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Driven primarily by the Clinger-Cohen Act, the Information Technology Management Reform Act (ITMRA) of 1996 mandates measurable improvements in efficiency and effectiveness of government IT operations. Government agencies are evaluating the seat management solution offered primarily by the U.S. government General Services Administration and the Outsourcing Desktop Initiative for NASA. Despite different drivers (e.g., funding for public enterprises and mission-readiness for government agencies), the ITMRA has compelled the sector to assess a seat management option as well as analyze and improve their costs, environment, support, performance and end-user satisfaction.

Although managed services (that is, seat management) frequently offers a viable alternative for IS organizations, it is imperative to explore its benefits and drawbacks (see Figure 1). As part of this assessment process, it is crucial to analyze your company’s current situation and predict its future. Not understanding the current environment can be extremely dangerous. Thus, any evaluation must determine the level of services being provided, the cost, the performance of the IT environment and the impact of IT on the end users. Essentially, this is the cost of doing business.

Figure 1:  Assessing the Use of Seat Management

Challenges facing the public sector today:

• Diversified environment.
• Cost containment and the potential for sourcing.
• Improving support, performance and end-user satisfaction.
• Readiness.
• E-government.

Factors affecting the utilization of managed
services (that is, seat management):

• The ability to manage an environment.
• The level of service being provided.
• Whether areas of concern are addressed or new issues are introduced.
• Readiness for its implementation.
• The current cost of providing services; the cost of doing business.