What are IT services?

Key takeaways: An IT service is a technology capability — infrastructure, technical support, software, security — that an IT organization or provider delivers to users so they can get work done without owning or operating the underlying systems themselves.

• What it is: A bundle of technology, processes, and people packaged around an outcome the user needs, such as a working laptop, a secure network, a hosted application, or a resolved incident.

• Why it matters: Treating IT as a set of defined services, rather than a collection of hardware and tickets, lets teams set expectations, measure quality, control costs, and scale.

• How Jira Service Management helps: Gives IT teams one platform to catalog their services, take and route requests, resolve incidents and problems, manage changes and assets, and enable users to self-serve from a knowledge base.

IT services are technology capabilities that an IT organization delivers to the people who rely on them — employees, customers, or other businesses. In ITIL terms, a service is a way of delivering value by producing an outcome the user needs without the user having to manage the cost and risk of the system behind it: a secure network connection, a hosted application, a laptop that works, a password reset by the help desk. Services can be delivered by an in-house IT team, an outside provider, or a mix of both.

This guide covers what IT services are, the main types with examples, and how IT service management (ITSM) software helps teams deliver them reliably and at lower cost.

Types of IT services

They can include payment platforms, websites, or application stacks. An airline, for example, may require IT services to manage secure flight data or global air traffic information. The following are among the most common IT services.

Infrastructure services

Infrastructure services include managing cloud environments, network tiers, LAN routers and modems, firewalls, and security. Infrastructure’s critical nature means these services must deliver exceptional reliability and performance to protect against lost productivity or data.

Infrastructure services also support compliance with data collection and retention requirements. For example, a cloud-based service that collects customer data as part of sales must be able to segregate personally identifiable information from accounting data and comply with various local regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation.

Technical support services

Technical support services provide operational support for everything from devices, such as laptops and smartphones, to servers and other hardware. Remote management is available for some services, including troubleshooting and applying patches, while others may require on-site attention, such as hardware upgrades.

Technical support services generally include help desk support for end users. For example, if a user is having trouble logging into an application on the network, the help desk can reset passwords, activate accounts, or identify and resolve version compatibility issues.

Software services

Modern IT services often use software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications hosted in the cloud. The service provider manages all aspects of software functionality, including optimizing efficiency, developing, testing, and releasing new features. Software services provide the knowledge and experience of a technical team without the cost of developing or managing the solution in-house. 

Customized software services can help meet the needs of a business or industry while operating within segregated environments that protect data and business-specific functions. 

For example, a hosted e-commerce site can provide the tools to build inventory lists, advertise, take payments, and fulfill orders. One business may accept payments in the local currency, while another may accept payments in multiple currencies, depending on location.

Security services

Security services safeguard businesses against cybersecurity threats, data breaches, and compliance risks. Security services can include everything from implementing and managing firewalls to orchestrating antivirus policies and data encryption protocols.

Credit card fraud, for example, is one of the most persistent cybersecurity threats. Businesses that take credit card payments need confidence that their processes comply with regulations and protect against exposure. Security services may implement tokens to link payment information with trackable or refundable invoices. This allows the business to return funds to the original payment method without storing credit card or other payment details and thereby reducing the risk of fraud.

How does Jira Service Management help with managing IT services?

Jira Service Management streamlines IT service delivery. Incident and problem management features help teams improve response and resolution time. Change management and knowledge management components give teams the tools to answer questions and make informed decisions. The following benefits of Jira Service Management help businesses balance IT service costs and improve their bottom line.

Increases efficiency

Automating repetitive and manual tasks, grouping incidents for root cause analysis, and collaborating on shared documents and tasks help eliminate bottlenecks. It also improves overall efficiency and productivity. Jira Service Management’s AI-powered virtual agent can automate front-line response by searching the knowledge base directly from messaging services like Slack. It can also route more complex tickets directly to team members.

Improves collaboration

Jira Service Management enables smooth communication across teams. Document sharing, task linking, and project collaboration help IT teams quickly respond to issues and find resolutions. Knowledge management allows teams to document solutions, share information, capture decisions, and incorporate continuous improvement and innovation. It provides end users with the tools to resolve common issues independently.

Enhances security

It’s crucial to implement robust security measures to protect data, reduce risks, and maintain regulatory compliance. Jira Service Management supports flexible permission control across all its features. This helps IT teams manage data and protect business intelligence. Configuration management provides visibility into the infrastructure supporting critical business systems, maps dependencies, and alerts IT to unauthorized changes.

Enables scalability

AI-powered automation eliminates repetitive tasks and manual processes, thereby increasing delivery speed and optimizing resources. Its cloud-based infrastructure allows businesses to expand at any velocity without disruption.

Reduces costs

Modern, streamlined IT services reduce costs. Jira Service Management optimizes resource allocation and productivity with automated incident processes and self-service knowledge management. Cloud-based solutions also reduce hardware investments and minimize service downtime.

Use Jira Service Management for IT services

Modern IT services can give businesses the agility to respond to new opportunities. They provide scalability for rapid growth while reducing costs and improving overall productivity. Using Jira Service Management for IT streamlines service delivery, incident resolution, and change management processes.

With Jira Service Management, customizable workflows give teams the power to define their own path. Service portals tap into team knowledge built on collaborative problem-solving. Its unlimited number of service level agreements (SLAs) can automate incident escalation to prevent SLA breaches. Teams collaborate, communicate, and avoid repeat issues with reporting and analytics features.

IT services: Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between traditional IT services and modern IT?

Traditional IT services are in-house and require staff with highly specialized roles to maintain servers, networks, and databases. In this isolated environment, more focus is on securing the perimeter and protecting business intelligence. Traditional IT services also tend to have slower, less frequent release cycles. Due to complexity, businesses often work with only a few vendors. This limits the available solutions and knowledge necessary to keep pace in a rapidly changing IT landscape.

Modern IT services provide greater flexibility and scalability because they are often cloud-based solutions with embedded expertise. Developing, testing, releasing, and maintaining systems and services shifts from the business to the provider. Businesses have more options and can use a broader range of solutions. Release cycles are shorter and more frequent, and often include extensive collaboration. Security concerns shift from mitigation to a more comprehensive and proactive approach.

What is an example of an IT service?

Securing business intelligence and customer data is a major concern for businesses. For example, cybercrime is an ever-present, constantly evolving threat that requires highly specialized, focused skills that can be challenging to maintain.

Cybersecurity services can bring a larger, more experienced team to your business, protecting data and networks from malicious attacks. IT services can improve defense with various approaches, such as firewalls, antivirus software, network monitoring, and layered networks.

Can IT services help with data backup?

IT services can assist businesses with reliable, rapidly recoverable data backup solutions in the event of data loss or a disaster. These services improve data integrity and ensure that operating systems and programs remain available if hardware fails.