Continuing our discussion on standardization in a previous article, when any organization increases the number of network devices its IT department is required to manage, management costs can increase. Some of
the technology that an IT professional is already required to understand in most organizations include: desktop operating systems, network operating systems, authentication servers, email servers, web servers, telephone systems, document management systems, enterprise resource management systems, databases, copiers and printers. Some organizations will have even more.
Standardization can help to reduce the number of systems that an IT professional is required to learn and maintain. This can help to allow for greater efficiencies in maintaining information systems but can also provide for a greater level of security because your IT professionals and office staff will have a greater understanding of the systems you have in place.