Roadmap

Modern Infrastructure:
Built for Tomorrow’s
Business Demands
How do I modernize Infrastructure modernization roadmap
infrastructure, satisfying
new business demands Automation Predictive AI AI/machine learning Generative AI +NEW

while balancing applications Emerging trends

requirements? Customized Configured

Infrastructure and operations leaders’ expertise in Application Virtualization

operational realities and technological strengths and Composable Containers
limitations are often underutilized. Modernization
Infrastructure
XaaS
New business Legacy Commoditized
Your organization can use this roadmap to understand the
key stages, resources and personnel required to plan and demands
modernization Platform
execute an effective infrastructure modernization initiative.
Network
Compute Storage

Workload placement
On-premises Hosting/colo Private cloud Public cloud Edge/IOT

Source: Gartner

gartner.com Follow Us on LinkedIn Become a Client Modern Infrastructure: Built for Tomorrow’s Business Demands 2
 Some of the top questions about an infrastructure
modernization initiative are:

1  hat is the status of your infrastructure

W
and applications portfolio? 2  hat are the drivers of your
W
cloud adoption? 3  ow do you align infrastructure
H
delivery with your business success?

What are the key stages?

This roadmap shows the sequence of objectives and desired outcomes and is useful for aligning
all stakeholders. It’s distilled from interactions with clients who have successfully implemented
infrastructure modernization initiatives.

A few key milestones and associated Gartner resources are highlighted, but our full roadmap
includes complete details of all milestones and resources for each stage of the initiative.

Assess Identify Evaluate Prepare Optimize

current state​ root cause strategies and execute and scale

gartner.com Follow Us on LinkedIn Become a Client Modern Infrastructure: Built for Tomorrow’s Business Demands 3
 Assess Identify Evaluate Prepare Optimize
current state​ root cause strategies and execute and scale

Stage 1: Assess current state

Identify capability gaps and areas for improvement.

Actions to take Sample resources available to Gartner clients

• Consultation: Understand existing capabilities,

   requirements and assessment of organization’s
Understand existing Benchmark current efficiency: IT Score for Infrastructure and Operations​​
Conduct gap analysis
capabilities and between identified performance against • Research:
requirements, and assess capabilities and industry competitors. – Start with trends in technology adoption and
the organization’s efficiency. requirements​. readiness: Infographic: 2024 Technology Adoption
Roadmap for Infrastructure and Operations (I&O)​
– Review research for major data center and
modernization options: Toolkit for Estimating Data
Center Build and Modernization Costs by Tier Level
• Expert Inquiry: Define I&O KPI/metrics for
measuring performance and availability.
• Consultation: Assemble team and select agile pilot
projects based on readiness of initiative, team and
stakeholders.

gartner.com Follow Us on LinkedIn Become a Client Modern Infrastructure: Built for Tomorrow’s Business Demands 4
 Assess Identify Evaluate Prepare Optimize
current state​ root cause strategies and execute and scale

Stage 2: Identify root cause

Establish modernization focus areas.

Actions to take Sample resources available to Gartner clients

• Consultation: Introduction to the Gartner BuySmart™

   process, and review of strategic, financial and
Develop a strategy that Define current workloads technical requirements to identify where the spend
Categorize infrastructure into
encompasses all aspects and systems. management is needed.
stacks: data tier, application
of modernization, including tier, presentation tier and • Expert Inquiry: Categorize infrastructure into stacks:
data center facilities, networking infrastructure. data tier, application tier, presentation tier and
compute, storage and networking infrastructure.​
network infrastructure. • Conference 1:1: Attend Gartner Infrastructure,
Operations & Cloud Strategies Conference, and
participate in an expert-led workshop​.
• Research: Evaluate and plan for I&O cost optimization
best practices: Ignition Guide to Efficient Cost
Management in I&O​

gartner.com Follow Us on LinkedIn Become a Client Modern Infrastructure: Built for Tomorrow’s Business Demands 5
 Assess Identify Evaluate Prepare Optimize
current state​ root cause strategies and execute and scale

Stage 3: Evaluate strategies

Finalize the modernization approach and create RFPs.

Actions to take Sample resources available to Gartner clients

• Consultation: Ensure evaluation team includes

   functional, technical and line-of-business staff,
Ensure the evaluation team Evaluate the modernization as well as end users.
Analyze the areas that
includes a mix of functional, require modernization using approaches based on their • Expert Inquiry:
technical and line-of- specific drivers. ability to address the root – Learn from best practices in modernization:
business staff, as well as cause. – How to Improve Infrastructure Fitness and
typical end users. Sustainably Reduce Technical Debt
– How to Pursue Mainframe Modernization Patterns
– Introduce architectures, such as microservices,
and evolve virtualized environments to software-
defined infrastructures.
• V
​ irtual Executive-Partner-Led Strategy Session:
Develop a strategy that encompasses all aspects
of modernization.​
• Research: Evaluate implications of digital workplace
infrastructure: Predicts 2024: Build a Sustainable
and Collaborative Digital Workplace Infrastructure​

gartner.com Follow Us on LinkedIn Become a Client Modern Infrastructure: Built for Tomorrow’s Business Demands 6
 Assess Identify Evaluate Prepare Optimize
current state​ root cause strategies and execute and scale

Stage 4: Prepare and execute

Implement modernization efforts with acceptable risk and cost.

Actions to take Sample resources available to Gartner clients

• Consultation: Choose a modernization approach

   with the highest effect and value.​
Choose the modernization Identify the most effective Focus modernization efforts • Expert Inquiry:
approach with the highest automation methods. on improving resilience. – Identify best approaches from peers working to
effect and value, while also modernize: Toolkit: I&O Automation Roadmap​
considering cost, risk – Participate in a Gartner BuySmart™ review of
and impact. vendor proposals.
• Conference: Attend Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo™
conference.
• Research:
– Balance investments to improve resilience
across infrastructure, operations and applications:
9 Principles for Improving Cloud Resilience​
– Align software engineering with SREs: How
Software Engineering Teams Should Work With
Site Reliability Engineers​

gartner.com Follow Us on LinkedIn Become a Client Modern Infrastructure: Built for Tomorrow’s Business Demands 7
 Assess Identify Evaluate Prepare Optimize
current state​ root cause strategies and execute and scale

Step 5: Optimize and scale

Review progress assessment and processes.

Actions to take Sample resources available to Gartner clients

• Consultation: Ensure transparency into the full value

   stream (workflow).​​
Ensure transparency across Provide the right level of Redefine agile as a • Expert Inquiry:
the entire value stream metrics to the appropriate collaborative, flexible and – Provide the right level of metrics to the right people —
(workflow). people — determine customer-centric approach what does top-level leadership need to know, as well
what top-level leadership, rather than an IT-specific as managers or other stakeholders.
managers and other methodology. – Create shared objectives to align infrastructure with
stakeholders need to know. the needs of stakeholders: Infographic: Co-Creating
Resilience With I&O Stakeholders
• Research: Redefine agile as collaborative, flexible and
customer-centric focused vs. IT-specific methodology:
Hype Cycle for Agile and DevOps, 2024​
• Consultation: Use DevOps and platform engineering
to scale a cloud operational model: Leverage Platform
Engineering to Scale DevOps Platforms Into Hybrid Cloud

gartner.com Follow Us on LinkedIn Become a Client Modern Infrastructure: Built for Tomorrow’s Business Demands 8
 Who needs to be involved?
The most successful companies establish cross-functional teams for their infrastructure modernization initiatives.
We have outlined the recommended functions to involve and their roles to ensure the best success in hitting the milestones.

Mission-critical team members for cloud migration initiatives

CIO Infrastructure and Operations Enterprise Applications Leaders CDAO and Team​
Collaborates with organizational Leaders and Team​ and Team Provide intelligence and business insights
leaders and guides the building of the Develop I&O service strategy and technical Inform strategy and provide guidance for to inform planning and strategy.​​
modernization program; communicates roadmap for modernization, and foster enterprise applications; manage adoption
strategy and objectives across the culture for continuous improvement. of new technologies, delivery methods
organization. and organization models; also support
and manage applications to achieve
modernization objectives.​

Enterprise Architecture Leaders Program and Portfolio Sourcing Procurement and Vendor Technical Domain Architects​
and Team​ Management Leader and Team​ Management Leaders and Team​ Architect and implement an infrastructure
Ensure business requirements are Leverage strategic partnerships for Establish vendor rules of engagement, consolidation, modernization and cloud
understood and agreed upon across adaptive program coordination and and partner with stakeholders to manage integration strategy that is software-
all stakeholders; deliver innovative IT delivery, resource management, value commercial discussions before, during defined, composable, agile and scalable,
tools, facilitate new technology adoption realization, risk mitigation and effective and after vendor agreements are yet also support simplification and
and support technology alignment for organization change management to negotiated and managed.​ resiliency; improve skills, as needed.
modernization.​ accomplish cloud migration initiatives.​

gartner.com Follow Us on LinkedIn Become a Client Modern Infrastructure: Built for Tomorrow’s Business Demands 9
How Gartner supports your priorities
Whether you are working on your infrastructure modernization initiatives or addressing other
priorities, Gartner covers the depth and breadth of heads of infrastructure and IT operations’ needs.

Enhance Digital Workplace

Digital CIO Executive Leadership CIO Leadership of Build a High-Performing Infrastructure Function
CIO Impact on Digital Business Strategy & Execution Performance Development Culture & People
Technology Experiences

Create a Develop
Enable Digital Drive Enterprise Support Digital Assess & Distribute Develop Deploy &
Develop Executive Evolve IT Org Technical, Organization, Define, Attract, Hire,
Business Strategy Governance of Products & Improve Digital Technology a Digital Support
Leadership Structure Operational Financial & Measure & Develop
& Design Technology Services Performance Leadership Workplace Employee
& Platform Operating Drive Success & Retain Talent
Strategy Technology
Strategy Models

Create & Execute Lead Org Change

IT Strategy & Shape Culture Manage & Transform
Optimize Digital
a Cloud Employee
Evolve Operating Gartner Priorities Navigator™ Build an Adaptive Environment
Gartner Priorities Navigator™
Experience
Technology
Models
for Chief Information Officers Workforce
for Heads of Infrastructure & IT Operations
Automate for
Plan, Design
Efficiency,
Build Software Demonstrate & Deploy New
Quality, Speed
& Deliver the Business Platforms
& Repeatability
Applications Value of IT
2024

Foster Increase
Deliver D&A, Manage Manage Monitor & Deliver Assess Risk,
Modernize I&O Technology- Track & Assess Evaluate Emerging Transform Platform Track &
AI and Digital Technology Technology Manage Services That Prioritize
and Cloud Enabled Disruptive Trends Technologies to a Hybrid Resilience, Intercept New
Platforms Risk Financials Customer Enable Digital & Reduce
Innovation Cloud Platform Security & Innovations
Requirements Transformation Technical Debt
Sustainability
Digital Foundations CIO Innovation Leadership Technology Finance, Risk & Value
Management Evolve Service Management Compose Platforms That Adapt to Business Needs
& Cloud Operations

Gartner for Chief Information Officers Gartner for Infrastructure & IT Operations Leaders
Gartner provides insight, tools and guidance to support initiatives from improving digital Gartner offers insight, tools and guidance to help heads of infrastructure and IT operations
delivery and evolving IT organizational structure to modernizing I&O and cloud, while with their four key needs: build a high-performing infrastructure function, enhance digital
upskilling and retaining talent. By working with Gartner, CIOs can measurably impact the technology and workplace technology experiences, compose platforms that adapt to
bottom line, demonstrate the value of IT and drive organizational objectives. business needs, and evolve service management and cloud operations.

Source: Gartner

gartner.com Follow Us on LinkedIn Become a Client Modern Infrastructure: Built for Tomorrow’s Business Demands 10
Actionable, objective insight
Explore these additional complimentary resources and tools on cloud
migration strategies for heads of infrastructure and IT operations: Access other insights from Gartner:
2024 Technology Adoption Roadmap for
Research Article Infrastructure and Operations
Modernizing Infrastructure Platforms Design an IT Infrastructure Strategy
and Operating Models in Support of Ready for the Unknown Gartner Cool Vendors
Digital Foundations I&O leaders need a flexible strategy to deploy applications
Institute fundamental changes that will enable platform and workloads anytime, anywhere. Can Public Cloud Migration Fix Infrastructure
teams to improve I&O’s agility and customer focus. Technical Debt?
Research
Tool Craft a Cloud Strategy to Optimize Value
Gartner I&O Effectiveness Diagnostic Learn insight, advice and tools to help I&O and IT
Design an operating model that deploys the right leaders address their top challenges with cloud
I&O skills and work in the right places. computing and security.

Already a client?
Get access to even more resources in your client portal. Log In
Connect With Us
Get actionable, objective insight that drives smarter decisions and
stronger performance on your mission-critical priorities. Contact us
to become a client:
U.S.: 1 855 811 7593
International: +44 (0) 3330 607 044

Become a Client

Learn more about Gartner for Infrastructure & IT Operations Leaders

gartner.com/en/infrastructure-and-it-operations-leaders

Stay connected to the latest insight

Attend a Gartner conference

View Conference

© 2024 Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. CM_GTS_3266983