Customer Services Product Segmentation

6 Pages·1993·0.34 MB·English

August1993
Vol.IV,No.16
INPUT"
Routeto:
Research
Bulletin
—
APublicationfromINPUTSCustomerServicesProgramme Europe
Customer Services Product Segmentation
Theincreasinglydominantroleofservices SUNMicrosystems'SunSpectrum'"service
withintheITindustryhasbeendramatically programmesandTandem'ssoftwareproduct
underlinedbyUNISYS'sannouncementthis supportofferingforitsnewlyintroduced
monthtoseparateitsproductandITservices HIMALAYAsystemsrange.
businesses.
MarketSegmentationModel
Thisisamoveclearlydesignedtoincreasefocus
ionntetghreatpiroonvaisnidonouotfsotuortcailnsge.rvUicNeIsSlYikSeshyasvteemysetto Tclhaessififrysitngsttehpeimnairdkeenttifiynitnogmteaarngientgmfaurlkegtrsouipssof
articulatehowtheyplantoprovideproduct potentialcustomers. Withineachgroup,
supportserviceswiththisnewstructure. customersmustdemonstratebroadlysimilar
needsordemonstratesimilarbuying
However,itistheincreasingemphasisinthe characteristics.
industryontotalserviceprovisionthatobscures
thefundamentalissueforproductvendors, Inorderforthesemarketsegmentstobeuseful
designingprofitablecustomerservicessupport formarkettargeting,theymustbe,atleastto
models. someextent,measurable,accessible,substantial
andactionable. Whenthisisthecasethis
Thistaskisbecomingincreasinglycomplexas marketsegmentationprocessdirects
ITmarketscontinuetofragmentand management'sattentiontothemostusefuland
distributionchannelsbecomemorecomplex. realisticopportunitiesbecauseithasthedatato
Productvendorsareneedingtoutilisemarket evaluatethem.
segmentationandtargetingtechniquestotackle
theircustomerservicesproductsupport Exhibit1showsageneralserviceproduct
requirements. ' supportsegmentationmodel. Thismodel
clearlyfocusesonservicedeliverypolarisation
Thisbulletinbrieflyreviewsamarket betweencomprehensivetotalsystem(high
segmentationandtargetingmodelandincludes integration)supportneedsandthoseofspecific
detailsoftworecentexamplesofthisapproach, productsupport.
o1993byINPUT.Reproductionprohibited.
RESEARCHBULLETIN
Exhibit1
ServiceProductDemandMatrix
High
Total
Niche Service
Contract
Levelof
Customisation Pick Shrink-
andMix wrapped
Low
Low Levelof High
Integration
Source;INPUT
TheexamplesofsupportservicesfromSUNand Ultimatelythecustomerwhoneedsatotal
Tandemdescribedinthisbulletinprimarily problemsmanagementservicewillneedto
addresstheproductsupportissue,whilst contractwithaproviderwhocancombinea
comprehensivesystemsupportneedswere numberofserviceproductstoprovidea
discussedinarecentbulletinonProblems customisedservice,forexampleTandem's
Management(Vol.IVNo.13). CustomAvailabilitySupportdescribedbelow.
Theissuebeingfacedbyproductvendorsisthat SUNSPECTRUMSM
ofensuringultimateend-usersupportbutina
wreacyentthasttiastpermoefnittsabolneWtointhdeowfisrmN.TMiscurpopsoorftt,'s pSrUoNducMticsruopspyosrttesmesrviinctersoidnucMeadya1r9a9n3gedeosfigned
effectivelyabdicatingfromitsprovisionand tosimplify(andthereforemakemore
openingthefieldtoindependentsinthe profitable)thedeliveryofservicesacrossawide
distributionchannels,underlinesthedifficultyof rangeofcustomerneeds. (SeeINPUT'S
supportingmassmarketproductsprofitably ResearchBulletinVol.IVNo.7).
throughcomplexchannels.
SUNSPECTRUM™demonstratesonemarket
Toincreaseserviceprofitabilityvendorsare segmentationtargetingapproachtoaddressthe
havingtosimplifytheirdeliverymechanisms issueofincreasingcomplexityinthedeliveryof
andthismeansproductisationbasedonthe productsupportthroughdiversechannels.
identificationofmarketsegments. Therangeof
staerrgveitceapnroudmubcetsraolflsoewrsvipcreodnuecetdvleenvdelosr.sto AsesrvsihceowrnanigniEnxghfibriotm2B,rtohnezree'"artehefoeunrtrlyevleelvselo,fto
Platinum*"thepremierelevelofsupport
designedforenterprisewidemaximum
availabilityenvironments.
1993byINPUT.Reproductionprohibited.
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RESEARCHBULLETIN
Exhibit2
SunSpectrumSMProgrammeComparison
Services Platinum Gold Silver Bronze
Unlimitedplionesupport 7x24 7x24 7am-7pmM-F 9am-5pmM-F
On-siteresponse 7x24 7am-7pmM-F 9am-5pmM-F OSSConce/wk
Customerdefinedpriority yes yes yes no
Pi-urgent(plione/on-site) livexfer/2hr livexfer/4hr livexfer/4hr 4hr/notavail.
P2-seriouslyimpaired 2hr/4hr 2hr/1busday 2hr/1busday 4hr/notavail.
P3-not-critical 4hr/planned 4hr/planned 4hr/planned 4hr/notavail.
Systemsapproachcoverage yes yes yes yes
Remotedial-inanalysis yes yes yes yes
Replacementhardwareparts onsite onsite onsite OSSConce/wk
Solarisenhancementreleases yes yes yes yes
Patches&maintenance
releases yes yes yes yes i
SunSolvelicence yes yes yes yes
7X24telephonecoverage yes yes option no
7X24on-sitecoverage yes option option no
2houron-siteresponse yes option option no
Self-pacededucationlibrary SunTutor/Video SunTutor/Video option no
Personalaccountsupport yes yes option no
On-sitesupportreviews quarterly semi-annual option no
Technicalsupportplan yes no no no
99%uptimeguarantee yes option no no
Siteactivitylog yes yes no no
Coaching&trainingservice 15days/year no no no
On-sitesupport-fulltime option no no no
Additionaltelephonecontacts option option option option
Unbundledsoftware
enhnacements option option option option
Source:SUNMicrosystems
e1993byINPUT.Reproductionprohibited. 3
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RESEARCHBULLETIN
HimalayaSoftwareSupport • MultipleSystemsSupportforcustomerswith
morethanonesystem. Thisserviceproduct
TANDEMrecentlyannounced(July1993)the providestheelectronicsupportfeaturesof
HimalayaRangeofparallel-processing SupportCentreAssistancedescribedatthe
architectureserversystems. Astratifiedrange nextlevel.
ofserviceproductofferingswasannouncedby
Tandemforsupportingthesoftwareproductson • SupportCentreAssistanceforcustomerswho
thissystem. Animportantreasonforthis requireplatformavailabilitysupport,
stratificationisthewiderangeofcustomer enhancedelectronicsupportfeaturesandfast
needsanticipatedforasystemoffering problemresolutionfromTandem'sglobal
scalabilityoverawideperformancerange. (Its networkofNonStopSupportCentres.
packagedconfigurationsrangefrom2to16
processors). • CustomAvailabilitySupportprovides
customerswithTandem'smost
Exhibit3definestheservicecomponentsfor comprehensivelevelofsupport. Custom
fivedifferentlevelsofsupport,oneofwhichisa AvailabilitySupporthastobeprovidedbya
basicwarrantyservice. Tandempartnerinordertoprovide
proactive24x7supportthatguarantees
Theotherfouraredescribedas: applicationavailability.
• SelfSupportforcustomerswhoelectto
providetheirownsoftwaresupport,but
wouldliketheaddedsecurityofelectronic
accesstoTandem'sdatabaseforproblem
verificationanddocumentation.
4 *1993byINPUT.Reproductionprohibited.
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RESEARCHBULLETIN
Exhibit3
HimalayaSoftwareSupportOfferings
Programme Warranty SelfSupport Support Multiple Custom
Feature Centre Systems Availability
Assistance Support Support
ProblemSupport Defect Defect Defect/Usage Defect/Usage Defect/Usage
ResolvedProblem Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Database
IPMResearch Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
andRetrieval
Accessto E-mailorFax, E-MailorFax, Phone, Via Phone,
ProblemSupport TNSC TNSC TNSC PrimarySystem TNSC
FocalPoint
Coverage yxo yxo Via
PrimarySystem
FocalPoint
nGsponsG 8hour 4hour irnrneuiaie Via
PrimarySystem
FocalPoint
Releases No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Documentation No Yes Yes Yes Yes
1lUaUUVt;IrlVI Mn 1CO 1CO 1CO
NotificationandIPM (Available2nd (Available2nd (Available2nd
EmergencyRecall Half1994) Half1994) Half1994)
AvailabilitySupport Platform Platform Platform Platform Computing
Environment
AvailabilityReview No No No No Yes
AvailabilityMaintenance No No No No Yes
Process
AvailabilityGuarantee No No No No Yes
CriticalProblem 2Hour,9x5 2Hour,9x5, Immediate,24x7,InterfaceVia Immediate,24x7,
ResponseTelephone E-mailorFax E-mailorFax Telephone PrimarySystem Telephone
*Coverageandresponsemayvarybasedonindividualcountry
Source:Tandem
ThisResearchBulletinisissuedaspartofINPUT'SCustomerServicesProgrammeforthe
informationservicesindustry. Ifyouhaveanyquestionsorcommentsonthisbulletin,pleasecallyourlocalINPUT
organisationorPeterLinesatINPUT,17HillStreet,Mayfair,LondonWIX7FBEngland.[phone],Fax[phone]
«1993byINPUT.Reproductionprohibited. •' • 5
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RESEARCHBULLETIN
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