By Julian Richards, Dec. 2005
Take a large-scale, multi-million dollar IT service contract.
Add to that a wide range of technologies, multiple computing
platforms, multiple service partners, dozens of people
and processes, and often, multiple companies operating
in many nations -- and it's no wonder many of these contracts
run into problems.
Turns out that the science of services is still relatively
new and not well understood, encompassing disciplines as
diverse as anthropology, engineering, operations research,
economics and pure mathematics.
Enter the new Centre for Systems and Services Sciences,
launched today at HP Laboratories in Bristol, England.
Created by HP, other leading services organizations and
universities across Europe, the group aims to turn IT-based
services into a more predictable and scientific practice
by sharing research, establishing industry standards, supporting
academia, and developing a ‘brokerage’ to bring
together members in partnerships.
“By developing standards across the industry and
sound techniques, customers and every IT Services company
will benefit," says Dick Lampman, director of HP Labs
and senior vice president for research, HP, and one of
the speakers at the group's first workshop. “As economies
mature and move towards greater reliance on the services
sector for growth, we see tremendous opportunity for companies
such as HP in the growth of our IT Services business.”
The IT Services industry is projected to grow to $659 billion
in 2006.
The workshop was initiated by HP Labs, which has been
developing and using new approaches that apply a systems
approach to the specification, design, implementation,
and management of IT Services.
Lab researchers employ analytical methods that allow them
to plan and specify the appropriate IT systems for HP customers
in large IT outsourcing deals.
To learn more about the initiative and the workshop, please
see the press release.
Jamie Beckett is managing editor of this Web site and
a former reporter and editor at The San Francisco Chronicle.
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Richard H. (Dick) Lampman
Senior Vice President, Research, HP
Director, HP Labs
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