A company is an organization that produces products or services, and it may include public or private entities. Some companies are called conglomerates (one unit is for making money, another for charity).
Most companies will perform activities like production, distribution, and marketing. Companies can produce a wide range of products – food, sports goods, clothes, medicines, etc. They also provide various services.
Some of these companies are world-famous, like Nestle, Adidas, Google, and Apple. These food and technology companies have widespread distribution networks.
Generally, big companies can produce anything, but small companies usually make one product or service (i.e., Levi’s). Many small companies will collaborate with other small companies to provide a complete service or product.
What is Infrastructure?
Infrastructure is the foundation of the community. Building a society depends on infrastructure. It consists of a complex network of roads, pipes, tunnels, and wires interconnected throughout cities.
In addition, it includes telephone lines, cell towers, air traffic control towers, bridges, and general services like law enforcement, emergency services, health care, etc.
These infrastructures are essential for society to survive and function correctly. They provide clean water for consumption and use in products, among other necessities that many people do not think about daily.
However, people may even take these things for granted when considering how much work it takes to maintain them worldwide. One example is New York City, where the water system is over 100 years old and still uses the same infrastructure built.
Large Initial Investments
Infrastructure systems require significant initial investments. These projects get either wholly funded by the government or heavily subsidized. They are essential for enabling high productivity in an economy.
Businesses need to communicate well and transport goods rapidly. People need to be able to get to work on time. Without infrastructure, many of today’s leisure time acidities would not exist. Throughout society, infrastructure will always be necessary as long as humans survive.
What is Company Infrastructure?
“Infrastructure is the foundation of any company; it’s the basic structure that all companies are built on.”
While highly accurate, this definition may apply not only to companies but also to other sectors. Here are some more specifics to offer better insight into what makes up company infrastructure: What do effective communication systems, fax machines, printers, cabling, and networking have in common? They are all part of the company’s infrastructure.
Seeing the infrastructure of a company
In a business context, company infrastructure is anything employees use to make it easier to do their jobs or communicate with each other.
When it comes to day-to-day operations at a business, things like email, printers, and phones are considered company infrastructure.
Also included cabling, networking equipment such as servers and hubs, and even furniture that makes up a work environment, such as desks and chairs.
It is essential to have a robust organizational infrastructure in place. Doing this can empower you and your team members to take proactive steps toward company growth.
When a company structure is in place, it’s easier for a business to create new products and services, find investors if necessary, and hire high-quality individuals to ensure increased productivity.
When employees at a business use technology to complete tasks for their work, their business’s company infrastructure helps them accomplish their jobs.
A computer lab full of laptops where employees can check email, surf the web, or do research for their work is the company infrastructure.
Examples
The following are examples of company infrastructure: computers, printers, copiers, fax machines, cell phones, email systems, networking equipment such as servers and hubs, and furniture like desks and chairs.
What does Company Infrastructure include?
The answer depends on the size of the business and its budget. Company Infrastructure includes all of the hardware, software, and services required to run a company’s business, and there’s more to it. Business infrastructure features such as these include the following.
IT Infrastructure
Two of the essential elements in any business are its people and infrastructure. Modern businesses need to stay on top of the latest technology and best practices.
Organizations also need their system to be secure enough for customers’ information to be safe and private. When someone talks about a company’s “IT” (information technology), they refer to the uses of technology to get the job done.
Technologies that companies rely on for their IT Infrastructure or use to be able to operate include servers, desktops, laptops, printers, routers, switches, cables of all types and styles, scanners, storage devices such as external hard drives and removable media (such as a USB flash drive), etc.
It is not an exhaustive list, but it should provide a good idea of things included in what people commonly refer to as the “company’s IT infrastructure.”
Hardware & Software Infrastructure
Hardware Infrastructure includes the servers, switches, and routers which support a business’s daily operations.
It includes connecting computers in a local area network (LAN), wireless area network (WAN), or intranet that enables employees to communicate through email, chat, instant messaging, or videoconferencing.
Software Infrastructure includes applications and software required to run a business. This type of infrastructure helps companies that need content management systems (CMS), customer relationship management (CRM) software, and other solutions which require data storage and retrieval.
Building Infrastructure
Building infrastructure describes how the building itself that a company works out of is built and maintained.
Some examples of building infrastructure that might come into play for a business to operate would be things like having access to natural light in the building, having good airflow through the building (including heating and AC), ensuring that all electrical wiring is working correctly and safely, etc.
Transportation Infrastructure
Transportation infrastructure refers to how a business gets products from point A to point B, from suppliers to warehouses, or to shipping finished goods to customers.
Having a solid infrastructure is essential in today’s world, and companies need to achieve growth thanks to it.
Company shipping products can rely on many transportation infrastructures such as railways, trucks (buses, vans, trailers), ships and barges, airplanes and helicopters, etc.
For example, a truck with special markings indicating that a company’s product is inside, a logo on the side of the car indicating that it belongs to a particular company, etc.
Why is Company Infrastructure important?
The current technological revolution demands new capabilities, skills, and knowledge every day. The development of more networked, responsive, and mobile products has resulted in companies needing infrastructure on top of their networks.
Such capability is possible through high-end server platforms running large databases and dealing with low-cost commodity systems, including embedded devices and smartphones.
To enable such infrastructure, a company can acquire products from an outside vendor or create its own.
Much of the effort in building a modern infrastructure is in creating a secure platform for its operations. Companies post-Covid are very inclined to develop a solid infrastructure that will enable their businesses to grow with the help of that infrastructure.
Conclusion
Company infrastructure includes the systems and processes that provide a base for a company’s operations. It is fundamental for the foundation and success of any company.
Similarly, company infrastructure may include various systems. These include IT, hardware and software, and building and transportation infrastructure. Company infrastructure is highly crucial for companies.
