Deutsch: Internetdienstanbieter / Español: Proveedor de servicios de Internet / Português: Fornecedor de acesso Internet / Français: Fournisseur d'accès internet / Italiano: Internet Service Provider
An Internet service provider (ISP) is a business or organization that offers users access to the Internet and related services. Many but not all ISPs are telephone companies or other telecommunication providers. They provide services such as Internet access, Internet transit, domain name registration and hosting, dial-up access, leased line access and colocation. Internet service providers may be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, non-profit, or otherwise privately owned.
In the quality management context, "ISP" can refer to "Internal Service Provider". An Internal Service Provider (ISP) is a department or unit within an organization that provides support services to other departments or functions within the same organization. The aim of an ISP is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of internal processes and support functions, while ensuring consistent quality and customer satisfaction.
Examples of internal service providers within an organization include:
- Information technology (IT) support services
- Human resources (HR) support services
- Finance and accounting services
- Legal and compliance services
- Procurement and supply chain management services
The quality of services provided by internal service providers is an important consideration for organizations, as it directly impacts the performance and success of other departments and functions within the organization. Quality management practices can be applied to internal service providers to ensure that they consistently meet customer requirements and expectations, and to continuously improve their performance and service quality. This may involve defining service level agreements (SLAs), monitoring and measuring service performance, and conducting customer satisfaction surveys to gather feedback and identify areas for improvement.