* U.K.’s Office of Government Commerce latest guidelines for efficient IT service delivery
On May 30, the U.K.’s Office of Government Commerce replaced the current eight-book ITIL library – a set of rules for how to deliver IT services more efficiently by improving management processes across IT departments that support networks, applications, databases and systems – with a core set of five publications that provide more specific guidance.
Information Technology Infrastructure Library Version 3 focuses on the strategy of IT within an organization and on continual improvement. The books emphasize that processes need to form part of the overall business strategy and that they need to be directly linked to business outcomes.
In a package of stories providing a thorough look at the new books, my colleague Denise Dubie quotes Sharon Taylor, president of IT service management consultancy Aspect Group, Inc. (AGI) in Ottawa, Canada, and chief architect of ITIL V3, as saying that the latest set of rules take a life-cycle approach to IT service management and expands beyond operational practices to move ITIL discussions to executive offices.
V3 differs from the previous version, V2 – first published in 2000 – as it explains how process improvement should be done, as opposed to outlining what should be done. The ITIL V3 project was originally launched in 2004, and involved consultations with ITSM practitioners, vendors, qualification bodies, exam institutes and education providers around the world.
As described on the OGC Web site, the five books are:
* Service Strategies – Targeted at senior leaders who need to understand strategic analysis, planning, positioning, and implementation with respect to service models, strategies and strategic objectives.
* Service Design – Targeted at service managers and providers. This book translates strategic plans and objectives and creates the designs and specifications for execution through service transition and operations.
* Service Transition – Targeted at IT service managers, owners and operational staff. This book provides guidance to ensure that the design will deliver the intended strategy and that it can be operated and maintained effectively.
* Service Operation – Targeted at service owners, operational staff, vendors and service providers. This book helps readers manage a service through its production life of day-to-day management.
* Continual Service Improvement – Targeted at service planners, service designers, business and IT leaders, IT service managers, service owners and operational staff. The book helps to ensure the service delivers the maximum benefit and measures its performance through its life, suggesting improvements along the way.
Back in August, in this newsletter we discussed whether ITIL training is worthwhile given that in some regions – particularly in Europe and Canada – the demand for IT execs with ITIL skills is on the rise. Some jobs advertised in the United States are also starting to call for ITIL certification.
There are three levels of ITIL certification – Foundation, Practitioner and Service Manager (see the August newsletter for a more in-depth explanation). According to the OGC, all current certifications will continue to be valid under ITIL V3, though the certifications will likely be changing to align with the new set of guidelines. No further details are available from the OGC yet.
The OGC recommends reading all five books to help you in your job since all processes are interrelated and affect the ultimate outcome to the business. But it also recommends paying close attention to the specific book that is applicable to your job
More information about ITIL V3 can be found at the ITIL Web site. Also, check out Denise Dubie’s package of stories that take a deep dive into ITIL V3.
* Editor’s Note: Check out Network World’s Cisco Subnet and Microsoft Subnet for monthly book giveaway competitions. Up for grabs at Cisco Subnet are 10 copies of “CCNP Quick Reference Sheets Bundle” by Denise Donohue, Brent Stewart and Jay Swan, a concise review of the objectives on all four of the new CCNP exams. Microsoft Subnet is giving away 15 copies of “Windows PowerShell Unleashed,” which provides PowerShell basics. Good luck!
