Life Cycle and Portfolio Management Why should NRENs bother at all? TERENA General Assembly, Catania, 18 May 2006 2006 © SWITCH Terminology Life Cycle and Portfolio Management Product Life Cycle Management Lifecycle management steers the process in which a concept evolves into a new service, including the ensuing production phase and the phase in which a service is closed down Product Portfolio Management Portfolio management is steering the process that should result in a well-balanced and well-aligned set of services, offered to the connected institutions 2006 © SWITCH 2 The Life of Sir Viss at an NREN • The cool open source tool Sir Viss is announced • A NREN staff member untars the piece and gets Sir Viss running • He shows Sir Viss to some colleagues at University IT departments • He convinces his boss, that Sir Viss is cheap to operate and that Universities are interested in Sir Viss • So Sir Viss becomes the official status as an NREN Sir Viss • And Sir Viss lifes forever 2006 © SWITCH 3 Technology Push versus Demand Pull Your logo here NREN User 2006 © SWITCH 4 Technology Push versus Demand Pull Demand Pull Technology Push more features higher availability new services things we want to push things we feel necessary things we got funded to do User not enough resources 2006 © SWITCH generally enough resources 5 Another view at new services EU/national funding bodies fund new projects offer innovative services User 2006 © SWITCH 6 Another view at new services EU/national funding bodies Funding request need demanding User 2006 © SWITCH fund new projects offer innovative services 7 Another view at new services EU/national funding bodies Funding request need demanding User 2006 © SWITCH fund new projects Pros: Works for 2-3 years Cons: High cost Small customer base Stochastic portfolio offer innovative services 8 The classical model Service Sales Producer Consumer Product Customer Value Pricing Costs Place Convenience Promotion Communication Time Introduction Growth Maturity Decline (Theodore Levitt – 1965) 2006 © SWITCH 9 Introduction stage Building service awareness and develop market for the product: Services Sales Product: branding and quality level established, Pricing: low penetration pricing or high skim pricing Distribution: selective until the product is accepted Time Introduction Growth Maturity Decline 2006 © SWITCH Promotion: aimed at innovators and early adopters – building awareness and learning 10 Growth Stage Building the brand preference and increasing the market share: Services Sales Product: maintaining the quality, additional features and services may be added Pricing: maintaining the initial strategy Time Introduction Growth Maturity Decline Distribution: new channels are added, demand is increasing Promotion: aimed at broader audience 2006 © SWITCH 11 Maturity Stage Services Sales Defending the market share while maximizing profit: Product: feature may be enhanced to differentiate the product from that of competitors Time Introduction Growth Maturity Decline Pricing: lower because of the competition Distribution: more intensive, some incenitves offered Promotion: emphasizes the product differentiation 2006 © SWITCH 12 Decline Stage Services Sales Sale is declining so there are several options: Maintain the product, possibly rejuvenating it by adding new features and finding new uses Time Introduction Growth Maturity Decline Reduce costs and continue the offer Discontinue the product 2006 © SWITCH 13 Life cycle of a service LifeCycle Technologydevelopment Technology Scouting -------------Customer Scoping of requirements Customer Requirements 1 Research study 2006 © SWITCH Impact Analysis ServiceServicedevelopment production 2 Servicedevelopment plan Serviceshut-down 3 4 Start of service Service discontinuance plan 5 Turn-off service 14 Areas of potential synergies Joint Development? LifeCycle What is promising? Synchronisation? Technology Scouting -------------Scoping of Customer Requirements Requirements? 2006 © SWITCH Impact Analysis ServiceServicedevelopment production Serviceshut-down Joint Operation? 15 Deliverables Joint Development? LifeCycle What is promising? Synchronisation? Technology Scouting -------------Scoping of Customer Requirements BoF on new Ideas: low profile, first contact, no blame 20 attendees 2006 © SWITCH Impact Analysis ServiceServicedevelopment production Serviceshut-down Joint Operation? Service Descriptions Service Level Agreements 16 2005 © SWITCH 17