Having recently stumbled on the itSMF International annual report for 2008/2009 (if there was any notification to members I don't recall seeing it, but then I don't recall many things...) I've been having an interested read of the financial accounts. One big question stands out: where does the money come from? In fact I'm left with a few questions after reading the accounts.

When IT advice is being handed out, by frameworks and books or by the chattering internet, there is much talk about the importance of having "executive support". It is tossed about in lots of contexts that involve cultural change or process improvement - my own one just happens to be ITSM: ITIL V3 etc. This is one of the most repeated glib statements in the IT world. What if you don't?

There appears to be more vendors certifying their products against more processes on PinkVerify than the OGC scheme. Why is that? What can OGC learn from Pink about making it easier for vendors? or does it show that PinkVerify is too easy? Does it matter?

I have an analogy for CMDB - it is like a Swiss bank account. Allow me to paraphrase some of the conversations I've had around CMDB:

From a government job ad:

you'll be responsible for the workforce transition planning including developing a vision for the way forward and driving a positive culture change. Key to this role will be your ability to monitor and report on time, cost and resourcing.

Hmmm I won't be touching that. Dilbert couldn't have done better. As they say on twitter: #fail

When it comes to ITSM products (whether software or consulting or content or training) I'm reminded of the old postcard vendors of Cairo during WWII, or the "Rolex" sellers of New York, or the hash-or-houseboat sellers of Srinigar, or the tart-touts of Bangkok - they're everywhere, on every corner. As a high-profile blogger, I get this constant stream of "hey buddy/mister/falang, wanna buy an ITSM?". In the past when ITSM vendors asked I've politely looked (or found excuses) because I know how your product is like your baby: you are immensely proud and nobody dares tell you it is ugly. Actually most products are like most babies: they aren't ugly, they just look like every other one (my dad reckoned all babies look like Winston Churchill). But from now on I'm going to adopt a simpler answer: when I need something, I may look at your offering. Right now I don't, so I won't, thanks anyway.

We haven't had a Crap Factoid on this blog for a while, so it is time we had a good one. Look at Thriving in the Troubled Economy:
Ten ways you can slash IT costs and innovate in 2009. Firescope take Crap Factoids to a new level with a barrage of unsubstantiated anecdotal numbers. Never have I seen so many "Oh really?"s in one document. Chokey the Chimp had to have a lie-down.

Pondering my recent (second) visit to Las Vegas, it is interesting the parallels and lessons about ITIL we can draw from the place.

The first is excess. Nobody can accuse the Las Vegans of being constrained by good taste or in fact by anything other than available funds. The motto of Las Vegas appears to be "nothing exceeds like excess". It is like super-size American food portions: I think the objective is for somebody to one-day eat a meal larger than their own head.

One of the reasons IT is sinking under the burden of our work is all the projects and new services we are dealing with. This shouldn't be IT's job.

A recurrent theme in conversations I have had here at the Pink Elephant ITSM Conference is how resources such as ITIL or related tools have no value or relevance until you understand your organisation's own context for them.

The new Chair, David Cannon seems intent on telling us what's going on within itSMF International - this is a great development, long may it continue. Thank-you David. Today we have the first of what will hopefully continue to be regular bulletins, Board Talk ("under the Board Talk..."). Of course the IT Skeptic always finds a few points of interest.

I hate technology. Really. I work with it every day, but I feel about it the same way that sanitation workers feel about their medium (or the way I HOPE they feel about it). I use technology when I have to, to do what I want to do. But I hate it. And it knows it and it hates me back. Take for example the weekend's outage on this blog.

So often I see a cost estimate, or worse still a business case, based on the fallacy of the linear value of time. You know the sort: a five minute outage of the service costs $100k; our tool saves five minutes per employee per day which equates to $76M per annum.

Fresh out of the pan today, the Scope and Development Plan: ITIL® V3 Update is released. (Thanks Liz for the tip!) I'm getting ready to leave for the Pink Elephant conference in Las Vegas (see you there! Come to my sessions, or see me in booth 203), so I may not get time to comment on this document. We all welcome your comments - leave them here.

Ever wonder about the benefits derived from ITSM professional certification? Zip over to ITSM Portal and answer their 5 minute survey - they'll send you the results. "Participate in this survey and find out the net effects of ITIL certification! ". Actually it's ITPreneurs' survey but I found it on ITSM Portal, always a great source of ITSM news.

Have you heard ServiceSphere's ITSM Weekly podcast? ("What happens when a CIO, a Service Desk Manager and an Industry Junkie Chat Weekly?!") If you haven't you should, not least so you can enjoy Chris's dangerous style. Along with Coté's equally unpredictable People over Process, it's my pick of the podcasts (I don't listen to many podcasts). Except when it is offending me.

No not here, on the itSMFI website. If you have the slightest interest in the role and direction of itSMF, then go read it and come back here for my comments.

We go round this question every week on LinkedIn. My answer is getting pretty well honed.