IBM Reaffirms Position as a Leading Provider of Systems Management and Networking Services
Announces global availability, enhancements of asset and performance management/capacity planning and testing services, help desk offering
NEW YORK (June 16, 1998) – IBM today announced new and enhanced services that provide comprehensive solutions to help customers effectively manage and use their systems and networks, while controlling their costs of ownership.
The systems management and networking services announcements made today by IBM Global Services at PC Expo are: * Global availability of IBM Asset Services, IBM Help Desk Services, IBM Performance Management and Capacity Planning Services, IBM Testing Services, and a new offering, IBM High Availability Services – Multivendor Networking * Enhancements to IBM Asset Services, IBM Help Desk Services and IBM Performance Management and Capacity Planning Services.
“IBM’s comprehensive set of global systems management and networking services help customers navigate through rapidly changing and complex technology issues,” said Bob Hinckley, vice president, systems management and networking services, IBM Global Services. “Customers can use IBM’s expertise, proven methodologies and tools to help them manage their IT investments and achieve their business objectives.”
Asset Services Now Globally Available with Total Cost of Ownership Consulting Added
Now globally available with consistent terms, delivery and pricing, IBM Asset Services helps customers track their inventory and manage changes to their asset portfolio via an IBM-hosted Internet Web server, using Lotus Domino*.
Designed to manage computers for business units with 1,000 to 10,000 users, IBM Asset Services are easily administered through an integrated solution that securely delivers this standardized set of services over the Internet. It is another in a growing number of services that IBM Global Services is safely providing via the World Wide Web.
IBM has expanded the IBM Asset Services offering by adding total cost of ownership consulting services, which includes a number of programs designed to assess the cost of asset ownership and provide recommendations for improving utilization, planning and budgeting for new technology, and overall efficiency in the distributed network environment. Using these comprehensive assessment services also helps customers identify the most critical areas of cost and risk they should address when implementing a comprehensive asset management plan to reduce asset ownership costs.
Voice and Knowledge-Based Technologies Added to Help Desk Services
Together with industry-leading help desk products such as Remedy Corporation’s Action Request System (AR System)*, IBM offers assessment, design, implementation, integration and support services to help customers better manage their service and support environment.
To these existing services, IBM has added voice and knowledge-based technologies to enhance the customer help desk environment. Using new computer telephony integration with IBM’s CallPath* Enterprise Option and DirectTalk*, callers can open tickets and obtain or update the status of existing tickets. Additionally, callers can perform automated functions and have their call routed to help desk agents with the most current information and the best skills to respond to the customer problem quickly.
With the addition of knowledge-based integration, help desk agents can identify, diagnose and resolve calls quickly and consistently by using comprehensive knowledge bases of up-to-date solution information for known problems. Information is stored in databases such as Inference Corporation’s CasePoint*, IBM’s BookManager*, HelpView and IPF for OS/2.
Additionally, with new integration with Tivoli Information/Management*, problem tickets can be opened, updated and replicated securely using either the help desk application or the Tivoli INFO/MAN* application on the host system. IBM Help Desk Services is also now globally available with consistent terms, delivery and pricing.
The company has added IBM Capacity Planning Services to IBM Performance Management Services. IBM Performance Management and Capacity Planning Services and IBM Testing Services draw on IBM professionals’ experience, tools and technical talent to help customers answer questions related to the impact of change or growth on their systems, networks and applications. Specifically, customers can start with IBM’s performance management expertise to tune their current systems/networks, do a capacity plan to find out the best design, and then use IBM Testing Services to actually create the proposed environment for the highest degree of confidence that it will work.
These services are ideal for customers installing a new technology, such as a new client/server application to be accessed via the Internet; modifying an old one, such as trying to help address the Year 2000 situation in a 20-year-old application that lies at the core of their business; or going through a business transformation, such as a merger where two companies’ systems and networks must become one.
Other Services Now Globally Available
In addition to IBM Asset Services and IBM Help Desk Services, IBM also announced the global availability of several other services — IBM High Availability Services – Multivendor Networking, IBM Performance Management and Capacity Planning Services and IBM Testing Services. These are now generally offered worldwide with consistent terms, delivery and pricing, although the availability and content of the services may vary from country to country.
IBM High Availability Services – Multivendor Networking, provides multivendor and multiprotocol LAN and WAN environment support for every phase of the customers’ network lifecyle, including network planning and design, implementation and migration, multivendor hardware and software maintenance, performance monitoring and optimization. Remote diagnostic customer support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The offering provides the customer with an outtasking buying option, enabling the client to maintain control of “mission critical” or “core business areas” while receiving the added benefit of supplementing their internal resources with “just in time” delivered skills and expertise in networking.
Leveraging the insight gained from more than 30 years of experience working with customers around the world, IBM has developed its enterprise-wide “Systems Management Life Cycle,” a structured approach to building computing solutions, based on how the solution can deliver real benefit by meeting customers’ business needs.
In addition to the services highlighted today, customers can turn to IBM Global Services experts for systems management and network consulting, network product services, high availability services for LAN management or AS/400, end-user care, and Tivoli services.
More information on IBM’s services for systems management and networking solutions is provided in the attached fact sheet and at http://www.as.ibm.com/services/pss.
IBM Global Services provides information technology that enables enterprises to lead in their marketplace. With 1997 revenue of approximately $26 billion and 110,000 professionals in 164 countries, IBM Global Services is the world’s largest and most versatile IT services provider. Its capabilities span business transformation consulting, strategic outsourcing, systems integration, product support services, education and training, and managed network services over the IBM Global Network.
Source: IBM