SITA SGS Command Centre MAY 2010

Positioning Paper
SITA CommAnd CenTre
Innovation in air transport operational excellence
SITA SGS Command Centre_Final_PP 18/05/2010 12:02 Page 1

Executive summary..............................................................................................................................................................4
The business issue – evolving operational and continuity needs .......................................................................................5
Global support for all SITA products and services..............................................................................................................6
A single, global team resolving problems and providing services ..................................................................................6
A one-stop shop offering an enhanced customer service experience ...............................................................................7
Certification and quality.................................................................................................................................................7
New unified operational capabilities....................................................................................................................................8
Tools and functionality...................................................................................................................................................8
People and organizational structure ..............................................................................................................................8
About SITA ...................................................................................................................................................................9
Notes and references ........................................................................................................................................................10
© SITA 2010
Contents
SITA CommAnd CenTre 3

executive summary
With increasing complexities in today’s technologies, zero tolerance for service
outages and continuous demands to offer end-to-end management, SITA is
redefining its customer service.
As customer operational needs continue to evolve, customers increasingly expect more consistent, responsive and
proactive service support with little tolerance for disruptions or downtime. Customers need to have their incidents resolved
quickly and efficiently no matter where the fault lies – whether at the infrastructure level or the application level. The Air
Transport Industry (ATI) needs an end-to-end service management approach that can ensure maximum uptime of
operational systems and services, which have become increasingly interdependent.
To match these expectations, and provide enhanced global customer support for its
products and services, SITA has launched the SITA Command Centre (SCC).
The SCC delivers operational excellence through proactive monitoring of applications and network services and full
end-to-end service management – all handled by a single unified central operations team. Located in montreal, north
America and Singapore, Asia, the SCC operates in a follow-the-sun mode of operations to ensure full business continuity.
SITA is the only provider of air transport communications and IT solutions that is focused solely on the ATI, so the SCC is
dedicated 100% to ATI customers. And it is staffed with people who combine their specific technical expertise with
extensive ATI knowledge. Both an incident resolver and a service provider, the SCC proactively identifies performance
issues and resolves them before they impact service.
This means SITA customers benefit from an enhanced service experience, improved business continuity, increased
responsiveness and faster resolution times. At the same time, SITA also moves one step closer to its ultimate goal of
delivering zero downtime for the ATI.
4 PoSITIonInG PAPer © SITA 2010
The SCC provides real-time proactive management of all SITA infrastructure and services in state-of-the-art facilities,
using best practices, standards and the latest technology, while delivering 24/7/365 global operational support.
To harness specialized expertise and provide best-in-class service to customers, the SCC is fully integrated with:
n The SITA Service desk
n SITA’s 1,500+ regional service support personnel
n orange Business Services (oBS)
n SITA data Centres
n SITA Vendor management team

Today’s ATI customers have high expectations. They expect consistent, responsive and proactive service, 24/7/365.
They also expect IT services to be optimized to support business-critical processes, including high-revenue generating
processes like online sales or high-cost sensitive processes such as check-in. And perhaps most importantly, they expect
zero downtime.
Because IT systems and services are interdependent, supporting business critical processes requires an end-to-end
approach that can optimize IT uptime. This is particularly important when identifying and correcting problems. Silo’
monitoring and management of particular networks or applications is no longer viable. That is why today’s customers prefer
convenient end-to-end service management, with all their products, applications and networks around the world managed
by a single service provider with unified global capabilities.
In today’s environment, service outages can no longer be handled with manual work-around processes, which may directly
impact the service airlines deliver to their customers. Any incidents must be resolved quickly and efficiently, no matter where
the fault lies – whether at the infrastructure level or the application layer.
Better yet, customers expect potential incidents to be identified before they impact service, through proactive monitoring
and management. To support all these essential requirements, SITA has created a unique ATI-dedicated global operational
support infrastructure, the SITA Command Centre (SCC).
The business issue – evolving operational
and continuity needs
© SITA 2010
What is a command centre?
A command centre is very similar to an air traffic control centre.
It enables an organization to view the status of all global service
components, including service technicians and service parts in
real-time. This global view is essential to find quickly the
correlation between a faulty component and a service interruption,
and thus allows for immediate corrective action. often, service
interruption is avoided altogether because the faulty component is
repaired or replaced before the service to the customer is
impacted. A command centre is thus a key function for a zero
downtime service concept. Command centres can also monitor
customer commitments or Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to
ensure all agreements are met and that customers are satisfied.

6 PoSITIonInG PAPer
Within the ATI, SITA is leading the way in implementing a command centre approach – bringing together the operations
management of all applications, global infrastructure and systems, including air-to-ground communications, airport, data
centre and network support – all under one roof.
Indeed, SITA is the only air transport communications and IT solutions provider with a
command centre 100% focused on the ATI.
The SCC provides global operational support for all SITA products and services, delivering operational excellence and
ensuring business continuity through proactive monitoring of applications and network services and full end-to-end service
management. To offer a fully redundant back-up and true follow-the-sun model of operations, SITA has based its SCC
operations in montreal, north America and Singapore, Asia.
A single, global team resolving problems and providing services
The SCC consolidates all SITA operational activities into a single, unified global operational team, coupled with a multilingual
customer service organization, which is located in the SCC as well as in airports and on customer premises.
Staffed with ATI technical experts who have the knowledge, skills and resources to resolve incidents and provide services,
the SCC can proactively offer Level 1 and Level 2 support, while providing Service desk functions, managing major
incidents, coordinating change implementation and managing third-party vendors. These skills and resources create a
self-sufficient support group, that can service customers on a 24/7/365 basis without having to go outside its operational
zone for external support.
To harness specialized expertise and provide best-in-class service to customers, the SCC is fully integrated with:
n The SITA Service desk – the single point of contact for all operational requirements and the facilitator for all customer
communications related to ongoing incidents. The SITA Service desk follows ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) best
practices, and many of its specialists are certified by HdI (Help desk Institute).
n regional Service Support Staff – SITA’s 1,500+ regional service support personnel are integrated with the SCC through
a common incident management process and system.
n orange Business Services – facilitating the interaction with SITA’s largest partner to ensure a faster turnaround of all
network services and issues.
n SITA data Centres – Level 2 support staff and subject matter experts in the data Centre are integrated with the SCC
through a common incident management process and system.
n A dedicated Vendor management team – which manages more than 300 external third-party suppliers globally.
This provides a single interface between SITA and its providers for all network incidents and changes and includes
firsthand network monitoring.
Global support for all SITA products
and services
© SITA 2010

With the SCC, customers benefit from an enhanced service experience based on real-time visibility and management of all
SITA applications and infrastructure – all via one unified global operational team, using one common supporting toolset.
In addition, customers no longer need to manage and coordinate solutions from multiple vendors. Instead, the SCC delivers
full end-to-end service management, managing multiple vendors as needed and providing a single point of contact and full
support for all SITA networks, applications and solutions.
other benefits include:
n A truly global 24/7/365 support model for all ATI products and applications supported by SITA.
n enhanced service availability and reliability as a result of continuous monitoring and troubleshooting, which is designed
to proactively address any issues before they make an impact.
n A more holistic approach to customer service, since the SCC has a global overview not just of customer incidents, but
a full view of each customer account, including all SITA services and SLAs.
n Command Centre capabilities with a rich set of differentiated service offerings, including dedicated operational
capabilities for customer infrastructures.
SITA’s goal is to provide best-in-class service based on industry-quality standards such as the Information Technology
Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and Six-Sigma1
– while moving closer to its ultimate vision of zero downtime. Through proactive
monitoring, the SCC will make sure that service interruption impact is mitigated as quickly as possible. Any faulty
component in the system will be captured, then repaired or replaced, addressing the problem before the customer’s
operations are impacted.
Certification and quality
The SCC helps SITA increase its ITIL and business maturity, ultimately bringing value to the full ATI community. SITA is
currently preparing to certify all operations in accordance with industry-recognized standards.
A one-stop shop offering an enhanced
customer service experience
n enhanced service experience
n Improved business continuity
n Increased responsiveness
n Faster resolution times
© SITA 2010

8 PoSITIonInG PAPer
The SCC is unique in pulling together all SITA operational capabilities in a single location:
n AIrCom operations – for air-to-ground communications
n messaging operations
n SITA data Centre operations
n Airport operations, including CUTe, CUSS, self-service and baggage operations
n network operations, including a dedicated voice support team
n Server operations
n Security operations
Staffed by a co-located and common operations team, the Centres will deliver centralized
incident management based on best-in-class practices through consolidated visibility of the
real-time status of all operations at the network and application level; full end-to-end service
management capabilities; and centralized monitoring and delivery management of client
commitments, such as SLAs.
The following common functions support the SCC to ensure it delivers consistent service in line with ITIL practices:
n Common L1 operations, a generic team monitoring all SITA infrastructure and services on a 24/7/365 basis.
n A dedicated Vendor management team, which provides relentless follow-up to incidents SITA has dispatched to its
third-party service providers.
n A Change Implementation Coordination team, which controls all change implementations in SITA’s global infrastructure.
n A major Incident management Coordination team, which ensures that all major incidents are followed up in a consistent
manner.
Tools and functionality
SITA has also deployed a common set of tools to ensure a consistent and innovative approach to infrastructure and
application management. These tools include:
n The EMC/SMARTS product suite – offering event, performance and configuration management of all SITA network
(LAn and WAn) and IT infrastructure, in SITA data Centres, at remote airports and of customer premise equipment.
n Computer Associates Wiley – providing end-to-end customer applications experience, which helps the SCC to
proactively identify potential performance issues.
n SITA Customer Service Portal – a web-based portal, that enables customers to log and track incidents, access
self-help/self-diagnostic tools, troubleshoot and access performance resolution options online.
n Computer Associates Unicentre – an enterprise-incident, problem, asset and change management solution. SITA field
personnel have access to this system to ensure a swift and immediate response to centrally-detected/reported
incidents. Customers also have real-time access to this system through the SITA Customer Service portal.
n Digital Fuel Service Flow – offering real-time SLA management.
People and organizational structure
In creating the SCC, SITA has implemented a fully unified global operational team under a single management team, with
complete accountability for managing incidents. This team is integrated into the SITA Global Services organization and is
closely aligned with SITA’s regional staff, providing a local interface for SITA customers.
The SCC’s operational staff is grouped into multi-disciplinary teams, which consolidate all operational skills under the
leadership of Senior Shift managers. This structure ensures end-to-end ownership of all incidents and facilitates a tightly
coordinated and planned effort to restore any customer-impacting incidents in the shortest possible timeframe.
new unified operational capabilities
© SITA 2010

About SITA
We are the world's leading specialists in air transport communications and IT solutions. We deliver and manage business
solutions for airline, airport, GdS, government and other customers over the world’s most extensive network, which forms
the communications backbone of the global air transport industry.
Created and owned by the air transport community, SITA is the community’s dedicated partner for information and
communications technology. As a team of industry experts, our know-how is based on working with customers across the
global air transport community. Almost every airline and airport in the world does business with SITA.
SITA innovates collaboratively with the air transport industry, and the industry itself drives the company’s portfolio and
strategic direction. our portfolio includes managed global communications, infrastructure and outsourcing services, as well
as services for airline commercial management, passenger operations, flight operations, aircraft operations, air-to-ground
communications, airport management and operations, baggage operations, transportation security and border
management, cargo operations and more.
With a customer service team of over 1,700 staff around the world, we invest significantly in achieving best-in-class
customer service, providing integrated local and global support for both our communications and IT application services.
We have two main subsidiaries: onAir, which is the leading provider of in-flight connectivity, and CHAmP Cargosystems,
the world's only IT company dedicated solely to air cargo. We also operate two joint ventures providing services to the air
transport community: Aviareto for aircraft asset management and CertiPath for secure electronic identity management.
In addition, we sponsor .aero, the Internet top level domain reserved exclusively for aviation.
We are one of world's most international companies. our global reach is based on local presence, with services for over
550 air transport industry members and 3,200 customers in over 200 countries and territories. In 2009, SITA celebrated
60 years in business. Set up in 1949 with 11 member airlines, today we employ people of more than 140 nationalities,
speaking over 70 different languages. SITA had consolidated revenues of over US$1.47 billion (€1.13 billion) in 2008.
For further information go to www.sita.aero
© SITA 2010

notes and references
Note 1, Page 7: Six Sigma is a business management strategy originally developed by Motorola, USA in 1981 Six Sigma
seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects (errors)
and minimizing variability in manufacturing and business processes. It uses a set of quality management
methods, including statistical methods, and creates a special infrastructure of people within the
organization (“Black Belts”, “Green Belts”, etc.) who are experts in these methods.
10 PoSITIonInG PAPer © SITA 2010

© SITA 10-THW-057-1. All trademarks acknowledged. Specifications subject to change without prior notice. This literature provides
outline information only and (unless specifically agreed to the contrary by SITA in writing) is not part of any order or contract.
Africa
+27 11 5177000
info.africa@sita.aero
East & Central Europe
+41 22 747 6000
info.east.central.europe@sita.aero
Latin America & Caribbean
+55 21 2111 5800
info.latin.america.and.caribbean@sita.aero
Middle East & Turkey
+961 1 637300
info.middle.east.turkey@sita.aero
North America
+1 770 850 4500
info.northamerica@sita.aero
North Asia & Pacific
+65 6545 3711
info.north.asiapacific@sita.aero
North Europe
+44 (0)20 8756 8000
info.northeurope@sita.aero
South Asia & India
+65 6545 3711
info.south.asia.india@sita.aero
South Europe
+39 06 96511500
info.southeurope@sita.aero
For further information, please contact SITA by telephone or e-mail:

SITA SGS Command Centre MAY 2010

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