao

Abstract

IT infrastructure was commonly agreed to mean the combination of an aggregation of technology components (Duncan, 1995) and human factors such as resource planning and management (Byrd & Turner, 2000). IT infrastructure flexibility is an important factor in judging the IT infrastructure. A more flexible IT infrastructure can help ease the business process as well as increase the productivity and efficiency. It helps us to make decisions when we have two IT infrastructure alternatives. However, the IT infrastructure flexibility is not easy to measure. There are several components and factors that describe the IT infrastructure flexibility, including Modularity, Connectivity, Compatibility, IT personnel, etc. These factors are all affecting the flexibility in different ways. This thesis proposes a model for measuring the degree of flexibility in IT infrastructure.