ITIL

This treasure trove of information can help cut IT support costs and boost service desk success.

The purpose of this paper is to present a method for reducing risk and increasing IT contribution during uncertain times and to assist readers with measuring the value and building a business case for IT Service Management (ITSM).

Since the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) made revisions to the Financial Reporting Model Regulation (Model Audit Rule) in June 2006, the insurance industry’s attention to the risks associated with financial reporting has been on the rise. Structured similarly to Section 404 of the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act, the Model Audit rule places a significant burden on C‐level executives to ensure their oversight in the internal controls for financial reporting (ICFR) process. Executives within these insurance organizations, both public and private, will be required to evaluate their internal controls in preparation for the first reports due in 2010 for the 2009 reporting period.

This comprehensive white paper applies automation and ITIL best practices to the data center and reviews current industry trends, server automation energy usage issues and a variety of optimization strategies for data center improvement.  The effects of virtualization are explored in-depth.  Includes detailed sections on increasing operational efficiency using workflow analysis, automating and optimizing server change management, reducing infrastructure complexity and developing security, disaster recovery and business continuity procedures.  Step by step instructions for developing metrics and a business case to justify data center and server automation are included.

Improve operational efficiencies with next-gen networks and servicesThere has never been a better time for service providers to streamline operations, improve responsiveness and reduce costs. Find out in this white paper how all three can be accomplished with IBM Tivoli® Netcool® solutions. Also discover methods to boost efficiency and minimize expenditures.

ITIL has proven to be a veritable blueprint for repeatable best practices in the data center. Windows Vista migration features provide support for ITIL fundamental operations, as you’ll hear about in this informative podcast with Dell ITIL expert Don Bui.

The stark reality of the data center today is mixed platforms, operating systems and hardware. Fortunately Windows Vista has been engineered to integrate smoothly into these so-called hybrid environments, as you’ll learn in this podcast featuring Microsoft expert Chris Ross.

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library offers basic steps for managing a successful Windows Vista migration.

To perform a successful and cost-effective Windows Vista migration, organizations must have a readiness plan in place. Assessing readiness can help your organization understand the current level of capability and maturity, and provide a guide for addressing trouble spots.

Windows Vista® offers a new way to deliver manageable IT services that are planned for security service-level agreements (SLAs), while helping to lower the cost of ownership, management, and deployment.

The Choices from many reputable suppliers of IT managed services can appear very much alike. Yet when you have a mission-critical business process whose function must not be interrupted, you know your requirements call for something above and beyond. This paper serves as a field guide to help you identify key characteristics that set a critical managed IT service apart from even highly capable general-purpose offerings.

In this first chapter of "The Shortcut Guide to IT Service Management and Automation," you will be led through a step by step analysis of your company's IT and business relationships, providing you with a basis for a strategic plan to turn service lifecycle management into a valuable business asset. Author and compliance expert Rebecca Herold demonstrates how technology acts as a strategic differentiator by enabling business growth, driving operational efficiencies to lower maintenance costs, optimizing outcomes, and reducing IT risks.

Today, an IT-driven, customer-centric business approach isn’t a luxury — it’s imperative. More and more businesses are moving out of a cost-centric view of their IT potential and into a realization that IT can transform business processes. This white paper shows how you can maximize your IT function by leveraging ITIL best practice processes. These guidelines can help you effectively manage IT changes, assets, personnel and service levels all while reducing costs—going beyond simple IT asset management to deliver proactive IT business improvements.

For a growing business, it’s increasingly difficult to integrate technological solutions and services to improve service management. So various frameworks have been created to help today’s IT professionals optimize their use of technology in managing IT processes. The third version of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) provides the latest set of process best practices for any service management improvement effort.

IT is becoming increasingly important in virtually every aspect of business. For enterprises to compete effectively in the marketplace, IT service management must broaden its focus and take a more holistic attitude toward IT service provision. The goal is to resolve the disconnect between IT and business within organizations in order to achieve necessary levels of resilience, control, availability and quality of service.

Infrastructure Performance Management (IPM) applies to operations quality. Implemented well, IPM frees you from constant firefighting and can transform your role from tactical first responder to strategic business enabler. Applying good IPM technology and processes can deliver a number of benefits to your career as well as to your organization. This report introduces IPM, offers tips for successful IPM implementation, and explores how IPM can benefit your enterprise as well as your career.

This case study highlights how a leading transportation firm uses executive financial incentives to insure the highest system uptime for its customers. With the need to keep thousands of vehicles and employees on the move and process millions of daily transactions, keeping mission critical systems running is essential for financial performance.

This white paper describes critical steps IT executives must take to prepare for change and manage an ITSM implementation to maximize its value and ensure that it achieves the full transformation effect it is capable of delivering. IT Service Management (ITSM) is a proven and effective framework for helping IT organizations become more adaptive, flexible, cost effective, and service oriented.

IT Asset Management (ITAM) is a cornerstone of IT Service Management (ITSM) yet is often omitted from existing ITSM implementations or initiatives. Version 3 of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) expands the processes, functions and roles in the service life cycle. However, it still does not provide enough details on key process and functional integration points for ITAM.

Challenges like competitive pressures, compliance activities and higher operational costs make service management more critical than ever. To keep up, IT operations must constantly improve visibility, control and automation while bridging the gaps among business, development and daily operations.

In this document, you'll learn to enable the successful execution and completion of IPT Deployment projects through a standardized set of processes and methodologies based upon Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) standards.

Organizations implemented ITIL with the goal of creating a set of standards to ensure the delivery of high-quality and efficient technical support. However, many organizations are now looking to realize near-term business value from their investments in ITIL. This ITIL Quickguide outlines how organizations can leverage remote support solutions to accelerate ITIL initiatives and realize near-term business value.

Demand for IT services is outpacing the growth of IT budgets. The business constantly requests new services, requires higher service levels, and expects more consistent service delivery. With supply constrained, the only solution is to manage this demand more effectively. The new version of ITIL prescribes essential changes to help IT and the business tackle this difficult task.

Many organizations implementing ITIL as part of their IT Service Management framework begin with the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). While a CMDB is a key piece of any successful ITIL implementation, there are several traps that are easily fallen into when implementing one.

This white paper outlines the challenges associated with IT Request Management and ten best practices that represent the hard-won knowledge from dozens of successful Service Request Management projects. By following these guidelines, your IT organization can provide more responsive service delivery, increase operational efficiency, and improve internal customer satisfaction.