Friday, December 4th, 2009

As an IT infrastructure manager, you have been challenged by your CIO to look beyond the horizon and test the waters of remote infrastructure management.Cost is clearly a key driver for your CIO and moving the IT infrastructure services remote (using a remote outsource service provider or setting up a shared service environment) will provide you the obvious cost arbitrage.You realize that it is but a matter of time, before your company joins the offshore bandwagon for its infrastructure services. You need to prepare for the next obvious question. Which areas of the IT infrastructure are best suited to moving into a remote services framework? What mix or remote and onsite services will give you the right cost and performance leverage?The key step at this point is to understand the detail, complexity and performance of your existing infrastructure components. A common mistake at this stage is to jump headlong into a remote management strategy without a thorough view of how your infrastructure elements relate to each other and which your big cost ‘buckets’ are.Mapping your current teams into the following matrix is a useful first step.This matrix rates the relative importance of the IT infrastructure components in terms of its business impact i.e how critical is the segment in its alignment to ...
Tags: Business Impact, Outsource Service Provider, Remote Management
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Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

ITIL certification is for individuals and it signifies different levels of awareness and capability with regard to ITILITIL training is undertaken in the UK by over 30 specialist training companies- All accredited on behalf of the OGC. They use approved course materials based on the official ITIL manuals – and they prepare delegates for exams which are usually included in the training course.ITIL Qualification StructureThere are 4 levels within the ITIL Version 3 qualification structure, providing a systematic route from Foundation through to higher level management qualifications- Foundation- Intermediate- ITIL Expert- ITIL MasterThe new ITIL qualifications scheme recognises the value of existing v2 qualifications and introduces a system that gives credits for both ITIL v2 and v3 courses.To achieve the ITIL Expert qualification, candidates must achieve at least 22 credits, two of which can be gained at Foundation level. (Full details of the credits system, examinations and pre-requisites can be found via thewww.best-management-practice.com website.)ITIL FoundationThis is the first step on the ITIL v3 education programme. The course explains the basics of ITIL, its terminology and common processes. It also travels through the Service Lifecycle, defining the roles and responsibilities involved.Who should attend: Anyone involved in IT or the businessDuration: 3 daysExam: 40 Questions multi choice – pass mark 26Credits: 2ITIL IntermediateAt the ...
Tags: Duration, Scheme Recognises, Specialist Training
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Saturday, November 28th, 2009

GovernanceGovernance is the buzz word these days – you hear of Enterprise Governance, IT Governance, Portfolio Governance, Program Governance, Project Governance, Data Governance, SOA Governance and the list goes on. What is Governance?There is no standard universally accepted definition for IT Governance.We would define governance as a set of protocols, procedures, best practices and guidelines that can be of assistance to make better decisions.Portfolio Governance, Program Governance, Project Governance, Data Governance, SOA Governance and other IT related frameworks are closely tied with IT Governance and IT Governance is integral part of Enterprise Governance.IT strategic governance is required to efficiently manage IT investments. IT strategic frameworks like COBIT and ITIL provide guidance to improve accountability and delivery of IT investments (Programs, Projects, Services and Resources). Strategic Governance has become more critical in the new age of globalization and corporate scandals. We need to consider business IT alignment, new regulatory requirements to support executive management and clearly connect the strategic plans to governance processes. IT departments need to create a strategic plan that describes the mission, vision, goals, priorities, strategies, measures and technologies covering all aspects of IT Department. IT strategic plan is usually derived from the supporting department’s strategic plans.Balanced Scorecard: Developed by Kaplan, a Harvard Business School professor of accounting and Norton, president of Renaissance ...
Tags: Control Objective, Harvard Business School, Program Governance
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Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is an industry-leading set of IT Service Management best practices. These best practices for the support and delivery of IT services can help a company document IT processes.ITIL is part of the foundation of the COBIT model, which defines control objectives for IT in support of business processes.ITIL is about providing guidelines as to what should be done and steps to trying to get best practices in place and COBIT is more about "proving and establishing a set of objectives to show control. It's more of an audit and measurement tool to determine if things were done right.The ITIL process documentation and COBIT control objectives are a powerful combination that can accelerate Sarbanes Oxley and BASEL II compliance as well.ITIL is strong on delivery and support processes. It describes how to structure operational processes but is weak on security controls and processes.COBIT is focused on controls and metrics. It also lacks a security component but provides a more global view of IT processes at the IT organization management principles than ITIL.COBIT and ISO also provide guidance, key indicators, and controls for the definition of service-level agreements, capacity planning, availability management, and business continuity, which complement ITIL service delivery processes.IT organizations are under more pressure to meet ...
Tags: Business Continuity, Business Perspective, Delivery Processes
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Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

What is P3O?The acronym is cryptic - the substance is more straightforward. This is a new set of Best Practice guidance from the OGC for Portfolio, Programme and Project support functions. The emphasis is on generic approaches applicable to all organisations so the OGC has avoided the more limiting but more familiar terminology of Programme & Project Support Office (PPSO).Why Might it Help Me?Organisations which run multiple projects to drive business change usually require a support function which can provide key expertise and co-ordination. There are different approaches and this is recognised by P3O. These new Guidelines bring together a set of principles, processes and techniques to facilitate effective portfolio, programme and project management by proposing proven support structures, roles and responsibilities.What's New?There are well established approaches to the PPSO but this new guidance is specifically formulated to align as fully as possible with the other OGC methodologies - PRINCE2, MSP, and M_o_R.When's it Available?The full Guidance document or manual will publish in November 2008. As with PRINCE2 and ITIL there will be an overview book ("Think P3O") and a pocket book. Training & CertificationThere will be Foundation training to embed core understanding of the methodologies, and Practitioner training to cover application of P3O to real life situations. The Foundation training and exam will be ...
Tags: Choice Exam, Delivery Support, Ppso
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Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

Provaltech offering 24x7x365 remote it infrastructure management, remote it support, network monitoring, remote network monitoring services, exchange server support and it is NOC-based 24x7, automated, management capabilities that can be delivered anywhere, around the world. We have standardized processes, integrated architectures, and delivered significant cost savings in multiple project-based enterprise IT client relationships. Our domain expertise spans a diverse set of systems and technologies that comprise enterprise IT infrastructures of organizations.ProVal’s technology delivery platform enables us to continuously monitor every piece of client IT Infrastructure (including servers, desktops, network equipment, print servers, NAS and SAN devices, VOIP etc) from a single web-based console. This is used by our NOC to deliver 24x7x365 monitoring to leading global companies.ProVal's Infrastructure Management Service solutions enable clients to:Reduce the total cost of IT operationsFocus limited IT resources on core business activitiesRationalize IT staffing costsOptimize IT asset utilizationFacilitate service deliveryImprove uptime and system availability.End-to-End Infrastructure Management ServicesYour IT Infrastructure is critical for your business to function smoothly. It is extremely important for an enterprise to align IT Infrastructure with business goals of efficiency, productivity, and scalability. Sluggish, unplanned, unoptimized, and out-of-date IT Infrastructure can result in losses, lost revenues, unhappy customers and low productivity for your entire organization.Over the last years, ProVal has been at the forefront ...
Tags: Automated Management, Delivery Platform, Entire Organization
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Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

It has become common knowledge that data center automation saves not only IT department’s headaches and money but the companies which employ these departments as well. What isn’t common knowledge is that many while automation solves many problems and frees up a great deal of resources, it does not replace the need for a talented and skilled IT staff. All too often do companies large and small make the mistake of either letting some of their IT professionals go or they transfer them to another department or give them tasks that don’t help the department remain productive.As it is common for overly eager companies to rush head first into network automation without much preparation it is equally common to see these same companies either restart the process or pull back out and forego the process. This happens when IT staff and management have to little experience or aren’t keen on change. These people and companies find it easy to lay blame on the automation process and almost always back out at the first sign of perceived trouble.So what are some of the common mistakes companies make when rushing into and through this process? Most commonly these people believe that a revised run book isn’t essential and that automating the run book so ...
Tags: Center Automation, Foundations, Money
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Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

Fast Track to IT SuccessITIL training underpins the world’s most successful framework for IT Service Management. Pulling together the best practice methods from public and private sectors ITIL is pivotal in ensuring efficient service delivery and in meeting IT Governance objectives.Re-launched in 2007 in the form of Version 3, ITIL now includes a host of new training courses and qualifications, including various bridging courses which are now available. For those with existing ITIL certifications a bridging course will allow you to upgrade your knowledge and fast track your Version 3 qualifications. This article explains who these courses will benefit and how they work.1. ITIL Version 3 – What Makes it Different?The latest version of ITIL builds on its existing well established approaches but interprets them in the context of service lifecycle. It recognises the shift that has occurred over the last few years as IT and IS operations have become integral to all modern organisations, rather than existing as a bolt on function. The earlier editions of ITIL were defined by a number of key processes and for the most part, these remain important within the new structure. The new aspects of ITIL V3 reflect a change in the role of IT within modern organisations:• Service strategy as the central driver ...
Tags: Itil Training, Management Professional, Service Improvement
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Friday, July 17th, 2009

I had never really paid much attention to ITIL training, let alone any other type of training, until the other day when I walked into the office and saw a big notice on the training board announcing an ITIL training course was commencing in the afternoon for all staff.As I read the notice, I realised my organisation had decided that they needed to be more serious about ITIL training. The Top Brass even believed that making a few team leaders aware of the pertinence of ITIL training was not enough; the entire organisation needed an ITIL training course. This meant all staff had to be involved, at every level within the organisation, as ITIL adoption and practice is a cultural change rather than just a change for one or two individuals. If the grapevine was to be believed, it was an attempt to analyse the aptitude of all staff, and maybe plan some downsizing. I didn’t know what to believe, but I knew I wasn’t looking forward to the training. In the past I had always averted training courses as I was afraid of looking ‘silly’ in front of my peers, but today there was no getting out of it as the training had been scheduled for this afternoon.The ITIL training course preliminary ...
Tags: Aptitude, Service Provision, Team Leaders
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Thursday, June 25th, 2009

ITIL, the Information Technology Infrastructure Library, is a set of technologies and concepts that help manage IT development, infrastructure and operations. Implementacion ITIL and proyecto ISO 20000 requires a certain amount of expertise. To implement an ITIL project and be able to certificate this project, companies often need specialized assistance. Consulting services that are focused entirely on la implementacion ITIL, using proyecto ISO 20000, are the best solution available to most companies. Other consulting services might be of use to you in implementing your project using the ISO certification, but services that are only focused on this concept are recommended.Proyecto ISO 20000 represents the first international standard aimed at Information Technology Service Management. This standard describes the management processes necessary to effectively deliver services to businesses and customers.ITIL is the description of important IT practices that can be tailored to fit any IT organization. It has tasks, checklists and procedures needed to provide all practitioners with the right framework for IT requirements and business needs. Implementacion ITIL is rather difficult for most IT organizations.Proyecto ISO 20000 has two parts. The first part is focused on defining the requirements for any business to deliver acceptable quality services to its costumers and the second part describes the practices for Service Management.Proyecto ISO 20000 is ...
Tags: Development Infrastructure, Iso 20000, Satisfaction
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