Your shout
- Posted:
- 10:10 27 Aug 2004
- Topics:
- Software Types | Computer Hardware Suppliers | Data Management | Databases | Desktop Operating Systems | Storage Management Software | Windows XP | Storage Management | Operating Systems | Project Management | Software | Content Management | IT Workforce | IT Management | Software Development
Have your say on computerweekly.com
On legal rights when buying from
suppliers
In response to Bill Goodwin's report on how IT directors are
given rights in court when buying a service from an IT supplier
(Computer Weekly, 17 August)
Has the software development world gone mad? Surely it does not
need a legal ruling to establish that software providers are
required to deliver something that works? Of course, we all know it
is notoriously difficult to establish what customers need, but
surely that is part of the service - to guide them to the correct
solution.
Judging from the number of spectacular failures we read about in
the press, I can only assume that some companies do not believe
that delivering the correct product is the way to do
business.
Dave Knight, managing director, Igence
On why public sector IT projects fail
In response to Julia Isaak (Letters, 17 August), who said
public sector IT departments will always struggle to be as
efficient as private sector counterparts because they are cushioned
from commercial pressures
Julia Isaak's letter on public versus private sector IT efficiency
read like an extract from an economic textbook and demonstrates a
naive view of the private sector.
To pick up on her final point, that in the public sector "rewards
go to those who advance the vested interest of politicians" and in
the private sector they go to "those who advance the interests of
the public", this implies that the only rewards that can motivate
are financial.
I work in public sector IT and have done for more than 15 years.
One of my rewards is the job satisfaction of knowing that what I do
results in some social good. There have been times when I could
have been earning more in the private sector, but money was not
sufficient motivation to move. I am sure I am not alone among
public sector workers in this respect.
Private sector companies are motivated by their own profit margins
and any benefit to the public is incidental. It is not hard to find
examples of companies acting against the interests of the public.
For all their undoubted flaws and vested interests, the politicians
who set the public sector IT agenda are as accountable to the
public than any board of directors.
As to the impetus for public sector IT, I would suggest Isaak reads
the Gershon Report. This makes it clear that IT is streamlining the
delivery of services, cutting transaction costs, reducing paperwork
and helping the government use tax money more efficiently. This is
a different impetus from profit, but a no less important one.
Iain Forsyth, IT project manager, Housing
Corporation
On how suppliers should understand the
business
In response to a survey by Sage in which 32% of IT directors
claimed they had been sold the wrong product by a supplier and that
suppliers gave poor customer service (Computer Weekly, 3
August)
It is alarming to see that 40% of executives from small and
medium-sized businesses say they have wasted money on IT
investment.
If SMEs are keen to see a return on their IT investment and want to
avoid being stuck with the wrong technology, they need to fully
understand how the product they are buying delivers the service
they are looking to fulfil. This information is usually difficult
to ascertain from a product brochure and keen salesperson.
Companies are advised to select a supplier with whom they can build
a working relationship. A service level agreement ensures the
customer remains confident their IT supplier is focusing on
service, rather than providing the wrong technology for the highest
profit margins.
Moreover, suppliers must demonstrate an understanding of the
business needs of their customer base to ensure they provide
suitable and cost-effective solutions. By doing this, the in-house
IT resource is able to focus on its core business
applications.
Call it mission-critical or core competency, but companies need to
focus on what they do best.
Avner Peleg, product and services director, hSo
Delaying Windows SP2 will only bring
problems
Calls for users to delay their upgrade to Windows XP Service Pack 2
(Computer Weekly, 17 August) raises the question about why
businesses seem reluctant to upgrade their operating systems.
Aside from the usual hesitation to change, this stems from the
unrealistic perception that migrating large numbers of users is a
hugely complex process. Automated tools from third parties can help
make the transition from Windows NT to XP an overnight project,
without disruption to the workforce.
A common concern is that users will be uncomfortable with a new
operating system, but the use of PC migration tools to transfer
individual settings, such as customised wallpapers, file structures
or favourites, can alleviate this.
Businesses that fail to migrate by the end of 2006 are likely to
face difficulties with incompatibility of software applications, as
well as frustrated calls to IT helpdesk staff. More importantly,
non-migration could pose a huge threat to business security.
Dangers such as exposure of data, vulnerability to attack and data
loss could shut down firms for days.
There is no good reason for companies to avoid migration. If the
SQL Slammer worm of 2002 was estimated to have cost £66m
despite a security patch being available, infection of 58 million
unprotected PCs in 2006 could be disastrous.
Paul Butler, principal consultant, Altiris
Base e-government sites on users' needs
Moving public services to a one-stop website such as the National
E-Market would be a timely and wise move by the government.
However, the key is getting citizens to use and trust the site, and
this can be achieved by designing the website with the end-user's
need at the forefront. To that end, there are two critical factors
that will need to be addressed from the start.
First, the look and feel of the site must reflect the services it
features. Second, the data on the site needs to be updated and
maintained with the latest information. Citizens will not return to
a site that is stale, difficult to manoeuvre or one that provides
incorrect details.
Implementing e-services is dependent on building trust in websites,
rather than relying on call centres to provide information. A
clear, easy-to-use site which encompasses all available services
will push the public to look to the web as their first point of
reference.
Previous e-government sites have had poor take-up. Using knowledge
gleaned from earlier e-government initiatives will help create a
reliable online tool that citizens will actually find useful.
Terry Robinson, public sector manager, Macromedia
Government
SLAs do not guarantee a good relationship
No one is going to argue with Jimmy Desai that a service level
agreement requires a clear definition of responsibility to be
effective (Computer Weekly, 10 August). However, this is no
guarantee for a successful supplier/customer relationship.
Most IT projects fail because the different parties cannot agree
who is responsible. An application's "black box" means it is
unclear within whose remit the problem lies and typically there are
days of damaging recrimination and finger-pointing before it is
identified.
If firms could isolate and resolve issues when they arose, SLAs
would become the bedrock of a constructive relationship, rather
than a continual source of disagreement.
Matt Price, director, marketing and alliances, Wily
Technology
Compliance is a company-wide issue
Further to Tim Jennings article about looking at the bigger picture
for data compliance (Computer Weekly, 17 August), I agree that a
data management strategy is important, but would stress that
application technology is just one element in a wider corporate
governance framework. Using such technologies in isolation would
not guarantee compliance.
However, many suppliers will suggest that their product will be
able to solve any compliance issues and some claim their product
has been certified by regulating bodies. Regulations will only be
met when the technology and the processes used by a company to gain
compliance are managed conscientiously, with attention to corporate
governance.
A company can employ secure storage devices and traditional
archiving procedures. Storage and content management software are
important players, but cannot win the match single-handedly.
Correy Voo, head of business technology solutions, BT Global Services
