MSP Association Announces Program for Service Management Affiliates; Part of Association's Efforts to Drive Excellence in Service Delivery via Internet

Business Wire, Feb 6, 2002

Business/Technology Editors

WAKEFIELD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 6, 2002

The MSP Association, a consortium of companies that are defining and promoting Internet service delivery for the selective outsourcing of information technology, today unveiled its new Affiliate Program, which creates an opportunity for companies or organizations that want to contribute to the service provider sector by offering underlying methodology or solutions to issues encountered in the Internet delivery of IT services.

The first organization to join the program is the IT Service Management Institute (ITSMI), a privately owned business alliance network that provides consulting and education services to traditional IT organizations and to service providers. According to Ian Clayton, president of the IT Service Management Institute, being part of the MSP Association Affiliate Program will help to drive best practices in the burgeoning service provider sector.

"Best practices have been proven to deliver 35 to 65 percent improvements in operational efficiency, as well as significant improvements in the quality of service provided," Clayton noted. "We're hoping to share our expertise in IT service management best practices with the members of the MSP Association as a benefit to its members, but also to help advance the entire service provider sector."

Linda Shannon-Hills, chair of the MSP Association, said she welcomed the involvement of the IT Service Management Institute, and expected other consultants and organizations would realize a benefit from the networking and business opportunities available to them through the new Affiliate Program.

"Partnerships and other business relationships are a very important part of the delivery of IT services via the Internet," noted Shannon-Hills, of Hewlett-Packard OpenView in Portland, Oregon. "By opening up the MSP Association to affiliate organizations we're creating another avenue by which these relationships can be enhanced and utilized to the benefit of our members, service management professionals, and, ultimately, the customer."

The new MSP Association Affiliate Program is open to IT service management consulting companies, non-profit organizations and other content training providers or project management experts. Affiliate fees are $2,500 per year, and those joining may also opt into the Association's Consulting Network where they can provide their services at a discounted basis to MSP Association members.

For more information on the MSP Association Affiliate Program or its Service Management Quality Initiative, visit www.mspassociation.org, e-mail info@mspassociation.org, or call the MSP Association at 1 781-876-8830.

About the ITSMI

Founded in 1997, the ITSMI is a privately owned, membership-based, business alliance network for organizations and companies focused upon providing specialized consulting and education services to the IT service management marketplace. For more information about the IT Service Management Institute, visit www.itsmi.com.

About the MSP Association

Founded in June 2000, the MSP Association, Inc. is a consortium of companies that together are defining and promoting Internet service delivery of selective IT outsourcing. Information on the MSP Association is available on the Web at www.mspassociation.org; from Association headquarters at 401 Edgewater Place, Suite 500, Wakefield, MA 01880; Tel: 781-876-8830; or by sending email to info@mspassociation.org.