IT helpdesk should be measured, too

weekly roundup Your inbox has just crashed, and you need to send an e-mail out to a client urgently. Your Internet connection is also down so you can't use the company's Web-based messaging system. %IMAGE=bluetooth.jpg% You reboot your workstation but that doesn't work either. Reluctantly, you pick up the phone and call for the company's IT department. And just as you expected, the IT helpdesk guy is busy and can only attend to you in an hour's time.

Sounds familiar? How often have you needed urgent help from your IT guy only to have him show up 30 minutes or one hour later--if he shows up at all? The good news is, companies are finally starting to recognize the need for IT departments to be more nimble in responding to user requirements and be more service-oriented.

And just like any service provider, it's time now for IT support to be accountable and measured against a pre-defined yardstick. What do you think?

While IT helpdesks ponder over how they can improve their service level, service providers in some parts of Asia seem to be moving in the right direction. Two of the most populous nations in the world, China and India are seeing strong growth in the global IT services market.

In fact, China is poised to overtake Australia to become the largest IT services market in the Asia-Pacific region by 2010. India is no slacker either. The country's already thriving offshore IT software and services industry saw record growth last year to reach US$13.3 billion.

India will also be home to Motorola's new manufacturing plant, slated to be up and running by 2007. The mobile phone maker this week also announced plans to pump in US$60 million over two years, to beef up its global supply chain.

But while service providers are having a swell time in China, find out why search company Google has little reason to rejoice in the Chinese market.