What Is the New Internet Application Operations Framework and Capability Model?

Overview

This article is based on Liu Qitong's presentation at the 2016 Global Operations Conference in Shenzhen and marks the first public release of the Internet Application Operations Framework and Capability Model .

Explanation

The framework was initiated by the Open Operations Alliance (OOPSA), authored by multiple Chinese operations experts over nearly a year, and spans more than 150 pages, representing the first draft of an Internet application operations standard in China and globally.

About OOPSA

OOPSA is China’s first operations industry association, operating under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s China Standardization Association Data Center Alliance (DCA). Official website: http://www.oopsa.io .

An expert review meeting is scheduled for June 17, 2016, in Beijing, and participants are invited to apply.

Presenter Biography

Liu Qitong – Co‑chair of OOPSA, co‑leader of the Application Operations Working Group, head of Tencent Game Operations, a veteran with experience from manual to automated operations, and a proponent of intelligent operations.

Application Operations Working Group

The working group, the main author of the framework, consists of seven senior practitioners from game, search, e‑commerce, and social domains:

Xiao Tianguo – former roles at Lenovo, Sohu Changyou, Touch.

Wang Jinyin – renowned operations expert, former positions at Tencent, YY, UC.

Sun Yucong – CTO of CODING, former Senior SRE at Google (2007‑2015).

Xu Qichen – extensive experience in performance optimization and high‑availability at Tencent, Yixun, JD.

Tu Yan – 11‑year game operations veteran, currently Operations Director at Tencent Games and co‑initiator of intelligent operations.

Liang Dingan – leads automation and monitoring for Tencent’s social platforms.

Liu Qitong – veteran game operations engineer since 2002, now leading Tencent Game Operations.

These members represent the major Internet application domains, providing a broad perspective for the framework.

Why Create an Internet Application Operations Framework?

ITIL Overview

ITIL has long guided operations with concepts such as availability, release, configuration, change, and incident management.

Problems with ITIL

Although ITIL’s principles are sound, translating them into concrete practice for Internet applications is challenging because they are highly abstract.

ITIL was created in the late 1980s for traditional IT services; applying it directly to modern Internet services often leaves gaps.

Therefore, a new framework that blends ITIL’s philosophy with practical Internet‑scale operations experience is needed.

Framework Composition

The proposed system includes four core components:

Internet Application Operations Framework – a guiding philosophy outlining major operational directions.

Internet Application Operations Capability Model – an assessment standard supporting the framework.

Internet Application Operations Specification – detailed guidance for implementing the framework and model.

Best‑practice case studies across industries (e‑commerce, telecom, finance, etc.) to illustrate concrete applications.

Application Operations: Serving Business Value

Application operations support the services that directly generate business revenue (e.g., games, e‑commerce sites) and critical internal systems (e.g., telecom portals). The goal is to maximize business value by improving revenue, user experience, and cost efficiency.

The operational model emphasizes close alignment with business needs, extracting value, and expanding service impact.

Internet Application Operations Framework

The framework follows the product lifecycle from development to launch and ongoing operation. Key activities include:

High‑availability architecture design during development.

Continuous deployment and rapid fault response after launch.

Data collection and analysis to support product decisions.

User‑experience optimization to reduce churn.

Support for large‑scale events (e.g., Double‑11 sales).

Cost optimization throughout the lifecycle.

Customer service for both internal and external stakeholders.

Capability Model

The model expands each framework element into specific capability dimensions evaluated across five maturity levels. Illustrative maturity matrices are provided for data services, continuous deployment, and high‑availability architecture.

After six months of effort, the draft framework, capability model, and associated case studies have been open‑sourced for community review and contribution.

Invitation to Join the Expert Review Panel

The draft will undergo multiple expert reviews before official publication. The first in‑person review meeting will be held on June 17, 2016, at the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, Haidian District, Beijing.

Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Location: Room 9, 1st Floor, Building 21, Cuilu Technology Park, Zhongguancun, Haidian, Beijing

Evening dinner will follow the meeting.

This is a closed‑door session; only the first batch of invited experts may attend. Interested senior operations professionals can apply via the provided QR code.

Let’s witness the birth of the first Internet operations standard draft together!