The role of the Client Services Management has been introduced as a fundamental part of HEAnet operations and implement a Client Services Strategy, thereby ensuring that HEAnet continues to achieve a high level of alignment with its Client community needs.
HEAnet carried out a formal programme of Client Service Reviews across the 2010 calendar, seeking to build on the achievements of the past, while setting out a path for further improvements. The feedback derived from these reviews will help foster our partnership with our Clients and ensure that we continue to deliver relevant and innovative solutions.
Longer-term initiatives have been reflected in some immediate changes to the day-to-day activities of HEAnet, including:
* Implementation of an agreed communications protocol founded on a shared understanding of the Client and their end-users
* Increased level of Client interaction via Client Service Reviews and services related meetings
* To serve as a conduit for Clients to provide strategic input into the service planning phases key projects such as Data Storage, Data Centre Feasibility, Next Generation Network and Wireless/Mobility Phase 2
* Adoption of appropriate ITIL V3 service management principles
* Definition & Implementation of a new Client Requirements Process
The above initiatives will be integrated and sustained as a normal part of our Client Services Management activity.
Client Communications is an integral part of the role, and we have adopted a multi-channel approach using a variety of tool and methods. The HEAnet website is the repository of all public facing documentation and incorporates the use of an RSS News feed to alert Clients of updates and important initiatives. Emails to specific stakeholders and the distribution of traditional paper based material such as the Newsletter and the Annual Report will also continue as normal. These communication mediums all supplement the face to face events that are at the centre of our Client engagement approach and the Annual Networking Conference remains a key event in the HEAnet company calendar.
Services delivery is at the heart of the Client Services Management function which this year saw the successful delivery of a number of new client services including FileSender, Media Hosting Service, as well as the launch of Edugate at our National Networking Conference in November 2010.
In section C, Traffic, we are asked to provide an estimate of IP traffic values in Terabytes, but no methodology is provided on how to calculate the traffic. It would be interesting to know what method different NRENs are using to compile their IP traffic values for the compendium with the goal of implementing a standard methodology in the future.
As well as asking specific questions about facts and figures, it would be useful to get some feel for the mood of NRENs, their confidence and their expectations of the future. There used to be such questions in the past. For instance, the survey could ask NRENs to give projections on the number of staff in 1 year, 2 years, 5 years. Also, budget forecasts for the same time periods. The answers may be educated guesses, but collectively they can give a reasonable idea of the level of confidence.
The Compendium compares NRENs with each other, which is all very well, but perhaps a bit insular. The Compendium should try to compare NRENs with commercial entities in roughly the same space, such as ISPs and content providers.
In Section A – Question A.1 – would like to see a category for Other type of Institution included
There is only 1 question on client services within the survey (F.33) – Would like to see a section dedicated to Client Services
Question D.23 is too vague and needs a more focused question, e.g. Are there any services you do not, or no longer use 2-Factor authentication for?
