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 the business goals and direction?

It also measures the difficulty in offshoring the components in terms of the standardization/technology investment and the impact on people.

You can also use it to compare the relative savings for different areas of services. This also forms a framework for you to prioritize which pieces of the infrastructure landscape can be moved remote.



While this analysis is useful in arriving at a high level understanding of which segments can be offshored and the cost savings, there are pitfalls to ‘going remote’ if your team structure and current processes are not conducive.

While there are many ways by which you can assess you current baseline, a good measure to check whether your current state is conducive to ‘going remote’ is your alignment to ITIL.

ITIL (IT infrastructure library) has been increasingly used over the last decade as a framework for aligning the IT services and has been found to yield strong benefits to the adaptors. While there are obvious benefits like structured teams with proper job descriptions and alignment to business, there is growing evidence that ITIL framework helps in making your IT infrastructure ‘offshore-able’.

If your infrastructure management is not efficient and structured, moving to a remote management can prove to be quite a challenge. This is because knowledge transfer to the new supplier/remote team is critical to the success of the project, but if the IT and business knowledge is not documented, there is every chance that the new team will struggle to provide high quality of service. This may come as a surprise to some who may argue that ‘IT infrastructure support is only dependant on the knowledge of the IT components (operating system, hardware etc. but it is a fact that practical business contextual knowledge is a key component of IT infrastructure service. It may not be an overstatement to say that understanding and supporting the IT infrastructure has a critical dependency on understanding the application and business landscape it supports.

ITIL puts a lot of emphasis on RCCA (root cause and corrective actions) and a sound RCCA process is key to understand your infrastructure and its quirks. This ITIL problem management tool is critical not only to transfer knowledge to the remote team, but also ensures that you continue to understand and monitor the performance of the new team on the basis of how well they come up with perceptive root causes and sustainable long terms resolution.

Trend analysis as part of problem management is another useful mechanism for knowledge transfer. The new team gets a perspective of the historical issues and the current trends. Trend analysis also provides a good baseline to decide where to focus key resources.

Proper implementation of CMDB database ensures that the critical ‘black box’ of the infrastructure configs is documented. Understanding and maintaining the customized configs which optimize the performance of applications that run on the servers is an important aspect of the knowledge transfer to the remote team and can ensure the success of the transition.

To summarize, the ITIL framework is not only an effective framework of improving your IT performance but also provides an excellent baseline to evaluate remote infrastructure management. An ITIL implementation streamlines your processes and de-humanizes it to an extent, making it more conducive and ready for moving it remote. To conclude, an ITIL approach combined with the ‘offshoreability’ matrix framework can form the essential first steps towards moving to a remote infrastructure support framework.



By: Shivkumar Gopalan

About the Author:

ITIL certification is for individuals and it signifies different levels of awareness and capability with regard to ITIL

ITIL 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 Structure

There 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 Master

The 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 the

www.best-management-practice.com website.)



ITIL Foundation

This 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 business

Duration: 3 days

Exam: 40 Questions multi choice – pass mark 26

Credits: 2

ITIL Intermediate

At the intermediate level there are 9 modular courses from which students will typically need to acquire 15 credits in order to move on to the “cap-stone” Managing Across the Lifecycle Course and achieve the ITIL Expert qualification

The courses are grouped into 2 streams. It will be possible to “pick and mix” from these various modules to suit the requirements of you and your organisation. There are some constraints to ensure a good mix of topics is covered.

The Service Lifecycle courses (each worth 3 credits) align to each of the 5 core ITIL manuals.

Service Strategy

Service Design

Service Transition

Service Operation

Continual Service ImprovementThe Service Capability courses (each worth 4 credits) focus on ITIL processes:Planning, Protection and Optimisation

Service Offerings and Agreement

Release, Control & Validation

Operational Support & Analysis

Who should attend: IT professionals interested to develop specific ITSM skill sets and those who seek to achieve ITIL Expert status

Duration:Service Lifecycle – 21 hrs minimum (3 or 4 day course), Service Capability – 30 hrs minimum (4 or 5 day course)

Exam:90 minute graduated multiple choice with scenario based questions. Pass mark 65% (75% for a Distinction)

Credits:Service Lifecycle – 3, Service Capability – 4ITIL Expert

The ITIL Expert will replace the current ITIL Manager certification which distinguishes experienced IT service leaders who have studied the application of ITIL in depth.

The version 3 ITIL Expert qualification is obtained upon achievement of 17 or more credits from the Foundation, Intermediate, Bridge or v2 Courses – followed by the broad and high level course – “Managing Across the Lifecycle”.

Managing Across the Lifecycle

The purpose of this module is to consolidate and test the content of the 5 core guidance ITIL manuals. The focus is on business, management and supervisory aspects, with attention given to the interactions between the different ITIL processes.Who should attend:

CIOs, IT Managers, IT Professionals

Duration:

5 days

Exam:

8 multiple choice, scenario based, gradient scored questions.

Pass Mark

28 marks (70%)

In addition, candidates must be able to demonstrate at least 5 years of IT experience and have at least 2 years of experience in an IT service Management environment in a supervisory, managerial or consultancy role.

 ITIL Master

Candidates for this level will be required to have achieved the ITIL Expert certification and to have demonstrated practical application and experience. They will be assessed on the broader issues of ITSM implementations including: 

Managing cultural and organisational change  Responding to industry change  Continual improvement of ITSM capability  Preparing organisations for audit and certification 

This qualification will not be associated with an accredited course. 

ITIL Bridging CoursesAn interim set of Bridging Courses has been introduced for those who have already undertaken training under earlier versions of ITIL and who wish to update their knowledge to reflect the latest release.Foundation Bridge

Who should attend:

Existing holders of the Foundation Certificate. Active members of Service Management teams.

Duration

: 1 day

Content

: An overview of the lifecycle approach to ITIL – highlighting key changes and explaining the benefits

Exam

: 30 minute multiple choice paper with 20 questions – 65% pass mark

Credits

: 0.5 (which can be added to the 1.5 earned from version 1 or version 2 foundation certificates)

 

Manager Bridge

Who should attend:

Existing holders of the Manager’s Certificate who wish to upgrade to the new ITIL Expert qualification. It is not necessary to have taken the Foundation Bridge. CIOs, IT Managers, IT Professionals

Duration

: 4 or 5 days

Content

: In depth coverage of the lifecycle approach to ITIL – highlighting key changes and explaining the benefits

Exam

: 90 minute multiple choice paper with 20 questions – 80% pass mark

Credits

: 5 (which when added to the 17 earned from version 1 or version 2 Service Manager certificates result in the 22 credits required to qualify as an ITIL Expert)

 Practitioner Bridge

Those with at least 12 credits from v2 Practitioner courses but who do not hold the Manager’s Certificate may achieve ITIL Expert status by:  First completing the Manager’s Bridge course and exam  Then completing the Managing across the Lifecycle Course and Exam 

This enables part qualified individuals to obtain ITIL Expert certification without the need to study at the new Intermediate level.

Benefits of ITIL

Investments in information services have frequently been characterised by over spend, under delivery, and a lack of transparency.  ITIL provides a maturity path for IT which is not technology based – providing practical management tools which are accessible to a wider audience.

Benefits of adopting ITIL can include:

- Increased productivity

- Higher levels of customer satisfaction

- Reduced costs

- Improved communications between the IT function and its customers

- Improved morale of service delivery staff

- Lower costs of training

- Better asset utilisationSavings in total costs of ownership of 48% have been reported in case studies.  P&G has attributed savings of 10% of their total IT costs to adoption of ITIL.

Total Cost of Ownership studies by Axios and others suggest 75% of your IT costs are associated with Service Management rather than acquisition and commissioning.  ITIL training and certification can help you understand and optimise the effectiveness of this spend.

 ITIL Training and ISO20000

ITIL embodies the methodologies which underpin the ISO/IEC20000 quality accreditation for organisations with respect to their information systems. This is displacing BS15000 in the UK and is rapidly being adopted as the definitive international standard for IT Service Management.

ISO/IEC20000 is an auditable standard which specifies five key service management processes: 

Service Delivery Processes  Relationship Processes  Resolution Processes  Control Processes  Release Process

 



 

 

 



By: Stephen Twine

About the Author:

 

Governance

Governance 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 Solutions, Balanced scorecard is a strategic planning and performance management framework that enables measurement and translation of strategy into financial and non-financial factors.

 

Balanced scorecard translates the organizations strategy into four perspectives

Financial Performance, Customer Knowledge, Internal Business Processes and Learning & Growth.

What is CobiT:

 

Control Objectives for Information Technology (CobiT) is a set of standards for guiding management in the sound use of information technology published by Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) and and the IT Governance Institute (ITGI)

 

CobiT4.1 has 34 high level processes that cover 210 control objectives categorized in four domains: Planning and Organization, Acquisition and Implementation, Delivery and Support, and Monitoring.

 

What is ITIL:

 

ITIL(the IT Infrastructure Library ) is the most widely accepted approach to IT service management in the world.The ‘IT Infrastructure Library’ was originally created by the United Kingdom Government.

 

ITIL version 3 release has a significant change of framework from the previous emphasis on IT process to a total lifecycle approach (Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Transition and Continual Service Improvement).

 

Portfolio Governance:

 

Portfolio Governance defines the processes and procedures for the management of IT Portfolio ( Programs, Projects and Tasks).

Portfolio Management is the key for IT Governance since it covers the planning and management of total IT investments.

 

Assign PMO irrespective of the type (Centralized PMO, Consulting PMO or Blended PMO) with Portfolio Management would create a IT value governance structure that can reap huge benifits to the organiation.

 

IT Portfolio usually created from the business strategies will need to be supported by PMO to standardize and govern the programs and projects in the approved portfolio providing a full value governance flow for IT investment.

Program Management Standard / Managing Successful Programs (MSP)

Standard for Program Management is a collection of five process groups and the program life cycle practices published by Project Management Institute(PMI).

 

Process Groups Are



Initiating Process Group,



Planning Process Group,



Executing Process Group,



Monitoring & Controlling Process Group



Closing Process Group.





 

Program lifecycle includues the following

 





Pre Program Setup



Program Setup



Establish Program Managment



Deliver Benifits



Close Program



MSP (Managing Successful Programs) is a framework for program management ublished by the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) now part of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC). MSP is widely recognised and popular in Europe

 

MSP Process are

 



Identify Program



Define Program



Govern Program



Manage Portfolio



Manage Benifits



Close Program





PMBOK / PRINCE2:

PMBOK – Project Management Body Of Knowledge is a collection of five process groups and nine knowledge areas for effective project management best practices published by Project Management Institute(PMI). PMBOK is widely recognised and popular in North America.

 

Process Groups are Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling and Closing.

 

Knowledge Areas Are:



Project Integration Management



Project Scope Management



Project Time Management



Project Cost Management



Project Quality Management



Project Human Resource Management



Project Communications Management



Project Risk Management



Project Procurement Management





 

PRINCE2 (Projects IN Controlled Environment) is a process-based method with eight processes and four phases for effective project management developed by the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) now part of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC). PRINCE2 is widely recognized and popular in Europe

 

Process Groups Are



Planning



Starting up a project



Initiating a project



Controlling a stage



Managing product delivery



Managing stage boundaries



Closing a project

Process Phases Are: Starting a project, Initiating a project,  Implementing a project, and Closing a project.



Please refer to the other articles from www.governancetraining.com to understand IT governance and advance your career by appropriate governance certifications.

 

By: BTG

About the Author:

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 the business goals. ITIL and COBIT can enable organizations:

1.Manage IT from a business perspective and achieve business goals. 2.Put in place clear process goals, based on the organization’s business goals 3.Ensure effective IT governance and control at the process level, and enable IT to demonstrate that it meets or exceeds the requirements.

COBIT processes are focused on business requirements, and provide guidance in determining what is sufficient to meet these requirements. ITIL defines best practice processes for ITSM and shows how to get there. It focuses on method and defines a more comprehensive set of processes than COBIT, providing a roadmap for building processes. With the combination of ITIL and COBIT, IT can meet business objectives and thus delivering higher quality business services at lower costs.



By: Ranjan Arora

About the Author:

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 & Certification

There 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 available from November – and can be booked now.  It will be run as either a 2 or 3 day course with a multiple choice exam taken on the final day.

Foundation Level Qualification – 2 days

Target Audience

Those wishing to find guidance or advice on setting up or running an effective delivery support office in alignment with OGC’s Best Practice guidance.

Learning Objectives

The purpose of the Portfolio, Programme and Project Office (P3O) guidance is to provide universally applicable guidance that will enable individuals and organisations to successfully establish, develop and maintain appropriate business support structures that will allow:

- Informed senior management decision making on strategic alignment, prioritisation, risk management, optimisation of resource etc to successfully deliver their business objectives (portfolio management).

- Identification and realisation of business outcomes and benefits via programmes.

- Successful delivery of project outputs that enable benefits within time, cost and quality restraints.

Course Summary

A P3O model provides a decision enabling/delivery support structure for all change within an organisation. This may be provided through a single permanent office which may exist under several different names e.g., Portfolio Office, Centre of Excellence, Enterprise or Corporate Programme Office. It may otherwise be provided through a linked set of offices (portfolio office, programme offices, project offices), both permanent (enabling/supporting business objectives and consistency of delivery) and temporary (enabling/supporting specific programmes and projects), providing a mix of central and localised services.

This new guidance – aligned to OGC’s PRINCE2, MSP, and MoR – will bring together in one place a set of principles, processes and techniques to facilitate effective portfolio, programme and project management through enablement, challenge and support structures. These structures also bridge the gap between the strategy/policy makers and the delivery arm of the organisation.

Examinations

There will be a Foundation qualification based on an objective test exam along the same lines as the other OGC qualifications. The exam will focus on concepts, structures and duties of a P3O and is aimed at anyone who works with or in a P3O. The Foundation exam will be available when the guidance is published and a Practitioner qualification will follow after launch. The higher qualification is designed for those responsible for setting up, managing, or improving a P3O. model.



By: Stephen Twine

About the Author:

Provaltech offering 24x7x365 remote it infrastructure management, remote it support, network monitoring, remote network monitoring services, exchange server support and it is NOC-based 24×7, 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 operations

Focus limited IT resources on core business activities

Rationalize IT staffing costs

Optimize IT asset utilization

Facilitate service delivery

Improve uptime and system availability.

End-to-End Infrastructure Management Services

Your 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 of IT solutions that meet client IT support and monitoring needs. The company’s commitment to identifying, implementing and managing these technologies enable ProVal to provide real-time data through secure, remote access. This ultimately translates to maximized efficiencies within the IT infrastructure.

ProVal has extensive experience in planning and designing complex IT Infrastructure environments for all kinds of enterprises. We follow best practices as defined by the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), the industry standard for IT management, which ensures that we help build a solid foundation for our customers.

Please visit www.provaltech.com for more information,

or

send us an e-mail at sales@provaltech.com

http://www.provaltech.com/



By: ProVal Technologies

About the Author:

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 that it can manage and update itself is something that’s just not needed.  Many untried IT professionals will also pass up the opportunity to have ITIL automated which then leads to problems down the line as the run book and ITIL are the foundations on which a their networks stand.

Sadly these missteps and shortcuts turn into costly blunders and often require a company to start the process again from scratch.  These mistakes are easily avoided as well by taking things slow, performing research on not only organizations that offer automation services but taking the time to determine which services your company and network need as well.   It is not unusual too, to find companies that have gone overboard with the process especially when expectations are high.  Going this route carries with it a whole host of problems as well however it’s always easier to trim the edges of something when you have too much than it is to work with to little.

If you find yourself or a company with whom you are employed in a situation where the decision to automate has just been handed down, remind those involved to not only be patient but to keep their expectations realistic.  Sure you’ll have the opportunity to delegate new tasks to those who once micromanaged your network but you’ll still need a full and talented staff on call to keep things running smoothly.  Take things slow and spend some time in preparation for the transition.  Following simple steps like those can help ensure that your networks perform better than ever after automation is complete.



By: Scott Jarvis

About the Author:

Fast Track to IT Success

ITIL 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 • Emphasis on service rather than process • Dynamic service portfolio rather than linear service catalogue • Integration (not just alignment) of IT with the rest of the organisation • The cycle of ‘Continuous Service Improvement’

2. The ITIL Qualification Structure

There are four levels within the new ITIL scheme comprising:

• Foundation • Intermediate (Service Lifecycle & Service Capability) • ITIL Expert • Advanced Service Management Professional

The improved ITIL qualifications scheme introduces a new credit system. For example, to achieve the ITIL Expert qualification, candidates must achieve at least 22 credits, two of which can be gained at Foundation level. Credits are awarded for both ITIL V2 and V3 training courses.

Those people with an existing ITIL certification can undertake a bridging course which brings you up to date with the new aspects of ITIL.

More information about the new ITIL Qualification structure can be found at the www.focusprojects.co.uk/itsm website.

3. ITIL Foundation Bridge

The ITIL Foundation Bridge course is for anyone who holds an earlier version ITIL Foundation certificate and who wants to obtain Version 3 certification. It provides an intensive overview of the new and modified topics in ITIL Version 3. Firstly, the Service Management Lifestyle is introduced (Strategy, Design, Transition, Operation and Continual Improvement), followed by the contribution of ITIL processes to each of the 5 elements.

The course assumes a level of knowledge of the basic ITIL concepts and processes. If this is not the case then a 3 day ITIL Foundation V3 course should be selected.

Acquiring the Version 3 Foundation via this route (or by taking the full Foundation exam again) is mandatory for those seeking the new Intermediate and ITIL Expert qualifications. It is not necessary for those eligible to bridge via the Practitioner or Manager Bridge routes (as explained below).

The exam is a 20 question, closed book multiple choice paper which takes 30 minutes to complete. The pass mark is 65% and successful candidates are awarded 0.5 credits under the ITIL qualification scheme bringing their foundation credits to 2.0 (1.5 credits are given for the Version 1 or 2 certificate).



4. ITIL Manager’s Bridge

The ITIL Manager’s Bridge training course is for those who hold an earlier version ITIL Manager’s certificate and who wish to pursue the Version 3 ITIL Expert certificate.

This course also covers the new and modified topics in ITIL Version 3 and explores the new elements under the following headings:

• Service Management as a Practice • The Service Lifecycle • Generic Concepts & Definitions • Key principles and Models • Processes • Functions • Roles & Organisation • Technology & Architecture • Implementation Considerations • Complementary Industry Guidance (other frameworks)

The course lasts between 4 and 5 days with the exam taken on the final day. The exam itself comprises a 20 question closed book, scenario based, complex multiple choice paper. It takes 90 minutes and the pass mark is 80%.

It isn’t necessary to upgrade your Foundation certificate before following this route. Successful candidates achieve ITIL Expert certification without the need for further study under the Version 3 scheme.

5. ITIL Practitioner Bridge

If you already have substantial certification under the ITIL Practitioner certificate level there is a third bridging route. The pre-requisite is that you hold a minimum of 12 credits from Version 1 or 2 certificates in non duplicated areas (3.5 credits for ‘clustered’ practitioner certificates and 2 credits for ‘single’ practitioner certificates).

Candidates following this route first complete the Manager’s Bridge course through an accredited training provider then undertake the new ‘Managing through the Lifecycle’ course.

Focus on Training specialises in the provision of best practice training for the Project Management and IT Service Management sectors including ITIL training.

Focus is an active member of the IT Service Management Forum which plays a central role in updating and disseminating the ITIL framework through its international network of 6000 organisations and 70,000 IT professionals.



By: Steve Twine

About the Author:

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 discussion meeting was scheduled at 4pm and everyone had to meet in the training room. As I knew so little about what to expect, I spent my lunch hour surfing the net, gleaning information about the up and coming training. In a short time I found a website that had a detailed page about ITIL. In fact it was through this source that I found out what ITIL stands for: Information Technology Infrastructure Library, which is a set of concepts and policies that help to manage IT. From a business prospective, best practices as advocated by ITIL, address service provision related issues and therefore justify the critical relevance attached to ITIL courses and certification programs.

To my surprise it all made sense and I found that ITIL was actually needed for a business but, because I was not directly related to the technical stream, I was still confused as to how an ITIL course would be of benefit to me. However, the prelim meeting clarified the doubts I had: there wasn’t one defined ITIL training course module for all.

Depending upon your personal background and functionality, there are three typical training levels. The basic level, or the foundation, ITIL training course comprises of a general overview: covering the concept; objectives; benefits and terms needed to understand the essentials. This level of training meets with the processes associated within an ITIL framework, and that was the category I was enrolled in.

The next level of an ITIL training course is for practitioners. At this stage, learners are involved in discussions and edification programs, which enable a better insight to the basic ITIL best practice framework. The third ITIL training course level, or the highest level, is basically for Managers who have an adequate functional experience. This level of training focuses more upon developing the vision in relevance to ITIL alignment within an organisation.

With all the information I had, I realised that an ITIL course was not anything to be scared of. In fact, post the initial meeting, I was really interested in knowing more about the best practice framework, and the day became the start of embracing extended learning instead of running away from it.

So, if you’re organisation is talking about an ITIL training course, welcome it with open arms because like me, not only will you expand your education but it could increase your confidence in the workplace (and maybe the chance of a promotion!)



By: Robert Norton

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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 complementary and aligned with the process approach that is found within implementacion ITIL. The first part of ISO 20000 has ten sections, all aimed at delivering managed services that meet customers’ and business requirements. The integrated process promoted by this certification makes proyecto ISO 20000 hard to implement without specialized consultation.

Implementacion ITIL and proyecto ISO aim at customer and business satisfaction, but meeting the requirements and actually implementing the project may turn out to be difficult for many organizations. Fortunately for them, there are specialized consulting services that can assist them in this respect.

Spanish and Portuguese consulting services for implementacion ITIL and proyecto ISO 20000 can easily be found on the Internet. However, not all consulting services can deliver great results. When it comes to implementing a project and certification, time is very important. Because of this aspect alone, you should find consulting services that are only focused on implementacion ITIL and proyecto ISO 20000.

The technology that the consulting service has and the number of consultants certified in proyecto ISO 20000 makes the difference between a great implementacion ITIL and a poor one. Solid knowledge in the workings of an IT department is also crucial for proyecto ISO 20000.

When choosing a consulting service for implementacion IITL and for proyecto ISO 20000, it is very important that you opt for the best service available. Time is very important when dealing with projects, business and customer satisfaction is necessary and most importantly the success of the implementation is tightly related to your future profitability.  Consulting services that deliver great results, in a determined period of time and at competitive prices are by far your best option when dealing with proyecto ISO 20000 and implementacion ITIL.



By: Groshan Fabiola

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