In effect, infrastructure architecture is a type of technical architecture. It describes and designs the way that technology solutions are deployed and connected together. In manufacturing industries this may consist of conveyor belts and logistical solutions that move products and materials between the assembly technicians. In information technology terms, infrastructure is the specialised software that runs the applications and moves data between them. Regardless of these specialisations the aim of infrastructure architecture is to provide a shared environment for deploying, managing, and linking technology solutions together.
The key benefits that are expected from centralising the infrastructure management are:
- Optimised cost for deployment and support
- Consistency leading to more sharing of resources and thus efficiencies of scale
- Simplification - high complexity usually imposes high costs
- Optimised compatibility - solutions that conform to standards are usually compatible and thus easier to connect together