IBM today will make available an update to a free tool that provides IT managers with access to best practices surrounding IT service management and governance frameworks.

IBM Tivoli Unified Process (ITUP) is a Web-based tool that IT managers can tap for information, guidance and detailed how-to steps to help them better understand the processes of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), among other best practice frameworks. With more then 6,500 downloads since ITUP's debut in spring 2005, IBM officials say the update will provide existing and new customers more integrated process information. Plus the online resource equips IT managers with IBM's experience across hundreds of customer networks, the company says.

"IBM’s free IT service management assessment tool incorporates multiple best practice frameworks in a single integrated model,” said Jeanine Cotter, vice president of IT Strategy & Architecture Services, in a statement from IBM.

In the new version, ITUP is enhanced to provide information on process integration -- among service management standards such as ITIL, COBIT, ISO IEC 2000 -- and now includes documentation of IBM's Process Reference Model for the Business of IT.

At its core, ITUP is built upon IBM's Process Reference Model for IT (which resembles ITIL process models) and provides a point-and-click interface that helps IT managers better understand each process, IBM says. The Web-based tool pulls information from ITUP Method Library, a database which includes process knowledge and documentation from IBM's consulting engagements over the years.

The latest version of ITUP is available for free here.