To IT Automate Or Not To IT Automate? That Is The Question

Where Automation rocks and where automation is not so hot.

This article is letter (I) of our “Automation Brand" series where we write an article for each letter of the phrase. “Automation Brand" finds all the ways automation benefits marketing. Find links to more articles in the series below.

We live in a digital world. And Information Technology happily skips along.

Information Technology (IT) was coined in a 1958 Harvard Business Review article where Harold J. Leavitt and Thomas L. Whistler commented “the new technology does not yet have a single established name. We shall call it information technology (IT).”

Now IT and automation are intertwined. They have become necessary for each other to work efficiently. The top IT automation trends and technologies are growing every moment and can make our world better and create more jobs than they replace.

To IT Automation Or Not

These days IT has evolved to be automated, giving us...IT automation:

“IT automation is a large category, and can cover anything from the simple automatic routing of forms or PDF files to intended recipients, to something more complex such as the automated provisioning of backup and recovery systems. But an IT automation system is not to be confused with an intelligent system. They can make errors, and they’re not insightful enough to know when they do.”

Where IT Automation Rocks

IT automation may not always be intelligent but when it's good, it's really good and the IT automation trends make it more exciting every day..

User system signoffs and logging. Yes, something so taken for granted as your phone, computer, or application automatically logging off is IT automation. Simple. But a huge win for stopping security breaches and conserving energy.

Storage management. All those memes and cat videos need to be stored somewhere. Automating storage management means the right data gets stored on the right device that optimizes data retrieval. Really does not sound fun to do manually.

Distribution of new operating system patches and enhancements. System updates used to be done manually. Now, updates are automatically installed or when the user gives permission to install it.

Think Twice Before Automating

Automation works really well for role, repetitive tasks that humans would feel brain-dead doing for hours on end. For these following services, it’s better left for people to do. IT automation has bright future and many are benefiting without knowing all the things it does for them every day.

Customer service. Quality customer service relies on empathy, social skills, and being personable. Last we checked, IT automation was not the first thing to come to anyone’s mind when those three skills were brought up.

Systems and business analysis. Automation technologies can’t replace the active listening, collaborative engagement, and creativity needed to plan business objectives.

The final decision. Decision software does exist, like those that determine whether or not a loan is granted, does exist. But in those cases, the decision software acts as a first filter and then forwarded to a person who makes the last call. As of now, nothing can replace a knowledgeable individual but automation can make it easier for them.

So many things are coming and the future looks bright. See for yourself at events like the automation show.

Word Up:

Automation...the next frontier for Information Technology. While it is a step forward, automation still can only perform role tasks really well. This is invaluable for businesses or any type of large organization. Activities that require emotional intelligence and face-to-face interaction are still human specialties.

sources: comptia.org techjury.net automateshow information-management

This article is part of our “Automation Brand” series where we write an article for each letter of the phrase. “Automation Brand” finds all the ways automation benefits marketing.

Click below to read more articles in the “Automation Brand” series:

(A) Ready Or Not - Why (A)utomation Is The Future Of Your Brand

(U) 5 Easy Rules To Create (U)niversal Content

(T) Use These 4 Types Of (T)raffic To Earn More Online

(O) Automate Your (O)nline Content And Never Waste Time Again

(M) Important Stuff You Should Know About (M)arketing Automation

(A)Content Equity–The Key To Monetizing Your Brand (A)ssets. Here's Why!

(T) The Unexpected Way (T)ags Help In The Age Of Peak Content

(I) To (I)T Automate Or Not To IT Automate? That Is The Question

(O) How To (O)rganize And Automate Your Content Start To Finish

(N)arrow Artificial Intelligence Lives Among Us

(B)uyer’s Journey From A Buyer’s Point Of View