HDI Introduces Three New Vertical Forums for the Law, Retail and Insurance Industries

Colorado Springs, Colo. – August 28, 2007 – HDI, (http://www.thinkhdi.com) the world's largest membership association for IT help desk and service management professionals and the premier certification body for the industry, today announced three new HDI Vertical Forums (http://www.thinkhdi.com/trainingEvents/executiveForums/) targeted to the insurance, law and retail industries. (The Retail Forum also includes IT support professionals from the restaurant and hospitality industries.)

HDI Forums provide senior-level IT support managers, directors and executives with an important opportunity to engage in strategically focused discussions about their support centers’ issues, challenges and concerns. Forum members share their experiences, ideas, solutions and the latest developments in support center best practices.

These new HDI Forums meet three times throughout the year. Meetings are co-developed by HDI staff and Forum members, conducted at locations selected by Forum members and specifically targeted to the industry served by the Forum. The events focus on the operational, strategic, tactical and professional development needs that are necessary to optimally run a complex support organization. In order to maintain an interactive, personal environment, HDI Forums are limited to 20 members.

HDI Vertical Forums address the issues most important within each specific industry’s IT service and support environments. Examples of discussion topics include ITIL®, business alignment strategies, performance metrics and reporting, customer satisfaction, operational management and techniques, knowledge and change management, quality assurance, workforce management and human resource development, technology management and tools, service delivery methods, configuration management and relationship management.

Participants in the program gain insight, perspective and knowledge on how to improve the people, processes and technologies responsible for the delivery of world-class IT support services within their organizations. Member benefits include: face-to-face meetings with world-class presenters and subject matter experts; an engaged, peer-to-peer support structure and network; access to fresh ideas and discussions about emerging trends; group solutions and strategies focused on problem-solving; case studies and lessons learned from other institutions; access to HDI’s online resources; a customized training program and a dedicated HDI support team.

“HDI Forums allow members to test support center theories with their peers and get feedback every step of the way as they implement significant changes. This guides members to do the right thing for both their support centers and their companies,” commented Marti Levada, senior vice president, Bank of America and a member of the HDI Financial Services Forum.

The new HDI Vertical Forums complement several existing forums, which include: the HDI Executive Forum, Financial Services Forum, Government Forum, Healthcare Providers Forum, Higher Education Forum and Support Center Leadership Forum. The HDI Insurance, Retail and Law Forums will be held October 9-12, 2007 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

For more information about HDI Vertical Forums, contact Leslie Cook, HDI Forum manager at [email protected] or (800) 248-5667.

About HDI
HDI, a Think Service company, is the world’s largest IT service and support membership association and the industry’s premier training and certification body. Guided by an international panel of industry experts and practitioners, HDI is the leading resource for help desk/support center emerging trends and best practices. HDI provides members with a vast repository of resources, networking opportunities and the largest industry event - the HDI Annual Conference and Expo. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA, HDI offers training in multiple languages and countries. For more information, visit http://www.thinkhdi.com or call +1 719.268.0174.

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Media Contact:
Allison Wroe
HDI, Director of Marketing
719.785.5355
[email protected]