EU IT Services Community Highlights Innovation and Industry Standards

At the recent EU IT Services and Support Executive Forum, David Milot from Unisys started off discussions with a presentation on the revolution of cloud computing. The cloud has been a hot topic, but there still seems to be a slightly fragmented approach to the subject. How can managed service providers, logistics companies and OEM's best utilize this delivery technology?


According to research statistics and those in the room, security is the biggest fear around deploying cloud computing solutions. The challenge is how do we overcome these fears and what can we do to increase adoption. One thing that is known is that there is a lot of interest in this topic. The response from Unisys and Liquid Accounts is that cloud adoption is safe and secure, when it is done right! Data protection laws ensure this protection and lead to safe adoption, though the debate will continue for some time to come.


There are a lot of legal stipulations and issues around cloud computing, especially concerning the data location and security. This is being explored by Mark Hilber, of Oppenhoff & Partners and was a crucial matter to everyone at the meeting. This discussion was followed by a look at new developments regarding EU consumer protection directives.


The next discussion concerned managed services, from Jon Campbell at Intel, focused on the definition and its relevance to the community. There seems to be significant untapped opportunities with this technology, if they bring these developments to the un-managed service providers. Much of the focus is naturally placed on the MSP. In addition, manufacturers are now talking about services, not their products. Providers need to provide great service to stay ahead of the curve, and we may well need a subgroup to study this subject in more detail. It is very important that MSPs are reputable, which is especially important to the OEMs, but how do we measure this effectively? CompTIA could play a role in this area.


No-fault continues to be an issue in the industry, especially for Intel, Acer and Lenovo, and is very expensive to all parties. How could managed services be used to improve this concern and fix a PC remotely? The question that needs to be asked is whether the available technology is being used to its maximum benefit. Discussion is also active around the need for a definition for hardware warranties.


During the meeting, CompTIA discussed new products, certifications and membership resources available to members. Included in these programs will be the EMEA member conference in October, and discussions around Strata Green IT and Strata IT Technology for sales.


Service 800 discussed the service metric benchmark, including the most important aspects of services for customers. Response time was the top issue in the survey, which was highly debated among the attendees. Is the industry asking the right questions to get the proper results for their clients? Perhaps the service providers spend too much time on what they find relevant for the customer, and not enough on what is relevant to the customer. Technical ability may be somewhat taken for granted these days, compared to 10 years ago.


Steve Downton, of Downton Consulting, presented on effectively employing services and assets within a provider organization. A technician can be a company's most trusted and useful sales person, being a key company representative to customers.  Are your technicians being properly nurtured in the organization, especially considering their value to your business? Service is the key, and meeting your customers’ perceived expectations is all that really matters.


With Green IT continuing as a very hot topic, it has become a new initiative of the EU IT Services and Support Executive Forum. A working group with six members has been created to work on ideas for Green IT industry best practices, which CompTIA will assemble to be discussed at the next meeting in June. The discussion around Green IT and Green Service capped a great meeting, and we’re looking forward to moving ahead with the new initiative developments.