Tower                                 Sub-Tower                  Description

Data Center

Enterprise Data Center

Purpose-built data center facilities that house and protect critical IT equipment including the space, power, environment controls, racks, cabling and "smart hand" support.

Other Facilities

Computer rooms and MDF/IDF/telco closets that house IT equipment in corporate headquarters, call centers or other general purpose office buildings.

Compute

Servers

Physical and virtual servers running a version of Microsoft's Windows Server or the Linux operating system; includes hardware, software, labor and support services. Optional Level 3 categories include: Windows, Linux and Public Cloud Compute.

Unix

Servers running vendor-specific, proprietary Unix operating systems (e.g., IBM AIX, Sun Solaris, HP UX); includes hardware, software, labor and support services.

Tower                                 Sub-Tower                  Description

Midrange

Servers running IBM AS/400 platform including hardware, software, labor and support services.

Converged

Infrastructure

Purpose-built appliances that provide compute, storage and network capabilities in one box.

Mainframe 

Traditional mainframe computers and operations running legacy operating systems. 

Storage

Online Storage

Central storage such as SAN, NAS and similar technologies for the distributed compute infrastructure; includes the equipment, software and labor to run and operate.  Optional Level 3 categories include: On-Prem, Public Cloud Storage.

Offline Storage

Offline storage resources used for archive, backup & recovery to support data loss, data corruption, disaster recovery and compliance requirements of the distributed storage.

Mainframe

Online Storage

Mainframe attached storage arrays and the associated equipment, software and labor to run and operate.

Mainframe

Offline Storage

Any storage resources used for archive, backup & recovery to support data loss, data corruption, disaster recovery and compliance requirements of the mainframe storage.

Network

LAN/WAN

Physical and wireless local area network connecting equipment within the core data centers and connecting end users in office working areas to the company's broader networks. Wide area network equipment, labor and support services directly connecting data centers, offices and third parties (excludes telecom and communication services). Optional Level 3 categories include: LAN, WAN.

Voice

Voice resources which enable or distribute voice services through on-premise equipment including PBX, VoIP, voicemail and handsets (excludes telecom and communication services).

Tower                                 Sub-Tower                  Description

Transport

Data network circuits and associated access facilities and services; includes dedicated and virtual data networks and internet access. Also includes usage associated with mobility and other data transit based on usage billing. Voice network circuits and associated access facilities and services. Also includes usage associated with standard telephone calls and 800 number service. 

Both voice and data transport may include terrestrial and non-terrestrial (e.g., satellite) technologies.

Optional Level 3 categories include: Data, Voice.

Output

Central Print

Central print services; often provided to support customer billing or customer documentation support processes. Unit of measure: page.

End User

Workspace

Client compute physical desktops, portable laptops, thin client machines, peripherals (including monitors, pointer devices and attached personal printers) used by individuals to perform work.

Mobile Devices

Client compute tablets, smart phones (iOS, Android, Windows Mobile) and apps used by individuals to perform work.

End User

Software

Client related software used to author, create, collaborate and share documents and other content. Examples include email, communications, messaging, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, desktop publishing, graphics

and others.  Optional Level 3 categories include Productivity; Communications; Collaboration.

Network Printers

Printers located on or near users’ desktops. Examples include network connected personal printers, ink-jet printers, laser printers, departmental or copy-room printers. Only include network connected printers. Do not include printers connected to an end user computer.

Conferencing & AV

Audio and video conferencing equipment typically used in conference rooms and dedicated telepresence rooms to enable workforce communications.

IT Help Desk

Centralized Tier 1 help desk resources that handle user requests, answer questions and resolve issues.

Deskside Support

Local support resources that provide on-site support for moves, adds, changes and hands on issue resolution. 

Tower                                 Sub-Tower                  Description

Application

Application Development

Resources involved with the analysis, design, development, code, test and release packaging services associated with application development projects. Optional Level 3 categories include: Development, QA

Application

Support &

Operations

The operations, support, fix and minor enhancements associated with existing applications.

Business Software

Software expenditures including licensing, maintenance and support related to off-the-shelf software purchases.

Database

Distributed database services focused on the physical database (versus the logical design) including DBAs, DBMS, tools and operational support.

Middleware

Distributed platform, application and system integration resources enabling cross application development, communications and information sharing.

Mainframe Database

Mainframe database services focused on the physical database (versus the logical design) including the DBAs, DBMS, tools and operational support.

Mainframe Middleware

Mainframe platform, application and system integration resources enabling cross application development, communications and information sharing.

Delivery

IT Service

Management

Resources involved with the incident, problem and change management activities as part of the IT Service

Management process (excludes the Tier 1 help desk).

Project

Management

Resources involved with managing and supporting ITrelated projects including business and IT-driven initiatives. 

Client

Management

Resources or “account managers” aligned with the lines of business to understand business needs, communicate IT products, services and status of IT projects. 

Operations Center

Centralized IT Operations Center resources including monitoring and intervention e.g., NOC (network operations center), GOC (global operations center).

Security & Compliance

Security

IT Security resources setting policy, establishing process & means, measuring compliance and responding to security breaches. Optional Level 3 categories include: Cyber Security.

Tower

Sub-Tower

Description

Compliance

IT Compliance resources setting policy, establishing controls and measuring compliance to relevant legal and compliance requirements. Optional Level 3 categories include: Data Privacy.

Disaster Recovery

IT Disaster Recovery resources setting DR policy, establishing process & means, dedicated failover facilities, performing DR testing. NOTE: DR designated equipment is included directly in its own sub-tower (e.g., extra servers for DR are included in Compute tower, etc.). 

IT Management

IT Management

& Strategic

Planning

IT management and administration resources; typically CIO, senior IT leaders and administrative support including centralized IT strategy and planning. 

Enterprise Architecture

Enterprise architecture services including business, information, application and technical architecture to drive standardization, integration and efficiency among business technology solutions.

IT Finance

Resources involved in the planning, budgeting, spend management and chargeback of IT expenditures and the costing of IT products and services.

IT Vendor

Management

Resources involved in the selection, contract management, oversight, performance management and general delivery of services by 3rd party vendors and external service providers.