Information Technology Service Delivery: an International Comparison

Abstract

This article describes the delivery of information technology (IT) services in a sample of companies in the United States and the Netherlands. As a pilot study and one of few comparative international studies of service delivery, it begins to identify and explain differences in IT service delivery among companies based in different countries. the study compares sample companies in two countries along four dimensions of IT services — setting of priorities, standard setting, development, and operations. It also examines how the delivery of IT services has changed in recent years and comments about international differences in how these companies have dealt with such change. Finally, it addresses the implications of these results for the delivery of IT services in a global environment and offers directions for future research.