Services computing is a computer discipline which sits between traditional information technology (IT) systems and business services. It acts to provide businesses with solutions to their assorted computer needs, including web programming and services; cloud computing, which involves allowing network users access to a server-side pool of shared resources; consulting methods for businesses without a dedicated IT department; and business process utilities. The primary goal of service computing is to ensure that a business's computer-related requirements are met in a timely and efficient fashion.
The emerging field of services computing is a branched subfield of traditional information technology services. The difference is that, unlike traditional information technology firms, which are focused upon a far broader spectrum of services than handling standard business needs, firms involved in services computing are specialists, strictly dedicated to handling business concerns. This is akin to how a cardiologist is a specialist of a general surgeon. In services computing, these business-related concerns can range from setting up an individual network to modeling a business plan with information technology tools. As specialists, individuals practicing in the field of service computing are theoretically better at managing and handling the basic needs of business.
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Services computing is an example of the general trend for increasing specialization within a discipline to fill a market niche. Niche marketing is the practice of focusing one's business efforts on a very specific and identifying group, segmenting the market into additional parts. In theory, this provides a business involved in services computing — as opposed to general IT practices — with a competitive advantage. Just as an individual would likely prefer to have heart surgery conducted by a specialist as opposed to a general practitioner, the hope is that individuals will also prefer to employ technicians, engineers, and consultants who have a stated interest and extensive experience in business affairs, as opposed to an IT consultant with a broader background.