There’s a strong argument in the favor of IT maturity, explaining why businesses devote a sizeable portion of resources to ensure a strong maturity model. IT maturity leads to stable workflows, service continuity, and increases stakeholder trust. But because of some recent developments, this is changing for the IT industry. Let’s have a look at the core issues.
Cloud computing and IT
Before the whole of cloud computing and SaaS idea took ground, the IT industry was characterized by highly efficient and well-defined service models and policies, leading to a high level of maturity. All the systems and processes were controlled by the company itself, which meant service providers could extend services with confidence. But the surprising flexibility and low cost of maintaining cloud computing is certainly changing the whole game. IT companies find themselves having to take parts of their service chain outside of their control, and give the reins over to cloud service providers.
This now means that end-user deliverables are not only up to the IT department, but depend on the service provider also. If the service is ever interrupted, this could lead to a lot of finger-pointing and wasted time if a solution is not found quickly. This is a serious threat to the traditional practices of IT maturity.
The big picture
But that is not to say the whole idea of maturity should be rediscovered. Rather, there is need to expand the existing maturity models to accommodate these outside stakeholders. This calls for increasing transparency between the IT company and the service provider.
Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/55524309@N05
