Service targets shared networks
MCI Systemhouse announces a new service aimed at helping companies manage and expand networks shared by their employees, suppliers, and customers.
Atlanta-based Systemhouse, MCI WorldCom's IT services arm, today announced IT Management Solutions (ITMS), services that are meant to help companies take control over their existing help desk and network services.
"Our customers have been asking for this," said Frank Mitchell, a director of sales and marketing for ITMS. Mitchell said the ITMS unit, which has worked with Dell Computer and Western Electric Power Exchange among others, is expected to more than double in size this year to 100 employees.
Mitchell said the new service enables companies to examine how they deal with their suppliers, their customers, their Internet business, and define "how you truly become a networked organization." After creating a network, the next step is managing that environment, which is the focus of this new service, he said.
Portland, Oregon-based Regence Group, a network of Blue Cross and Blue Shield providers, today signed an agreement for ITMS services that will link more than 6,200 of the organization's employees. Through the deal, MCI will help Regence extend its network to handle billing and business information shared among its offices and doctors.
Through ITMS, MCI Systemhouse has expanded two of the company's existing services and put them under one umbrella.
The first, the Enterprise Management Center Solution, is a consulting service that helps companies plan network improvements by identifying service goals. The offering is intended to boost service levels, better plan network capacity, and improve IT processes to reduce costs and time to market.
The second service, Enterprise Service Solutions, provides planning for a central help desk service that supports a company's internal employees. It can be used for problem management, asset management, placing IT requests, or finding answers to technology questions.