ITIL

The IT Infrastructure Library

What ITIL V3 means by Process

Submitted by skeptic on Tue, 2009-07-07 11:31

Since the release of ITIL version 3 (v3) there is much “Ding! Dong! The Process is dead!” but I don’t think so. There is a burgeoning market for third-party process charts for v3. Authors are interpreting the new “v3-speak” back into the process-centric frame of reference where most users are still comfortable. We just got over the wrench away from techno-centric towards process-centric with ITIL Version 2 (v2). Many people aren’t ready for service-centric yet.

An ITIL V3 certification exam multiple-choice question debated

Submitted by skeptic on Fri, 2009-07-03 03:57

Should ITIL certification exam multiple-choice questions test one's knowledge of the holy writ of the ITIL books or one's knowledge of the principles of ITIL or one's skills in mental manipulation and logic? I'm told by someone with photographic memory that one of the ITIL Foundation exam questions looks something like the following, which is quite similar to a sample question we discussed before.

Is Knowledge Management a hole in COBIT?

Submitted by skeptic on Fri, 2009-07-03 03:37

I'm always banging on about how COBIT is a superset of ITIL. So where does ITIL Knowledge Management fit in COBIT? I don't think of it as Configuration Management even if some of the documents are CIs: KM is a much higher discipline than that. Is this one aspect of ITIL that COBIT doesn't address?

ITIL Software Scheme comes under more fire

Submitted by skeptic on Thu, 2009-07-02 21:23

As I have said before, probably the biggest gun in the ITSM skepticking field right now is Aidan Lawes. Once again he has turned the flamethrower onto the ITIL Software Scheme, with a blistering post on his blog: "people with vested interests increasingly seem to find a ready platform for their propaganda... The software assessment service springs to mind as a prime example. Purported to be launched in the interest of the procurer, it seems to be much more in the interests of the small group (OGC, APMG and SMCG) involved in its secretive development." I'll let you read it there. Apart from agreeing with Aidan that a standard that is secret is lunacy (the kind of lunacy that only the British could invent), I'd like to pick up on some points that Aidan didn't address.

[Update: For the record, the IT Skeptic does not believe that there is anything illegal or dishonest about the ITIL Software Scheme. I do allege that it has been conducted in a manner that is inept, naive, unnecessarily secretive and without proper consideration for most of the stakeholders. It seems to me to be about as far from best practice in setting standards as one can imagine.]

Fast track to ITIL V3 Expert

Submitted by skeptic on Mon, 2009-06-29 10:08

Further to our discussion around the real cost of ITIL certification, readers are reminded that there still exists a fast track to Expert status that is quicker and cheaper. It still isn't that quick or cheap, but it is better than the primary path. And it won't be around for long. The ITIL Qualifications Board's latest survey shows them bunching muscles, gathering themselves for the final spring, to kill off ITIL V2 certification once and for all. (For pity's sake, have your say to try and make that as hard as possible for them). In the meantime there is another way

The IT Skeptic presents on Owning ITIL

Submitted by skeptic on Mon, 2009-06-29 03:23
40:52 minutes (8 MB)

Here is a presentation given to the New Zealand Computer Society on 25th June 2009, on the topic of "Owning ITIL". it covers why ITIL is pretty much always a project, what to watch out for in ITIL projects (ITIL the Cult, ITIl the fad, CMDB can't be done...), what to expect from ITIL.

The real cost of ITIL V3 Expert certification

Submitted by skeptic on Sat, 2009-06-20 22:51

We've raised the issue before of whether ITIL certification offers a return on investment, especially if you pay your own way as compared to scamming the boss into paying for it. For those of you who are self-funded, the total cost may be food for thought. I reckon it is up to $60,000 or even more, depending on your hourly rate, not to mention 4 to 6 weeks out of your life.
[Updated: I was asked about online training so I looked at that too. Courses are much cheaper but if you factor cost of your time it is still a hefty commitment.]

Sample ITIL Service Catalogue documents

Submitted by skeptic on Sat, 2009-06-20 22:31

FWIW, here are some sample ITIL service catalogue documents. They may not be flash but they are better than what you get in the ITIL V3 Service Design book. I have used these a couple of times with success but they are not extensively road tested: they are provided on an as is basis with no warranty or support.

Are training providers experiencing a drop in certification pass rates since ITIL V3 Foundation syllabus was revised?

Submitted by skeptic on Sat, 2009-06-20 20:39

The word on the street is that they are! One training provider's blog suggested that since the latest revision of the syllabus perhaps "the exam was quite different from the course materials and the sample exam".

What use is Passing Your ITIL Foundation Exam now?

Submitted by skeptic on Wed, 2009-06-17 20:55

How many revisions of the ITIL V3 Foundation syllabus have we had since Passing Your ITIL Foundation Exam was published? It must be pretty badly out of date by now. [Update: TSO's ITIL Foundation Handbook was revised in June 2009 to fully comply with the May updates. But Passing Your ITIL Foundation Exam is still dated November 2007.
Update update: A new version of the book is available: Passing Your ITIL Foundation Exam (updated to 2009 syllabus)

The rest of this post is obsolete now: here for historical record only]

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