service management

What a CIO needs for a blueprint

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 06:59:58 -0500

Whoever thought that a CIO would need a map to do his job? Well, that certainly seems to be the way it's going these days. The CIO needs a clear blueprint for his organization and for its goals. It's no longer enough to have a "To Do" list or "Goals" for the year. With the constant change facing a CIO, it's important to have a map with every issue planned out so that focusing on a particular problem is no longer by the "seat of your pants."

Now, you can go to a library or order a book from Amazon.com that can help you. One is called the Information Technology Infrastructure Library, a set of 10 books of best practices for IT service management. Two others are COBIT, or Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology, and ISO 17799. Taken together, these texts make it possible to develop a blueprint that is more than writing a few ideas down on a paper napkin. These three books make it possible for you to go from "Start" to "Finish" without a detour.

For more on developing your own roadmap:
- See this InformationWeek Article

Report: Number of ITIL adopters dropping

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

A new report is out that says while the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is gaining in popularity, it's no magic potion for IT execs. BT INS interviewed 300 IT executives this summer about their use of ITIL in relation to IT service-management processes. Some 51 percent of respondents use ITIL to improve on IT service management, but 55 percent depend upon in-house developed practices. BT INS notes that the number of ITIL adopters has dropped off since a considerable uptick between 2004 and 2006, though 46 percent of those polled not using ITIL today said that they planned to do so within 18 months. "Perhaps [ITIL] is starting to hit a saturation point, or maybe the recent introduction of ITILv3 will drive new adoption in the year ahead," the report says. However, 25 percent said they don't expect the update to affect their practices much or at all. "Three years ago expectations for ITIL were higher than warranted," BT INS says. "The reality of what it exactly can and can't do has lowered respondents' views of its criticality."

For more information on the ITIL research:
- read the article in NetworkWorld

Survey: CIOs, IT managers differ on spending views

Mon, 21 May 2007 20:01:38 -0400

A new survey from business service management platform provider Managed Objects found that while 42 percent of IT managers believe that their IT departments are spending too little on IT, only 29 percent of senior executives felt the same way. Twelve percent of senior executives believe too much is spent on IT, while 5 percent of IT managers feel that way. Among the largest companies, respondents in both categories felt that spending was either "about right" or "too little", with only 4 percent saying too much was being spent. Among companies with more than $10 billion in sales, 68 percent claimed that spending was about right. The survey polled 200 U.S. senior corporate executives and IT managers.

Read more survey results:
- read the article at eChannelLine

ITIL's new version: More business-focused

Sun, 06 May 2007 20:01:38 -0400

The newest version of ITIL, a best practices framework, will be more business-focused, according to ITIL architects. ITIL 3.0 will reflect the fact that line is blurring between service management and ITIL; as a result, the new version will discuss topics like facilities management and will include a case study of how to use ITIL outside of IT. Also, ITIL will no longer stand for the IT Infrastructure Library, but will be referred to as "ITIL - IT service management practices". ITIL 3.0 will also address gaps in current ITIL certifications to make them more helpful and appropriate to individuals' career development plans, and will include help on how IT staff can make marketing statements to the CIO and CEO.

Read more about how ITIL is changing:
- read the article at ITWeek

ALSO:
- read this on why ITIL may not be ready for prime time in the midmarket
- this on the ROI of ITIL
- and this on putting business ahead of technology

Making the most of ITIL

Tue, 01 May 2007 20:01:36 -0400

There is no doubt that ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is a great way to support and deliver IT services, but it's a framework, not a set of instructions to be followed dogmatically. To get the most from it, set a clear vision for your objectives and where you want to go, get executive sponsorship, communicate with and get buy-in from the business and your IT staff, start with your biggest opportunity for value or immediate benefit to the business, look at current key performance indicators and know how you're trending, establish simple metrics to calculate and communicate improvements in services, switch to business-oriented communication and language for service management and delivery, think long-term and make sure your processes are integrated, and don't lose sight of your vision and constantly check your progress against it.

Learn more about making the most of ITIL:
- read the article at CIO Canada

ALSO:
- read this about the ROI of ITIL
- and this on putting business ahead of technology

Minimizing SOA issues

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 20:01:38 -0400

SOA has lots of benefits, but it isn't without its challenges. The task of identifying universal processes and tools that are used by the entire organization and by separate departments can be extremely complex. Governance also is difficult, and the right management tools are vital. One way to minimize those challenges is to implement IT Service Management (ITSM) using the widely accepted approach of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). ITSM and ITIL facilitate the roadmap so that IT is treated more like a business. When a company links SOA, ITSM, and ITIL together in its approach to IT alignment, business becomes more agile, efficient, and cost-effective. Developing an integrated approach to SOA with ITSM usually requires a phased roadmap, which takes time. The vital starting point is not technology, but identifying the business-specific services in an organization.

Learn more about combining ITSM with SOA:
- read the article at CIO Update

ALSO:
- read this on SOA governance
- this on taking it slow with SOA deployments
- this on getting started with SOA
- this on whether SOA will work in your environment
- this on the basics of SOA
- and this on the four stages of successful SOA

ITIL: Not ready for prime time in the midmarket?

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 20:01:38 -0400

Although the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL)--a sort of roadmap of best practices that helps IT departments adopt more efficient service management--is making great strides in the enterprise, some say that smaller companies won't get the benefits, at least not yet. Implementing ITIL requires making some big changes in infrastructure and working style, and it can be expensive and time-consuming. If you are set on it, though, try service management-specific solution providers like Pink Elephant, Service-now.com, Getronics and TraverseIT LLC, which help companies implement ITIL. Ultimately, however, ITIL will make inroads in the midmarket, and will make IT services more efficient in these companies. By mastering five processes that make up ITIL--incident management, problem management, change management, configuration management and release management--companies can minimize the time to identify and resolve service incidents.

Learn more about ITIL in the midmarket:
- read the article at CIO Decisions

ALSO:
- read this on the ROI of ITIL
- and this on putting business ahead of technology

ALSO NOTED: Digital rights; IT service management frameworks;

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 20:01:38 -0400

> Picking your way through the digital rights minefield. Blog

> Digital Rights Management and online file sharing. Article

> Adopting IT service management frameworks. Article

> Less than 20 percent of organizations have started Windows Vista deployments. Article

> Survey: Most desktops aren't Vista-ready. Article

> Red Hat aims for small and mid-sized businesses. Article

And Finally … The value of a Windows alternative for serious office work. Article

ALSO NOTED: Software that improves Windows performance; IT service management best practices;

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 19:01:38 -0500

> Novell and Intel announce software that improves Windows performance. Article

> Best practices for IT service management. Article

> The challenge of implementing search and Enterprise 2.0 approaches in enterprises. Blog

> Federal cybersecurity official asks industry to help defend the nation's networks. Article

> Enterprise Data Management initiatives haven't reached their full potential. Article

> Smartphones take off. Article

> Managing storage through measurement. Blog

And Finally… Tips on being productive, from a pro. Article

Putting business ahead of technology

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 19:01:38 -0500

The IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL)--a widely accepted approach to IT service management that offers a host of best practices--turns IT development on its head. The service-oriented approach to IT development encourages IT staff to first understand the company's business needs and only then to determine what technology is required to accomplish those goals. ITIL also improves communication by providing a common language.

Learn how to apply ITIL to your organization:
- read the article at Insurance Networking News