After 5 years working in a legal Firm, I recently joined a new company.... a really really new company. It is a newly setup company owned by the Government under the Ministry of Youth and Sports. New company.... new people... new environment and.... new boss....

As one of the pioneer staff in the company, I am solely responsible on the IT of the company. Means... everything needs to be done... starting from scratch... planning... what, how, why, who.. Procurement... What, what, what.... and finally implementation... how... how... I thought it would be really interesting and challenging... until... the dealing with people part came into picture.

Being put in-charged to establish all IT infrastructures in the company, there are lots of things that needed consideration.... And one of it that always interests me is WHAT WE NEED vs KEEPING TO THE TECHNOLOGY TREND.

It was quite difficult for me... because I am not the final decision maker. I am reporting to the CEO... Who definitely has a different idea on almost everything from what I have in my mind. He thinks that whatever we do must follow the trend... Buy the most powerful server, and use the latest software version. Buy the most popular software from the giant company even though it would cost you a boom. For him they are more reliable and since the company is an established company, they could provide you with better support.

I am not against technology trend, or the giant company... For me having the most updated software and hardware would always be good BUT I still think it has to be balanced with what we actually need to use. Good things always mean good money... But why waste the good money to buy good things if at the end of the day the good things are left behind collecting dust at the corner of the room. When we buy things, money is always the constraint. But even in a situation where it is not, I sincerely think that it should be use wisely... and furthermore it is not our own money... its the people's money that we are spending... Remember?!

So... what do you think? What is more important to consider? The need or the trend? Must we keep to the technology trend even though we do not really need it... or would never use it? Or do not even know how to use it? :-)

Or must we follow the trend in order to move forward.....

First posting for Managing IT class

Use this blog to post and discuss best practices for IT management as well as any issues relating to Managing IT paper. May everyone get benefit out of this.