CIOs call end-users 'irritating'
By Linda King, G2G3
I read this morning an article on ComputerWeekly.com that surprised me. In a survey, UK CIOs and senior IT professionals were asked to reveal their top 'irritants' in their working environments. Unbelievably and almost at the top of the list, coming in at Number 3 - was 'End-users in general'. Is this a joke? Do senior IT professionals at this level genuinely think that the business they serve and the end-users within it are nothing but an irritant? If these survey results are true, then what does it say about IT? To me it shows a complete lack of respect, as well as an inability to see the 'bigger picture' of the business as a whole. End-users are not there to 'irritate' IT - but to work together with them to achieve the goals of the organization. Surveys like this simply help create a divide between IT and the business - one which so many of us in G2G3 and across the industry are trying so hard to break down.
Technology, our constant companion
By Jenny McLeod, G2G3
For the past week the voice of disgruntled Fringe lovers has echoed throughout Edinburgh. Unexpected IT issues meant that, until today the advance-booking system was not in operation and weeks of careful highlighting could not be brought to fruition. Yes, this was an inconvenience for those whose August plans were temporarily postponed, but it also highlights the vital role that technology has come to play in our daily lives - even in the simple act of purchasing a ticket! It's not that I think this technological crutch should be removed, only that we should be emotionally prepared for the times in which we are unexpectedly abandoned. My internet connection was down for thirty minutes today and in this short time I began to wonder how my life had ever functioned without email, google and my daily Facebook fix! Technology is our constant companion and this makes the times in which things go wrong all the more unsettling. Thankfully it has been all systems go for the Fringe office today and with nearly 1.7 million tickets sold in 2007, let's just hope that these technical issues have been permanently combed out.
The allure of ITIL
By Linda King, G2G3
I have been working on an editorial piece this week for a leading service management magazine on the growth and adoption of ITIL. It was an eye opening piece of writing for me to be honest... do organizations who are implementing ITIL actually evaluate the strengths of ITIL against other frameworks? Or do they simply jump on the ITIL bandwagon, led by its ever increasing popularity and column inches? In adopting ITIL, many IT organizations think it will be a panacea to their issues with the added bonus of raising their profile and increasing the perceived brand value of IT. But when you actually seek empirical evidence of the benefits of ITIL, there is very little around - apart from that put forward by over-eager vendors who are trying to put numbers where their hype is.
Don't get me wrong - implemented well, ITIL can be highly beneficial, and has been for thousands of organizations. But there are alternatives to ITIL, many of which are overlooked in the rush to jump into the ITIL pond - internally defined or homespun processes, COBIT, ITSMBoK, MOF, Lean, ISO/IEC 20000 etc. Some of these alternatives are very different to ITIL - but all offer unique benefits. The key is to understanding what each offers. As the saying goes... 'an educated consumer is the best customerÂ’'. And education and understanding is key to creating the readiness required to make any of these frameworks or initiatives a success.
New iPhone Buzz!
By Derek Watson, G2G3
The Apple hype is in serious overdrive at the moment! Today is the day that Steve Jobs gives his latest keynote address... and as part of that, we expect the much anticipated launch of the new 3G iPhone! Will the reality live up to the hype? We certainly hope so - as a company of predominantly Blackberry users, most people in G2G3 ooh and aahhh over my iPhone (yes, I'm lucky enough to have one!). The thought of a brand, spanking new, enterprise-savvy model is making everyone prick up their ears... and creating a real buzz in the industry. This of course is being helped by the Apple marketing machine, backed up by rumors, mocked-up pictures of the new phones, as well as mysterious 'unmarked' boxes being shipped to Apple stores, labelled 'Do Not Open till the 10th June'!! We can't help but love the hype - it's great to see such anticipation and buzz around technology. Although, it means my iPhone will be superseded by tomorrow which is not such good news for me...
ITIL V3 - One year on
By Linda King, G2G3
Happy 1st Birthday ITIL V3!!! It's now just over a year since ITIL V3 was launched, and I think it would be fair to say like any typical one year old, it's toddling along, taking tentative steps and building in confidence. However, there remains a fair amount of confusion across the industry in general about the update, and the supporting qualifications are still in a state of significant flux. Things are moving slowly in the right direction, but one has to question how ready the ITSM industry actually was (and still is!) to support ITIL V3. Readiness is a prerequisite of success. Attempting to create readiness after the event is like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted - and this, without doubt, is what has caused the uncertainty and flux currently being experienced - particularly in the area of ITIL V3 education.
