Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)

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

ITIL benefits and challenges

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

Jean Ritala, IT support services manager at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Minn., and president of the I.T. Service Management Forum USA (itSMF), a not-for-profit membership organization, is an advocate for ITIL. She spoke with Baseline magazine this summer and offered some ITIL implementation tips. First off, she notes that it is important to name one person who takes on the role of change agent, spearheading and driving the implementation process, while fully understanding how the change will affect the bottom line. This person will help the company and IT department make a baseline assessment, which enables executives to know to measure success. In terms of why companies are interested in implementing ITIL: It streamlines and centralizes ways of doing things that bring process efficiency." There's less chaos when everyone's on the same page doing things," she says. When asked about the limitations, Ritala says: "It takes time. Again, there is no silver bullet."

To read more about Ritala's ITIL implementation:
- see the article in Baseline

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

ITIL v3: connecting IT and business

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 06:59:59 -0400

ITIL got a facelift with the release of version 3 earlier this year. But, many CIOs are still wondering whether to hold off on starting projects until the standard further matures or to continue moving forward with previous versions. The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), first introduced in 1989 by the U.K.'s Office of Government and Commerce (OGC), has been attempting to modernize due to changes and updates in technology and business regulations. "For those worried about a brand new ITIL, instead of thinking of it as a big bang, think more of it being another step on an evolutionary pathway," Martin Atherton, principal analyst at consulting firm Freeform Dynamics in the U.K., told CIOUpdate.

So what exactly is new in v3? The changes are mostly focused on the business aspects of IT. The new version incorporates a system called the Service Management Knowledge System and is purportedly more customizable and described in a less complicated manner. In terms of market penetration, 40 percent of large, billion-dollar corporations have adopted ITIL; some 80 percent are expected to do so by the end of next year.

For all the details on ITIL v3:
- read the article in CIOUpdate

ITIL v3: Ready for release this week

Mon, 28 May 2007 20:01:39 -0400

The latest version of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library, a framework for IT best practices, gets released tomorrow. The framework, developed by the U.K. government, is taking hold with American companies that are implementing Services Oriented Architectures, hoping to reap the benefits of greater efficiency, cost savings and increased customer satisfaction. According to the experts, the latest version will focus on facilitating and measuring business outcomes. The new ITIL release provides in-depth guidance on business issues like asset lifecycle management and return on investment analysis, Sharon Taylor, chief architect of ITIL v3, told Baseline magazine. And don't fret if you're already an expert on version 2: according to analysts, version 3 is a natural progression from the previous version.

For all the details on ITIL version 3:
- see this article from Baseline Magazine

Data center bloat continues

Thu, 24 May 2007 20:01:39 -0400

As data centers get more complex, executives are turning to technologies and processes like ITIL, storage capacity management and virtualization to consolidate and simplify their environments, according to a new study conducted by Symantec. The study, a result of interviews with 500 IT professionals worldwide, notes that the most common complaints among those surveyed stem from frustrations with rising numbers of servers and applications, the need to learn and implement more management tools and the hassles associated with managing multiple operating systems. Almost everyone interviewed said they would focus on consolidating data centers in the next year.

For the full story:
- read the CIOinsight article

Analysts identify 6 top traits of effective IT shops

Thu, 24 May 2007 20:01:38 -0400

Analysts at Boston-based consulting firm Ovum Summit identified a series of patterns that effective IT departments follow. Topping the list is a focus on alignment between IT projects and business needs. Other common practices are their use of consolidation and virtualization to become more flexible and investments in software-oriented architecture (SOA) and Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) practices. Indeed, 42 percent of those surveyed said that they are supporting SOA, while 51 percent said that they are using ITIL.

For more on the top 6 traits:
- read this article in Baseline

Survey: ITIL challenges start with staff

Tue, 22 May 2007 20:01:39 -0400

A new survey from G2G3, a communication and gaming solutions vendor, finds that of all of the challenges IT directors face in adopting the new version of the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), the largest are people-related. More than half of those surveyed plan to adopt ITIL V3, but more than 80 percent believe their biggest barriers will include achieving buy-in and gaining support from important stakeholders within the organization. Other concerns include resource issues and time. Only 17 percent believed that the financial implications of adopting the new ITIL V3 framework would pose a barrier to success.

Read more about the challenges in adopting ITIL V3:
- read the press release at ClickPress

ALSO:
- read this on the ROI of ITIL
- and this on making the most of ITIL

The power of CMDB

Tue, 15 May 2007 20:01:38 -0400

The growth of configuration management database (CMDB) systems is one of the major drivers IT transformation, including greater collaboration and innovation. CMDB contains details about each configuration item and describes the most important relationships between items. Although it is part of ITIL, ITIL itself isn't the prime driver for CMDB adoption; the primary driver is the desire to integrate data from multiple solutions. That's because CMDB systems have two parents: one is ITIL, but the second is architectural; finding a way to integrate and reconcile management solutions in a manner that actually works. The point is that both CMDB and ITIL are themselves enablers to achieve greater operational efficiencies, better business alignment, and improved services. The power of CMDB can be enormous. Changes can be managed, controlled and validated with accompanying savings in operational costs, and a longer mean time between failures.

Learn more about CMDB:
- read the article at CIO Update

ALSO: read this on why IT management is at a tipping point

ALSO NOTED: Vista makes headway in the corporate world; Ten tips for technology management;

Wed, 09 May 2007 20:01:38 -0400

> Vista is gaining acceptance among U.S. IT managers. Article

> Ten tips for technology management. Article

> World CIOs talk about common transformation challenges. Article

> The CIO's guide to mobile security. White paper

> Updates to ITIL should benefit IT managers. Article

> Telecom expense management: the bane of the CIO's existence. Article

> Common-sense strategies for lowering TCO. Webcast

> Improve decision-making with spreadsheet optimization. White paper

> Keeping business partners in the loop. Article

And Finally… Careless emailing can cost executives their jobs. Article