Finance:Service provider
A service provider (SP) is an organization that provides services, such as consulting, legal, real estate, communications, storage, and processing services, to other organizations. Although a service provider can be a sub-unit of the organization that it serves, it is usually a third-party or outsourced supplier. Examples include telecommunications service providers (TSPs), application service providers (ASPs), storage service providers (SSPs), and internet service providers (ISPs).[citation needed] A more traditional term is service bureau.
IT professionals sometimes differentiate between service providers by categorizing them as type I, II, or III.[1] The three service types are recognized by the IT industry although specifically defined by ITIL and the U.S. Telecommunications Act of 1996.
- Type I: internal service provider
 - Type II: shared service provider
 - Type III: external service provider
 
Type III SPs provide IT services to external customers and subsequently can be referred to as external service providers (ESPs)[2] which range from a full IT organization/service outsource via managed services or MSPs (managed service providers) to limited product feature delivery via ASPs (application service providers).[3]
Types
- Application service provider (ASP)
 - Cloud service provider (CSP) - Software, platform, infrastructure service provider in cloud computing
 - Network service provider (NSP)
 - Internet service provider (ISP)
 - Managed service provider (MSP)
 - Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP)
 - Storage service provider (SSP)
 - Telecommunications service provider (TSP)
 - SAML service provider
 - Master managed service provider (MMSP)
 - Managed Internet service provider (MISP)
 - Online service provider (OSP)
 - Payment service provider (PSP)
 - Cleaning service provider
 - Gardening service provider
 - Pest control service provider
 - Oilfield service provider
 - Application software service provider in a service-oriented architecture (ASSP)
 - Cable television service provider
 
See also
- Identity management
 - Identity provider
 - IP address
 - SAML 2.0
 - Service bureau
 - Service system
 - Outline of consulting
 - Web service
 
References
- ↑ Stuart Rance and Ashley Hanna (30 May 2007). "Glossary of Terms, Definitions and Acronyms". ITIL - IT Service Management. Office of Government Commerce. http://www.best-management-practice.com/gempdf/ITIL_Glossary_V3_1_24.pdf.
 - ↑ Staff (2011). "External Service Provider (ITILv3)". Knowledge Transfer. Knowledge Transfer. http://www.knowledgetransfer.net/dictionary/ITIL/en/External_Service_Provider.htm.
 - ↑ Barry J. (23 January 2012). "IT Policies - Policy on Use of External Services". The University of Chicago. The University of Chicago. http://answers.uchicago.edu/policies/page.php?id=19367.
 
Further reading
- Hall, Mark (7 February 2000). "Service Providers Give Users More IT Options". Computerworld: 40.
 - "Mapping the xSP world". CIO: S8–S10. 15 September 2001.
 
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