Much ado about ITIL

Insightful analysis by consultants Steve Taylor and Jim Metzler, plus links to the latest WAN news headlines

Over the last few years the networking world has changed dramatically. It was not that long ago that networks used to be somewhat unstable and hence required a lot of support to ensure acceptable availability. It was also not that long ago that networks were all wired and were relatively simple. Now networks are both wired and wireless and contain myriad functionality including network and application optimization, QoS, firewalls, intrusion detection systems and intrusion protection systems. As the next several newsletters will point out, along the way the role of the network manager has changed and is likely to continue to change.

One of ways that the role of the network manager is changing is the heightened interest in implementing more effective management practices. That interest is the primary factor driving IT organizations to look at using a framework such as IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) to improve their network management practices. 

To better understand the changing role of the network manager in general, and the interest in ITIL in particular, we recently surveyed 176 IT professionals and conducted interviews with 7 of them. The survey respondents were asked if their organization has an IT service management process like ITIL in place or intends to adopt such a process within the next 12 months. The majority of respondents (62%) indicated that their organizations do have such a process in place. Of those respondents who do not, a similar percentage (63%) believe that their organization will put such a process in place within the next 12 months. The fact that 86% of respondents stated that their organization either have or will have within 12 months a service management process in place indicates the emphasis being placed within the Network Operations Center (NOC) to improve its processes.

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Over the last few years the networking world has changed dramatically. It was not that long ago that networks used to be somewhat unstable and hence required a lot of support to ensure acceptable availability. It was also not that long ago that networks were all wired and were relatively simple. Now networks are both wired and wireless and contain myriad functionality including network and application optimization, QoS, firewalls, intrusion detection systems and intrusion protection systems. As the next several newsletters will point out, along the way the role of the network manager has changed and is likely to continue to change.

One of ways that the role of the network manager is changing is the heightened interest in implementing more effective management practices. That interest is the primary factor driving IT organizations to look at using a framework such as IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) to improve their network management practices. 

To better understand the changing role of the network manager in general, and the interest in ITIL in particular, we recently surveyed 176 IT professionals and conducted interviews with 7 of them. The survey respondents were asked if their organization has an IT service management process like ITIL in place or intends to adopt such a process within the next 12 months. The majority of respondents (62%) indicated that their organizations do have such a process in place. Of those respondents who do not, a similar percentage (63%) believe that their organization will put such a process in place within the next 12 months. The fact that 86% of respondents stated that their organization either have or will have within 12 months a service management process in place indicates the emphasis being placed within the Network Operations Center (NOC) to improve its processes.

On April 2, Jim moderated the network management track at Network World’s IT Roadmap conference in Chicago. He asked the audience how many of them were either using ITIL or planned to. The results closely matched the survey results described above. However, in addition, Jim asked the audience how many of them were optimistic that the use of ITIL either already had or soon would enable them to make a significant improvement to their management processes. Very few hands were raised.

As mentioned, part of the market research we conducted into the changing role of the NOC involved interviews with 7 IT professionals, most of whom reflected the same view that Jim got in Chicago. For example, The CIO of a medical supplies company said that his organization tried to use ITIL to improve some of its processes. However, while he does not disagree with the benefits promised by ITIL, he finds it to be too theoretical and he lacks the resources to get deeply involved with it. A network analyst at a large manufacturing organization stated that his organization has begun to use ITIL but they “do not live by the [ITIL] book.” He believes ITIL will make a difference, but probably not that big of a difference.

Steve Taylor is president of Distributed Networking Associates and publisher/editor-in-chief of Webtorials. Jim Metzler is vice president of Ashton, Metzler & Associates.