In every organization, there ought to be Information Systems in place for planning and strategizing to simplify proper management and regulation of resources and investment. As technology is fast evolving, it seems pointless to strategize for it, yet the necessity is there thus making plans is a matter of organizational survival. It ought to be every company’s vision to be able to achieve the seven Rs namely: - conveying the right product in the right amount and the right state, at the right location, at the right timeline, for the right client at the right price. The adoption of sound strategies can make this very conceivable. In today’s world, approach towards customer necessities is the decisive factor. Companies that strategize to satisfy the wants of the customers are always the winner in any market. The right strategy can aid as a powerful tool in the highly competitive business environments.

1. Examining IT Strategies
employed by Seven
Seas Technologies
By Pathfinders

2. GROUP NAME: Pathfinders
STUDENT NAME STUDENT ID TOPIC
MOHAMED HADI M00298076 Introduction
CEDRIC OMMEH M00502567 Strategy
MICHAEL CHITWA M00502568 Service Management Strategy
AKANBI ABDULHAKEEM M00500970 Service Provision Strategy
JOHN MBUGUA M00502145 Knowledge Management and Training
Strategy
MODULE LEADER: Kelvin Harewood
MODULE TRAINER: Mr. Boaz Juma
SUBMISSION DATE: 4th April 2014

3. Introduction
• SST – Seven Seas Technologies – is an IT company started 15
years ago dealing with IT infrastructure, Business intelligence,
Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Data
Warehousing, Enterprise Performance Management (EPM –
Hyperion Software) and Financial Planning. These services are
integrated together through a Fulfilment Request (FR).
• Seven Seas Technologies targets corporate institutions as their
main business customers. Some of their competitors include
Copy Cat, Dimension Data, Symphony, Cellulant, IST, among
others.

4. Introduction, cont’d.
• Seven Seas Technologies offers its services under two divisions; IT
infrastructure and Enterprise Networking.
• Under the IT infrastructure at Seven Seas Technologies, the services
offered include server and application environment which entails
operating systems, smart building solutions (SBS), data centre
infrastructure, access controls (CCTV, IP-CCTV, cabling, environment
control, structured cabling, etc.) business applications
• With enterprise networking, these services include peer-to-peer
networking, WAN, network security, voice services (VOIP), and
perimeter control or security.
• It strategies : service management, service provision , knowledge
transfer.

5. Strategy
• Definition: a longterm plan that gives an individual or orgnisation a
competitive advantage over rivals.
• According to the definition of Johnson et al, a strategic decision must contain six (6)
elements namely:-direction, scope, advantage, resources, external environment and
stakeholder values and expectations.
• Elements of Strategy
• Direction – vision – Where the firm is headed? SST -“ An African company that defines
service excellence in technology driven business solutions”.
• Scope – business activities that a firm engages in on a daily basis. Seven Seas engages
in:-IT service management, service provision, business applications, knowledge transfer
and enterprise networking.
• Competitive Advantage – postulated by Michael Porter in his definition of strategy.
eg. Seven Seas knowledge transfer division seeks to distinguish itself from rivals by
collaborating with global vendors such as Oracle and Cisco so as to provide quality and
internationally recognized IT training and certification.

6. Strategy, cont’d.
• Resources – A resource is something that an individual or entity can
rely on in times of need .In a business context, resources include such
things as business relationships, assets and technical expertise. Examples
of SST resources: business relationships with global partners, IT
infrastructure and human resource.
• External Business Environment – Consider PESTEL factors. External
factors such as new laws that might for example bar new firms from
entering into a particular market.
• Stakeholders – A strategy has to take into account the view, beliefs and
projections of the stakeholders of the business. Stakeholders are people
who have a say or some level of power/authority in a business . Aureous
Capital African fund that hold a 22% equity investment in SST. The senior
management at Seven Seas have to consult the top brass at Aureous
Capital before making any final strategic decisions.

7. Service Management as an IT
Strategy
• Definition - This is a “a process-based practice designed to align
the delivery of Information Technology services with the needs of the
enterprise, while emphasizing the benefits to customers” (Tan, Cater-
Steel, & Toleman, 2009).
• HOW IT HAS BENEFITED SEVEN SEAS TECHNOLOGIES
• enabled IT to improve service levels by implementing and managing of quality
information technology,
• improved profitability through the use of various IT products that expand
profitability,
• balanced resources by ensuring that assets do not exceed expenditure too much
and vice-versa,
• controlled costs the through the integration of services and products in the chain
of supply , and
• mitigated/alleviated risk exposure to the organization through forcasting of future
events and management of risks.

8. Service Management, cont’d.
• Service Management Under The Data Center And Application
Infrastructure (DCAI) Division
• OpenLDAP: set of protocols for accessing and maintaining information directories and
services over the Internet Protocol
• Active Directory: designed primarily for distributed network environments
• Backup and Restore
• Managed Backup
• Replication
• Asset Management: coordinated activity of an organization to realize the value from
assets
• Service Management Under The Enterprise Networking Division
• Storage Area Networks : storage devices over the network to communicate with
computer systems and with each other
• WAN Optimization: collection of techniques for increasing data-transfer efficiencies
across wide-area networks
• Application Network Services: suite of best practice applications and services designed
to help an organization build, deliver and manage the resources provided to their
clients.
• Wide Area File Services: let the remote users access centralized data as if it were local

9. Service Provision as a Strategy
• What is service provision?
• How does service provision gives Sevenseas business
advantages as an IT Strategy?
 Money
 Recognition
 Infrastructure
• What are the disadvantage of Service provision adopted
by Sevenseas?
 Limited budgets
 Competition
 Mergers

10. Service Provision, cont’d.
• How is service provision delivered by Seven Seas?
 IP Next Generation Network (IP NGN)
• What are the positive impacts of Service provision
adopted by Sevenseas?
 New Source of Income
 Cost Reduction

11. Knowledge Transfer as an IT
Strategy
• Definition: Organizational systems and processes which
knowledge is passed from one party to another to attain
results and enhance innovation.
• Knowledge Transfer Strategies Elements
• Certification Track
• Expert Systems

12. Knowledge Transfer, cont’d.
Advantages
All employees are always
at per with their superior
staff
Easy to solve problems.
Encourages growth in
skills
Disadvantages
Experts needed to run
expert systems
Expensive
Employee absconding