Newsline Worldwide

March 2008

Sbusiness

Sbusiness Broadens Coverage
The Spring 2008 issue of Sbusiness has sprung. Your journal is on its way, if it hasn't arrived already, so watch your mailboxes (and check out the online version). As you flip through the pages, you'll notice something different—another one of our "first-evers."

When AFSMI opened up its (and your) industry network by joining forces with the Service & Support Professionals Association (SSPA), the Technology Professional Services Association (TPSA), and the Service Research & Innovation Initiative (SRII), it became clear that we needed to increase the learning and networking opportunities of our membership community via this stronger, better, faster network of industry-leading services associations. So beginning with this Spring issue of Sbusiness, we're providing you with access to even more knowledge and industry awareness with content provided from all four associations: AFSMI, SSPA, TPSA, and SRII. Inside you'll find feature articles and other insightful column pieces from true visionaries of the industry.

Sbusiness will now further meet the growing needs of the diverse services community by broadening our distribution to members of all four associations across the globe. Click here for more details on this exciting initiative.

Sbusiness Submissions
Want to share your knowledge with Sbusiness readers? Sharing your business experiences and industry knowledge keeps the industry's wheels turning and generates real opportunities for opening discussions with your industry peers. Click here to submit your article ideas or manuscripts.

AFSMI Publications

AFSMI Publications: A New Look for 2008

2008 heralds the arrival of three new publications for AFSMI:

• A new online (digital and interactive) version of the Sbusiness journal, our quarterly publication comprising technology services industry insight and opinion. (Note: The hardcopy version is still available as well, unless you opt to receive the online version only, as part of your "green" efforts.)
  
  
• The Technology Services Research Quarterly, a compendium of the latest research from AFSMI and its sister associations, SSPA and TPSA. Look for the inaugural issue in July.
  
  
• AFSMI Update, a weekly e-mail newsgram with brief updates on AFSMI programs and events. Look for the inaugural issue next month.

With the addition of these new publications, we have decided to move the AFSMI Newsline to a quarterly frequency, commencing with the May issue.

Bottom line: Variety and depth on a range of topics, aimed to satisfy both your professional interests and your curiosity. Keep an eye out for these new publications!

What's Hot

Service Innovation-A Hot Topic in Paris Next Month
Embracing innovation is as important to the success of service businesses as it is to product businesses. Three major sessions will cover the topic at the Technology Services Europe Conference, being held April 2-4 in Paris:

Succeeding through Service Innovation – Experts from IBM, Cambridge University, and SRII will discuss how academics, businesses, and governments can work together to address knowledge and skill gaps in service innovation.

Innovation with Services Research – Dr. Achim Luhn, head of global innovation management at Siemens IT Solutions and Services, will present his multiyear research collaboration with the Technische Universitat Munchen (TUM) to drive service innovation.

Building a Successful Service Engineering Capability – Dr. Tilo Bohmann, professor at the International Business School for Service Management, and Markus Trevaille, from Océ, will demonstrate how to use effective service engineering practices to systematically develop and launch new service offerings, as well as to reduce costs and lead times.

Act now to reserve your space!

Member Webcast: Selling the Service Experience
The market for services is becoming increasingly competitive. The "good old days" of service monopolies are fading fast, and your customers expect you to compete and earn their service business. Join AFSMI's Pim Bonsel and special guest speaker Peter Manni, vice president North American client support services, Siemens IT Solutions and Services, for a practical discussion of how to identify and sell the aspects of your services that customers value most.

Register for the March 26th Webcast

AFSMI Global Footprint Expands with New Corporate Members
De La Rue and Olympus

We are delighted to announce two new AFSMI corporate members.

De La Rue is one of the world's largest commercial security printers and papermakers and a leading provider of cash-handling equipment and software solutions to banks and retailers worldwide. De La Rue employs over 6,000 people across 31 countries and is a member of the FTSE 250. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol DLAR.

Olympus is a globally recognized precision technology leader creating innovative opto-digital solutions in healthcare, life science, and consumer electronics products. Olympus serves healthcare and commercial laboratory markets with integrated product solutions and financial, educational, and consulting services that help customers to efficiently, reliably, and more easily achieve exceptional results. Olympus develops breakthrough technologies with revolutionary product design and functionality for the consumer and professional photography markets, and also is the leader in gastrointestinal endoscopy and clinical and educational microscopes.

Corporate Membership covers all employees in the service organization. It also provides access to the AFSMI Services Benchmark, a new online resource for key performance metrics in the services industry. AFSMI offers Corporate Members a host of other benefits as well. For more information about how to become an AFSMI Corporate Member, please click here.

Industry & Technology News

Industry News
AFSMI Newsline keeps you on top of late-breaking industry news. Click here to view industry achievements, awards, company news, and new products and services announcements from such leading organizations as AT&T, DHL, ClickSoftware, IBM, and ShoreTel.

Municipal Wi-Fi Will Extend Its Global Service Area to 30,000+ Square Miles by 2012
Source: SYS-CON Media
In 2004, there were only 520 square miles of networked municipal Wi-Fi. However, ABI Research forecasts a nearly sixty-fold increase over the next several years, to more than 30,000 square miles. Varying levels of maturity and acceptance exist within this market, spread across global regions and individual countries. Click here for the full article.

Featured Webcast

Astea
Learn what it really means to achieve mobile field service excellence. Gain insights that will help you in building a business case that identifies and quantifies the operational and financial impact that a mobile field service solution can have on your operation. To view this informative Webcast, please click here.

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Chicago Chapter
Jerry Kuziel, President
Chicago is home to a wide variety of companies involved in technical services; therefore the chapter's roster includes many high-level services executives with whom members would like to have greater interaction. The chapter board is responsive to requests from service managers and executives to provide current management issues and solutions at the local level via chapter meetings. Click here for details on the chapter's upcoming Spring 2008 Meeting.

Germany Chapter
Markus Schwarz, President
Actively selling services and setting up professional services marketing tools are becoming increasingly more significant initiatives in today's business landscape. The 59th Conference of AFSMI's Germany Chapter was a prime forum for in-depth discussions on these very topics. Click here for more details.

Toronto Chapter
Kevin Brady, President
This evening from 6-8:30 p.m., the Toronto Chapter meeting will be held at Fontana Gardens, where Jim Payne, president of S-Market Strategies, will present "Long Warranties Are for Losers." This presentation is based on the May/June 2007 Sbusiness cover story by the same name. This keynote presentation will discuss warranty strategy considerations that include marketplace perception, internal factors, and short-and long-term financial impacts on the business as a whole. Click here for more information.

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Events

Member Webcast: Revolutionizing Support with Web 2.0
On February 27, Jay Friedman, noted social networking expert, joined SSPA's John Ragsdale to talk about blogs, wikis, and customer forums and how these and other Web 2.0 technologies are impacting technical support. Research shows that younger customers prefer to resolve technical issues using online forums. So, the question for all tech support organizations is when, not if, they should deliver their support using Web 2.0 technologies.

Replay the On Demand Webcast to learn all the details!

"Europe Service 20" Webcast Available On Demand
Culled from the public financial records of 20 of Europe's leading technology services providers, The Europe Service 20 follows in the footsteps of its global counterpart, The Service 50, introduced two years ago by TPSA. This fast-paced and informative presentation by Thomas Lah, executive director of TPSA, took place on March 17; however we are making it available to AFSMI members On Demand. You will learn:

• Why Europe, widely recognized as a service-friendly market, may also be service-challenged.
• How Europe is tracking relative to the global services marketplace in terms of growth rates, service margins, and product-service mix.
• Important commentary on the state of the Europe technology services industry.

Click here to access the recorded Webcast On Demand.

2008 S-Business World Conference – Las Vegas Mark Your Calendar!
Plan on joining us at the upcoming World Conference on October 20-22 at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. Be part of the discussions focused on current and future service issues that can affect your organization, hear firsthand what companies are doing to improve their businesses, and network with other services professionals from around the world.

Call for Speakers
We began taking online submissions this week on the AFSMI Web site. If you are interested in being considered for one of the keynote or track session presentations, click here.

Registration
We are anticipating over 1,000 attendees at this event. For the lowest rate possible, we suggest you register early. Online registration opened this week. Click here to register.

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Service and Support Technology Survey

Be among the first 25 to fill out the survey and receive a $10 Starbucks Coffee Card!

We know that technology can be a very important tool for service and support organizations. Technology can improve the speed and effectiveness of your services and have a dramatic impact on your budget. We are investigating the use of technology for field service operations. Let us know which technologies you are using today, or are considering using in the future, by taking a brief online survey.

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