IT Service Management in a Cloud Computing World
June 6, 2013 at 10:33 am
Written by Boundary
The cloud continues to disrupt IT operations for businesses of all sizes. Even traditionally stagnant areas like IT service management (ITSM) are feeling the change. IT departments around the world are adapting to the agility and immediacy needed to compete in today's marketplace, and ITSM is finding out that the initiatives that are revolutionizing technology-driven aspects of the IT department can benefit ITSM function and viability.
June 6, 2013 at 10:33 am
Written by Boundary
The cloud continues to disrupt IT operations for businesses of all sizes. Even traditionally stagnant areas like IT service management (ITSM) are feeling the change. IT departments around the world are adapting to the agility and immediacy needed to compete in today's marketplace, and ITSM is finding out that the initiatives that are revolutionizing technology-driven aspects of the IT department can benefit ITSM function and viability.
ITSM and the Cloud
In a world of constantly changing technology, ITSM is often the last segment of IT operations to react to change. The whole concept behind proven ITSM is rooted in a structure that includes service catalogs, configuration management databases, and the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). This is exactly the kind of structure that pushes back against disruptive technology like cloud computing.
However, the cloud is all about change and adaptation. This is true both in abstract terms, as the cloud helps businesses adapt to changing system conditions, and in real terms, as benefiting from the cloud requires that businesses embrace the change that it brings.
This change hasn't been easy for ITSM, but as the right programs and ideas hit the market, the revolution is finally hitting this segment. IT service management plays a critical role in the overall health and success of any IT operations management division, and the new, modern way of tackling challenges in IT Ops is bringing big benefits to ITSM.
It's All About Understanding
IT service management may be segmented from some aspects of IT operations management, especially those areas centered on pushing the boundaries of modern technology. However, in the end, the success of all of its endeavors comes down to understanding. This can only be achieved when systems are intelligent and adaptive enough to provide IT with the knowledge it needs to effectively manage its systems.
Internal customers, specifically those served by ITSM, can sometimes be forgotten, as IT operations focuses on external customers and their IT demands. The solution to this is to have an IT operations management solution in place that can provide a holistic view of the entire system and provide guidance when it is needed.
The explosion of the cloud means that many services supported by ITSM will exist in either a public or private cloud environment and will require a cloud-aware monitoring and support system in order to effectively mitigate system issues. The growth of agile development also means that systems will change rapidly, and they will need a support system that can weather these changes and provide understanding to the IT department.
The future of IT service management will revolve around real time, intelligent monitoring that is cloud-aware enough to automatically adjust to changing system conditions and operate to its fullest potential regardless of the platforms and systems that are in use. The goal is to have ITSM either predict issues before they arise, or at least recognize them as they arise, and mitigate the damage before it starts affecting either internal or external customers.
The shift toward intelligent, effective IT service management is on, and like almost anything these days, it'll happen in the cloud.
