Technology set for boost from new US president
The importance of modernising IT in the United States has already manifested itself as positive action as Barack Obama prepares to become the 44th US president.
Obama has drafted in Google executive Sonal Shah and Julius Genchowski, former InterActiveCorp executive to help safeguard his planned change programme which places greater emphasis on technological innovation.
Part of the plan is to introduce a Google search engine for searching public documents and to pull government and technology into the 21st century. Other plans include making broadband accessible for all US communities and protecting the openness of the internet while safeguarding children and ensuring a competitive landscape for content providers.
For more information on Obama’s vision for the future of IT in the US, more information can be found here, including a blueprint for change which is available for download. www.barackobama.com/issues/technology
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Monday, 27 October 2008
Free White Paper- 10 Essential Steps for Service Desk Efficiency
According to research group Forrester, over 40% of large businesses have cut their IT budgets in 2008.
With new IT projects being frozen as funds are diverted to offset falling revenues, IT service desk managers need to adopt new strategies to increase efficiency and effectiveness of existing systems and processes.
Richmond Systems have released a free White Paper entitled- 10 Essential Steps to achieve Service Desk Efficiency.
The paper covers some of the key topics to consider including coping with and reducing support incident volume, automation- is it effective, reporting, ITIL best practices, the importance of people and what efficiency gains do service desk systems offer.
To download a free copy of the White Paper please visit: http://www.richmondsupportdesk.com/html/form.asp.
Alternatively to discuss how service desk software can play a vital role in increasing the efficiency of your IT support, call Richmond Systems on
Tel: +44 (0)1428 641616 or visit www.richmondsupportdesk.com.
With new IT projects being frozen as funds are diverted to offset falling revenues, IT service desk managers need to adopt new strategies to increase efficiency and effectiveness of existing systems and processes.
Richmond Systems have released a free White Paper entitled- 10 Essential Steps to achieve Service Desk Efficiency.
The paper covers some of the key topics to consider including coping with and reducing support incident volume, automation- is it effective, reporting, ITIL best practices, the importance of people and what efficiency gains do service desk systems offer.
To download a free copy of the White Paper please visit: http://www.richmondsupportdesk.com/html/form.asp.
Alternatively to discuss how service desk software can play a vital role in increasing the efficiency of your IT support, call Richmond Systems on
Tel: +44 (0)1428 641616 or visit www.richmondsupportdesk.com.
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Richmond SupportDesk all new Web Based Reporting
Richmond Systems today launched a brand new version of the service desk software Richmond SupportDesk, for enterprise IT support based on ITIL® best practices.
One of the many highlights for this release is web based reporting for powerful, dynamic and actionable reports all accessible via a web browser.
This empowers business users and support technicians alike with access to over 100 interactive statistical template reports on the support operation.
Report templates can be customised for each customer’s exact requirements and scheduled for automatic distribution via e-mail, printing, publishing to a web server or saving to a file. This ensures up to the minute statistics are available for key personnel and decision makers, whilst minimising any administration required for report distribution.
Reports include trend analysis to visualise key statistics for example, open or resolved support incidents on a daily/monthly basis, incident volume by group, priority and status. Enhanced Service Level Agreement (SLA) reporting includes average response resolutions, failed SLAs by support technician or category and exception reports.
Ideally suited to Managed Service Provider (MSP) environments and service desks that support multiple customer’s, reports can be setup and customised to each clients specific requirements, or for internal support where departmental analysis is required.
Next Steps
To find out more about the latest release of Richmond SupportDesk please visit www.richmondsupportdesk.com for a free trial version of the software or call
+44 (0)1428 641616 to discuss your service desk needs.
One of the many highlights for this release is web based reporting for powerful, dynamic and actionable reports all accessible via a web browser.
This empowers business users and support technicians alike with access to over 100 interactive statistical template reports on the support operation.
Report templates can be customised for each customer’s exact requirements and scheduled for automatic distribution via e-mail, printing, publishing to a web server or saving to a file. This ensures up to the minute statistics are available for key personnel and decision makers, whilst minimising any administration required for report distribution.
Reports include trend analysis to visualise key statistics for example, open or resolved support incidents on a daily/monthly basis, incident volume by group, priority and status. Enhanced Service Level Agreement (SLA) reporting includes average response resolutions, failed SLAs by support technician or category and exception reports.
Ideally suited to Managed Service Provider (MSP) environments and service desks that support multiple customer’s, reports can be setup and customised to each clients specific requirements, or for internal support where departmental analysis is required.
Next Steps
To find out more about the latest release of Richmond SupportDesk please visit www.richmondsupportdesk.com for a free trial version of the software or call
+44 (0)1428 641616 to discuss your service desk needs.
The Future of Service Management
One of the problems faced by service provision industries, such as IT support, is that measurement of success is difficult because there are so many intangibles involved. That considered, with great interest I read a report called The Future of Service Management put together by a group of consultants (Downton, Taurel, Noventum) which claims to have discovered the types of organisation that can virtually guarantee sustained revenue growth, and those who are destined to fall further into the pit of cost cutting and tumbling margins.
The report identifies two types of service organisation, and the shared traits which help them to become profitable. Rather than use the report's overtly complex terms, it is easier to describe the two favourable business methodologies as 'large corporate service leaders' and 'smaller, niche providers providing premium service’.
The report argues that smaller businesses which put emphasis on service excellence can succeed by putting faith in staff to facilitate top-notch support and develop relationships with customers. The service in this example is so good that customers will pay a premium for goods and services to ensure support levels are maintained and are likely to buy more products from people they trust, all which lead to ever burgeoning profits for the business.
The problem for businesses in this segment is, as they grow, it is difficult to maintain the one-to-one intimacy that smaller businesses can offer. The solution for organisations in this position, according to the research, is to redevelop the business to move to the next category. The key for larger businesses is to develop a brand, embed service focus throughout the organisation and create processes which facilitate quality service for customers. Such a brand – the example given was John Lewis – doesn't have to rely on a specific individual to maintain a long-term rapport with the customer. Instead the business performs in such a way that the customer knows that whoever they deal with, they will be offered consistent service.
The report carries on by listing various other segments that businesses can fall within the category of negative service, falling profit margins.
I won't detail each of the business types here, but they generally try to compete on price and, as profits fall, have less to spend on the actual service delivery. As service levels fall, further price cuts are the only way to appease customers and the negative cycle continues.
There is much that the IT services market can learn from this way of thinking. IT services do have a direct impact on the profitability of service, and therefore investment to follow one of the models as set out in this report can ultimately impact the bottom line.
A detailed summary of the report can be found at www.thefutureofservice.com
The report identifies two types of service organisation, and the shared traits which help them to become profitable. Rather than use the report's overtly complex terms, it is easier to describe the two favourable business methodologies as 'large corporate service leaders' and 'smaller, niche providers providing premium service’.
The report argues that smaller businesses which put emphasis on service excellence can succeed by putting faith in staff to facilitate top-notch support and develop relationships with customers. The service in this example is so good that customers will pay a premium for goods and services to ensure support levels are maintained and are likely to buy more products from people they trust, all which lead to ever burgeoning profits for the business.
The problem for businesses in this segment is, as they grow, it is difficult to maintain the one-to-one intimacy that smaller businesses can offer. The solution for organisations in this position, according to the research, is to redevelop the business to move to the next category. The key for larger businesses is to develop a brand, embed service focus throughout the organisation and create processes which facilitate quality service for customers. Such a brand – the example given was John Lewis – doesn't have to rely on a specific individual to maintain a long-term rapport with the customer. Instead the business performs in such a way that the customer knows that whoever they deal with, they will be offered consistent service.
The report carries on by listing various other segments that businesses can fall within the category of negative service, falling profit margins.
I won't detail each of the business types here, but they generally try to compete on price and, as profits fall, have less to spend on the actual service delivery. As service levels fall, further price cuts are the only way to appease customers and the negative cycle continues.
There is much that the IT services market can learn from this way of thinking. IT services do have a direct impact on the profitability of service, and therefore investment to follow one of the models as set out in this report can ultimately impact the bottom line.
A detailed summary of the report can be found at www.thefutureofservice.com
Monday, 15 September 2008
Security secures more funding
Could other IT services become as important in the boardroom?
Security now accounts for 10 per cent of spending on IT, with further investment expected in the sector. A survey of 1200 enterprises by Forrester Research says that despite the economic downturn, 21 per cent will increase spend on security, with all but six per cent of the remaining organisations keeping budgets constant.
Security has also succeeded in transcending IT to become a boardroom level issue, with almost 50 per cent of respondents reporting directly to the board. Whether or not this exposure will help highlight other IT issues is as yet unclear, but perhaps there are lessons to learn about how security has been promoted as a business rather than technical issue that could be applied to other IT services.
Security now accounts for 10 per cent of spending on IT, with further investment expected in the sector. A survey of 1200 enterprises by Forrester Research says that despite the economic downturn, 21 per cent will increase spend on security, with all but six per cent of the remaining organisations keeping budgets constant.
Security has also succeeded in transcending IT to become a boardroom level issue, with almost 50 per cent of respondents reporting directly to the board. Whether or not this exposure will help highlight other IT issues is as yet unclear, but perhaps there are lessons to learn about how security has been promoted as a business rather than technical issue that could be applied to other IT services.
A bad day out the office for Canadian support technician
“I’m holding you hostage until you fix my PC”
IT support staff are used to dealing with unreasonable and sometimes abusive customers, but a Canadian woman has taken the concept of awkward customer to a new level by holding a technician hostage until a connection problem was fixed.
Canadian actress Carol Sinclair said that she had been on the phone to her ISP over 20 times with no conclusion until finally an onsite repair visit was arranged. Sinclair claims that when the engineer couldn’t fix the problem she asked for him to stay until the second technician arrived.
However, local police said that in reality she told the man he couldn’t leave until her issue was resolved, implying she had a gun to keep him hostage. Sinclair was charged and banned from speaking to Aliant employees.
To read the full article:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2008/09/02/technician-hostage.html
IT support staff are used to dealing with unreasonable and sometimes abusive customers, but a Canadian woman has taken the concept of awkward customer to a new level by holding a technician hostage until a connection problem was fixed.
Canadian actress Carol Sinclair said that she had been on the phone to her ISP over 20 times with no conclusion until finally an onsite repair visit was arranged. Sinclair claims that when the engineer couldn’t fix the problem she asked for him to stay until the second technician arrived.
However, local police said that in reality she told the man he couldn’t leave until her issue was resolved, implying she had a gun to keep him hostage. Sinclair was charged and banned from speaking to Aliant employees.
To read the full article:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2008/09/02/technician-hostage.html
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Friday, 22 August 2008
Customer Strategy Magazine Highlights 3 Fold increase in First Level Resolutions
Read an interesting article in the Customer Strategy Magazine which highlighted results from a survey conducted by the Service Desk Institute (SDI) into the changing role of Service Management.
A total of 159 service desk managers across 11 industry sectors responded to a questionnaire to understand their views on the industry performance, trends and service quality provided by the service desk software vendors.
The article highlighted that companies are both investing and elevating their IT Service Management with the aim of achieving best practice through the use of standards like ITIL in their IT support operations with the aim of raising customer service levels.
Three main points highlighted by the SDI Service Desk survey included:
1. First-level resolutions have increased 60% from only 21% when the SDI first conducted the research in 2004
2. ITIL standards are continuing to be adopted by organisation from only 30% using the methods and procedures in 2004 to 68% in 2008.
3. Organisations are increasingly favouring a two tiered approach to IT Support with more staff on the front line. If they are unable to deal with the request they elevate the incident to a second tier to handle. This second level comprises of more specialist technical support technicians to help establish the cause of the IT support incident.
To read the source article please follow this link:
http://www.customer-strategy.co.uk/csnews/index.cfm?ccs=584&cs=3772
A total of 159 service desk managers across 11 industry sectors responded to a questionnaire to understand their views on the industry performance, trends and service quality provided by the service desk software vendors.
The article highlighted that companies are both investing and elevating their IT Service Management with the aim of achieving best practice through the use of standards like ITIL in their IT support operations with the aim of raising customer service levels.
Three main points highlighted by the SDI Service Desk survey included:
1. First-level resolutions have increased 60% from only 21% when the SDI first conducted the research in 2004
2. ITIL standards are continuing to be adopted by organisation from only 30% using the methods and procedures in 2004 to 68% in 2008.
3. Organisations are increasingly favouring a two tiered approach to IT Support with more staff on the front line. If they are unable to deal with the request they elevate the incident to a second tier to handle. This second level comprises of more specialist technical support technicians to help establish the cause of the IT support incident.
To read the source article please follow this link:
http://www.customer-strategy.co.uk/csnews/index.cfm?ccs=584&cs=3772
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