BUSINESS STANDARDS
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CompuCom Systems secures ISO/IEC 20000 registration
04 Aug 2008
Topics: IT service mgt, ISO/IEC 20000, ITIL, USA
What do you do when you're a leading IT outsourcing company that wants to demonstrate pre-eminent commitment to providing best-in-class IT infrastructure management?
The answer for CompuCom Systems, Inc was to gain ISO/IEC 20000 certification from BSI. In the words of John McKenna, chief strategy and services officer at CompuCom, "Achieving ISO/IEC 20000 certification underscores to our associates and clients that CompuCom is committed to providing quality services and value to meet current and future business demands."
Indeed it would appear that CompuCom Systems is a genuine leader in IT service management (ITSM) provision. According to a recent Analyst Insight from the Aberdeen Group, CompuCom clients are exceeding Best-in-Class ITSM capabilities in areas such as IT delivery frameworks and in end-user satisfaction measurement, as well as in nine other categories.
Infrastructure Management
CompuCom Systems is based in Texas, USA and provides infrastructure management services, application services, systems integration and consulting services, as well as the procurement and management of hardware and software. The organization has 20 years of IT experience under its belt and employs more than 7,800 highly skilled associates who have earned a combined total of more than 44,000 industry certifications company-wide. Based on the adoption of Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) best practices, the ISO/IEC 20000 requirements are one of many standards and framework components CompuCom follows.
To gain the certification, CompuCom was independently audited by BSI Management Systems Americas to verify its compliance with standardized, consistent processes and procedures. To determine on-going compliance with the standard, BSI will conduct periodic routine surveillance audits in the future. Having gained certification, ISO/IEC 20000 benchmarks the company's industry-leading delivery of IT services and becomes one of a select few companies registered in North America.
Role of ISO/IEC 20000
ISO/IEC 20000 is the first formal international standard specifically related to ITSM. To be certified, companies must implement an ITSM process and system that ensures the confidentiality, integrity and availability of vital information. This is achieved through embedding consistent, enforceable and repeatable processes, which improve the quality of IT services, meet regulatory requirements and ensure a reliable and agile infrastructure to support key business needs.
As part of CompuCom's overall commitment to delivering quality for clients, the ISO/IEC 20000 certification builds upon over two decades of expertise.
The certification is especially valuable in the light of the fact that worldwide, organizations need to comply with legislation more and more. Specifically in the USA, organizations need to comply with US government regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
Both of these regulations impact IT services and ITSM. Although auditors do not currently require standards certification as proof of compliance, they certainly may in the future. Because ISO/IEC 20000 focuses specifically on the quality of ITSM, the certification might possibly evolve as an international standard that auditors can use to determine compliance.
In summing up CompuCom's achievement, Todd VanderVen, president of BSI Management Systems America, notes: "By formalizing their documentation and using ISO/IEC 20000-1:2005 as an extra set of eyes, CompuCom will be able to improve quality and remain at the cutting edge of their industry. The company's employees are committed and use well-organized processes. ISO/IEC 20000-1:2005 certification can only serve to improve an already top-of-the-line business."
Concludes James Dixon, CEO of CompuCom: "Our ISO/IEC 20000 registration is the culmination of a tremendous effort by the IT staff, Service Desk expertise, dedicated ISO team and senior management." He adds, "This successful audit is an independent verification that CompuCom has adopted ITIL practices and we are truly leaders in IT Service Management."
For more on ISO/IEC 20000 see: www.bsigroup.com/en/Assessment-and-certification-services/management-systems/Standards-and-Schemes/ISO-IEC-20000
Business Standards © 2008. Editorial produced by Caspian Publishing in association with the British Standards Institution. Editorial opinions expressed on are not necessarily those of BSI Group or Caspian Publishing. Neither Caspian Publishing nor BSI Group accept responsibility for advertising or editorial content, nor for that appearing on linked third-party websites. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden without written permission from BSI Group or Caspian Publishing.
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