The aim of this VITAL subproject is to specify ICT-services from a business value perspective. We build upon previous research bij Gordijn and Akkermans, in which the e3value method for designing a network of value activities and value exchanges was developed. We have developed a supplier-oriented service provisioning ontology, which has been used in an application of e3value to the electricity and entertainment industries to define bundles of services to be offered by cooperating electricity companies to consumers. In the VITAL/services project we want to design a service ontology from a consumer (i.e. business) point of view, and to specialize the supplier and consumer-oriented ontologies to the ICT service provisioning domain.

We will answer the following questions.

• Which ontological founded concepts are needed to conceptualize ICT-services, both from a consumer and a supplier perspective, such that preferably automated matching of consumer's ICT needs and supplier's ICT-services is feasable? Additionally, the ICT-services ontology should properly relate to the e3value ontology.
• How can we match supplier-oriented and consumer-oriented ICT service specifications? We need to consider ways to compose supplier services into bundles that are valuable from a consumer perspective and profitable for all concerned. We intend to deliver software support for solving the matching and composition problem.
• How can we estimate the economic value delivered by a service? The e3value approach and supporting software tool already have facilities for economic value analysis of services. In VITAL/services, we want to extend and specialize them for the ICT-services domain.

We will investigate these questions by using our previous work on service specification and value engineering, and by using theories from investment analysis and software engineering economics. We will validate our results jointly with our business partners by means of action research.