WhatDoYouThinkOfTheItilFramework

Several customers have mentioned the ITIL framework.

I know what it is. But I don't know much about its usefulness.

What experience do you have with the framework?
What do you think of it?
Who do you think that I should talk to about it?

SteveSmith 2004.01.11

And I don't know what it is. URL?

-- JimBullock 2004.01.12

http://www.pinkelephant.com/aboutitil.htm

SteveSmith 2004.01.13

Here's what I have after a look at the web site just long enough to download the various documents freely available.

Looks like they sell training, certification, and consulting.
I see a lot of white papers that sound like "about" vs. "how"
There's a "refresh" for download, but I can't casually find the baseline being refreshed.
I have no idea why I should listen to them, vs. every other purveyor of formulas for the right way (at a fee.)
Quote - "integrated, process based, best practice framework"
Quote - "the only comprehensive, non-proprietary, publicly available guidance"

That's a lot of red flags. Also, I found titles and descriptions "about" the guidance, but not the guidance itself. That "non-proprietary, publicly available" guidance, you have to pay for, it looks like. And it's trademarked, service marked, copyrighted. So hardly "non-proprietary" and "publicaly available." Not associated with any particular hardware or OS, I'll believe for now, until I look at their funding & membership.

From the information obviously avaialble, I declined to sign up for their free newsletter. I don't understand why it would be valuable. This isn't about their content. For all I know, they have the Holy Grail. But what's obviously available looks more like selling stuff to be selling stuff, about selling stuff.

Ironically, I was reading one of Sun's publications on data center consolidation this AM. That material is hardly "fair and balanced" but, with the Sun logo all over it, and given away for free (if you sign up for some Java thing-y I wanted anyway, and you don't have to take the book) I know it's advertising before I start.

Why the interest, Steve?

-- Jim (Having more fun deconstructing "technical" pubs than literature.)

It just occurred to me. Is this a joke? - jb

This is not a joke.

You ask for a web address so I gave you pink elephant's. There are other companies who offer services similar to pink elephant's.

I am interested because 1) I have a customer who uses ITIL and 2) I'm about to go to to a 3 day class on it.

I found a friend that is familiar with it. We are going to talk this week.

SteveSmith 2004.01.18

We use the ITIL (or ITSM - IT Service Management) framework heavily at Exel. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have about it (mail [email protected]). Like any of these "off the shelf" things describing themselves as BestPractice it has some good stuff in it - principally the seperation of Incident and Problem Management. Incident Management is the equivalent of the AAA and Problem Management is you taking your car to the local garage to figure out what the root cause(s) of your problems are.

PhilStubbington 2004.02.22

Is it now mandatory to use the word "best" in front of the word "practice"?

---Michael B. (the B stands for "Best") 2004.02.23

Steve - our organization has been working towards implementation of the ITIL strategy over the past year or so. Like Phil said above, it provides a framework for IT services to be broken down into Incidents, Problems, Changes, Services, etc. We have found it helpful in defining our project management and change control processes. We are currently looking at purchasing a product called Infra which provides the service management software for configuration management, service (or Help) desk, change approval, etc. using the ITIL framework. Email me at [email protected] if you'd like or we can talk at the conference if you want more info.PaulaObrien 10-10-04

Updated: Sunday, October 10, 2004