theartofservice

Despite all the processes and applications and publications related to running effective data centers, the underlining motivator for any data center lies in three important outputs: Availability, Capacity, and Security. Everything else about a data center has some role in ensuring that these three outputs of the data center are delivered. Go ahead and argue the point: but of all the operational concerns that can be found in a data center, if one of these three points are below standard or missing than the how environment is vulnerable.

Here’s why:

For any business that uses a computer system from a single laptop for a home business professional to hundreds to thousands of servers strung across the world for a large corporation, if the system is unavailable than no work can be done. The longer work is detained, the harder it is to recover. One goal of IT operations is ensure that the system(s) remain available at all times.

In our modern age, a tremendous amount of information is created, transferred, stored, categorized, shared, duplicated, and the like. In the end, this information and the way it is used will require attention to be placed on the capacity of data storage. As more data is sent from person to person, the capacity of the network also becomes an area to monitor. The more applications that a company uses creates capacity demand for storage and bandwidth. The lack of capacity simply translates into lost data and performance problems for most systems.

Of the three, security is the most pervasive requirement for most IT environments. If the data is available or can be stored properly, the data is no use to anyone if it is compromised. Lack of security can take away the availability and capacity of a good network or desktop..

Read Full Post »

Just around the corner is this year’s itSMF conference in Sydney. We will be there of course, so if you are coming along then be sure to say hello. I’ve copied in the email for early bird registrations below, so if you were thinking of coming make sure to get your ticket at the discounted price.

See you there!!!

Read Full Post »

Many CIOs today are using relationship management techniques to better integrate IT into the core business units. These skills are essential, as IT is expected to play a more prominent role in the direction of the business. Many organizations undergo tremendous growth and are looking to build the necessary infrastructure to support it. When a company matures and scales, it takes a different IT view, moving from reactive to predictive. The way to dobe successful is using relationship management techniques to further integrate IT into the business model. Integrating IT into the core business unit does not occur overnight. Instead, that trust builts through a series of successful projects that shows IT can deliver value to the business. IT is rocket science, but, at the end of the day, it’s also customer service, and Customer service is listening to the business and reacting accordingly. The Business Relationship Management Toolkit helps you to establish a framework for IT projects across the company and within individual business units, using relationship management practices and an investment and change management committee composed of top leaders to prioritize projects. Comprehensive Business Relationship Management Toolkit The Art of Service’s Business Relationship Management Toolkit is thoroughly researched and written by experienced Service Managers, then reviewed by experts in the field. You can save hundreds of hours of research and writing by starting with prewritten documents. Fully Editable Templates, Blueprints, Policies and Procedures When you purchase the Business Relationship Management Toolkit, you get all the content in easily editable Microsoft Word and Powerpoint format via download. You can edit, change, and adapt the documents to fit the particular compliance and operational needs of your organization. View a Free Sample Service Catalog You can view a sample Service Catalog with no obligation. Or if you are ready to purchase, you can buy now using our secure server. You will have instant access. Take advantage of our money-back guarantee and buy The Business Relationship Management Toolkit risk free!  Business Relationship Management Toolkit Roadmap: How To Use the  Business Relationship Management Toolkit Step 1 Start by reviewing: Presentation 1: Toolkit Introduction Business Relationship Management This presentation provides a detailed and comprehensive introduction to the Business Relationship Management toolkit. Presentation 2: Business Relationship Management This presentation focuses on the ITIL process of Business Relationship Management.  Specifically, the requirements, general concepts and activities found within this process.  In addition, you will find information on the requirements for Business Relationship Management in the ISO/IEC 20000 standard.  Whether you choose to work towards attaining this standard or not, the ‘shall’ and ‘should’ criteria provide an excellent quality framework that can be applied to the Business Relationship Management process. Make sure you pay close attention to the notes pages, as well as the slides, as references to further documents and resources are highlighted here. Step 2 Below is an itemized list of the supporting documents and resources for easy reference.  You can use these documents and resources within your own organization or as a template to help you in prepare your own bespoke documentation. Presentation 1- Toolkit Introduction Business Relationship Management BRM job description BRM Responsibilities and Skills Presentation 2 - Business Relationship Management Service Requirements BRM job description BRM Responsibilities and Skills Use of the Service Portfolio Example Service Catalogues 8 Steps to Developing a Service Catalogue BRM Metrics and Reports Service Options Mapping Responsibilities & Requirements Step 3 Work through the Readiness Assessment with a focus on your organization.  This will help you ascertain the process maturity for your organization.  You will able to identify gaps and areas of attention and/or improvement. The supporting documents and bonus resources found within the toolkit will help you fill these gaps by giving you a focused, practical and user-friendly starting point to ITIL version 3. We have also included the following bonus documents, designed to help your understanding. Business and IT Service Mapping – BRM Challenges, CSFs and Risks The Key Links, Inputs and Outputs of Service Design

Read Full Post »

Virtualization is one of the most talked about technique used by IT departments. The premise behind is simple; perform virtually what IT departments have been trying to do physically by emulating The platform. The benefits are so enticing that many IT professionals jumped into adopting the fray head-on. Some issues still needed some refining and some large IT companies were questioning the merit.

Than last year about this time, Gartner instigated a whole new level to the argument by stating the obvious – virtualization opens IT to new opportunities for attack. The truth of the situation is the systems with virtualization are open to more attacks and different attacks. But that’s the same problem for any new innovation. And the actions required to create an attack are not much different from any other attack on network, system, or application.

The solution to the problem is as obvious as the problem: careful management of the architecture. Plan migrations meticulously. Put in the proper security policies. Make sure access controls are in place, the most sensitive information with the most stringent rules in place. Ensure all changes to the environment are going through change management.

Management of virtualization may be more intensive, which may prove to be more of a benefit because proper management can free up resources from doing the mundane and repetitive work that is often required in a data center. Some risks still exist with virtual environment, but proper management of those risks can ensure that the systems and data on those systems are protected.

Read Full Post »

Part 3 of 3

The ability of creating a social network is given to the participants of the system, not management. The success of the system is usually determined by the number of networks found. Though this may not guarantee the quality of the output from these networks, it does demonstrate the effectiveness of building participation which is the basic objective of social networking.

Building participation is done through encouraging use. To this end, three opportunities are exploited: participation, identification, and creativity.

Participation is not restricted to someone joining a network. This can be done by anyone. The basis of this opportunities is what can be done by joining a network. Most of the tools and systems available to a single network will be available to all networks, such as email, instant messaging, calendaring, event planning, collaboration and the like. The more that can be done as a participant, the more exposure the participant has to what’s going on within the network.

A key driver for participant is identification, primarily with other participants along interests, goals, or function. In systems where participants have a limited number of groupings to identify with, the less participation that will occur. In social networking, the goal is to provide a wide rage of possibilities for individuals to identify themselves with other individuals. Increase the capacity to increase these possibilities, as well as identifying existing possibilities, and creating a social network is much easier.

Creativity completes the aesthetic component of creating social networks. The truth is nobody wants to work with a system that is boring and hard to use. The look and feel of the system is a great marketing tool for participation. The ease of working with others is another consideration to take on. The ability to personalize the interface into the social network allows the participant the ability to add to the creativity of the system – an appealing method of encouraging activity.

Whatever the solution for creating groups and linking them together, ensure that it promotes participation identification, and creativity.

Read Full Post »

Dear The Art of Service Customer,

Read Full Post »

Part 2 of 3

Implementing social networks into a business context requires building on three concepts: participation, identification, and creativity. But why would a company be interested in this approach.

The answer is simple – to encourage collaboration and innovation. In what depends on the network, the strategic objectives of the company, and the participation in the network. Some benefits from such networks can range from finding huge savings in how business is done to consistent and effective communication of critical issues. Some of the more prominent benefits are:

• Quicker and more effective decision making
• Developing new capabilities
• Identifying and using best practices
• Standardizing services
• Increasing talent
• Avoiding mistakes

A more restrictive implementation of the social network is the community of practice. A concept from knowledge management, a community of practice specifically focuses bringing people together who have similar goals while reaching for those goals. The primary difference between the concepts of communities of practices and social networks is how groups are created. Communities of practices are typically created administratively through the identification of a business need or existing group. The decision to create the community is made through management.

Social networks may start as communities of practice, but eventually the power to create a group lies in the participants, not management. With this ability, a participant can create a group and start encouraging other individuals to join.

Read Full Post »