Have you ordered the ITIL v3 books yet?

I haven't seen any info on the web about the pricing and the different ways to acquire the ITIL v3 documentation and want to share my findings in the subject. Two days have passed since the books became "orderable" and this is what I've found out.

First I must say that all 5 books in the ITIL v3 suite are extensively integrated and therefore I talk about the whole suite in this post. The different processes in version 3 are placed in the different books after careful consideration, I'm sure. At the same time, since Change Management for example is placed in the Service Transition book, but is still very central in the day-to-day operation of a service management team, it is not enough to buy the Service Operation book to get a view of the day-to-day processes of ITSM. For many people this will probably feel like having to buy more than needed. To me it feels like the right way to go. I think we've had a situation with the version 2 library that is unfortunate focusing a bit to much on the Service Delivery (SD) and Service Support (SS) books. Thus creating a view that those are all you need to read in the library. There are also organisations grouping their competences very much after the grouping in the library creating an unnecessary distance between for example Application Management and some of the processes in the SS book (e.g. Change Management). So, back to the v3 suite. Let's start with an overview of the material available.

There are 3 different channels or formats as you all probably know;

- Hard copy (£299+shipping)
- Downloadable PDF (£351.33)
- Online 1-year subscription (£311.38)

The prices are taken from TSO webshop at http://www.best-management-practice.com/

I placed my order today and thought that you could be interested in some findings about the ITIL v3 documentation. One thing that surprised me not being a TSO customer before is the way they are pricing the 1-year online subscription. The price shown above for the subscription gives you access to the suite for 1 year and nothing more. The value of the promised updates with for example complementary guidelines, case studies etc. is really hard to assess today. We cannot even be sure there will be any mayor updates for the next 12 months. Enhanced functionality that will be in the online version:
• an interactive process map with links through to the title(s) you have in your portfolio
• enhanced search results covering the core library

To pay £300 for the hard copy that will be on my desk, in my bag and in my library for years is to me a much better value for money than having online access to the same material for 12 months paying some extra pounds. The information I've been given about the costs of renewals of the subscription makes it even worse. I was told by the TSO customer service that the pricing of renewals of their other online products was about the same as the 1-year subscriptions and that ITIL v3 would probably be priced in the same way. In MHO this means that the material online must be developed considerably and that a lot of material must be added online every year to make this a good deal for a single user.

Having said that I must point out an aspect of the online subscription that makes it a really good deal and that is the multi user version. TSO is offering a concurrent user version of the online subscription. The product is priced individually as it is obvius that an order for 1000 concurrent users is priced differently than an order for 5 concurrent. The same disadvantages that apply to the single user version are still there and the cost of keeping the product is still that of a new product per year.

The concurrent user option offers greatest access to the guidance and is based on the number of users accessing the content at the same time. For example, if your company has 500 employees but only expects 10 to access the guidance simultaneously, a licence for 10 concurrent users would be appropriate. This is the best option for corporate access.

Regards, David :-)

What is life about?

Is it about working with ITIL? Is it about being an IT-consultant with challenging assignments? Is it about running from morning 'till dusk, taking care of children or trying to clear the never ending to do-lists that come with having a house of your own? Is it perhaps like the song from the mid-eighties performed by Opus (can't help it but the song "Live is life" popped up in my head all of a sudden...) that it's about being "Live" at a concert.

This is of course both a personal and also an epic question but it's a question I think we formulate way to seldom. Why not take the opportunity while you're reading this blog to pause and think about what life is all about - for you.

Calm, this blog is not going anywhere. Are you?

Maybe that is an excellent entry-point. Getting to know what life is all about is definitely related to us going somewhere and us having a goal. Do you have a goal?

To be honest I often both behave and feel like that is not the case. Quite strange considering I am and we all are "moving on" - knowingly or not - to somewhere. I come to think about a great book or a couple of books by M Scott Peck (1936-2005), "The road less traveled" that came in the late seventies and is a best-seller and "Further on the road less travelled" published some fifteen years later. They discuss this journey of self-discovery, relationships, problem-solving and spiritual growth. I think we all are on this journey whether we believe it or not. If you think you're not moving I respect that, of course. Personally I'm convinced I'm moving and that I'm better of being aware of that. I hope you know you're walking and I just encourage you to walk further. The goal is again both personal and universal, and maybe material for another post, but it's definitely exciting to walk. And sometimes hard. I love the first line in the first book mentioned above as it begins "Life is difficult" and the second book adds "Life is complicated". In doing so they point out dimensions of the walk that we try not to admit. In admitting their existence our walk becomes more coloured and our pain and struggles are somehow more understandable.

So, after writing lots of words and promoting a couple of books that are definitely not part of ITIL v3, what is the conclusion? Is there an answer to the question "What is life about?"? I think a good answer (at least for me) is "About walking - each step more and more aware of the goal". I have a looooooong walk ahead...with both philosophical posts and more ITIL stuff.

Good night, David :-)

Thank you IT-skeptic!

The IT-skeptic has given me a lot of hits after selecting part of one of my posts about Configuration Management/CMDB as "Quote of the month". Thanks! I really like your site (see my links) and I am honoured :-)

Thank you all who have followed the link. I hope you find more of interest while you're here. This also encourages me to start writing more often after a long period of abscence. I will try to post more insights and keep you coming back here with more on ITIL. If I am quoted again by an IT-guru is unsure, but I'm sure I will continue to write on this topic.

Special thanks to the one who commented and shared his/her experience in such a humorous way. Please feel free to share more, before your brain is all smashed ;-)

For all of you waiting for posts on something other than ITIL the time has come. See my next post.

Regards, David :-)

Some views on Configuration Management/CMDB

I think there is a need of a more strategic and tactical view on Configuration Management, just as I tried to explain in my recent post on Change Management. First I have to say that my main discipline in ITIL/ITSM is perhaps Configuration Management. Maybe it's because of that experience that I often describe Configuration Management as being "the ditch in which 'the ITIL automobile' comes to a stop". The ITIL books are somewhat sparse with information on how to get the process of Configuration Management to work, not to speak of the realisation of the CMDB. This leaves us all searching for "silver bullets" or perhaps a "breakdown lorry" to stay with the allegory mentioned earlier.

There are really a lot to say in this matter and I will get back on the subject. For now I sum it all up like this: there is an apparent need of several (new) "views on Configuration Management" and different "levels" in our CMDBs. If we don't take this into consideration there is a risk of ending up in the "ditch" with our ITIL initiatives...

As usual a little research shows I'm not the first nor the most talented that has recognised this and I therefore leave you with some great links on the subject:

The IT Skeptic (sometimes called the ITIL Skeptic) is really a great blog with lots on the subject - www.itskeptic.org
Charles T Betz is an Enterprise architect that I enjoy reading. He has a lot of thoughts on the subject that I find interesting - http://erp4it.typepad.com/erp4it/2007/02/configuration_d.html
Some resources on the University of Minnesota Service Management site with a White-paper on CMDB - http://www.cce.umn.edu/professionalcertification/itil/resources.html

Feel free to comment. I'd love if you have an opposite opinion, David :-)

A new certification is always nice!

I now have received my ITIL Practitioner Release and Control (IPRC) certificate. Since I did the course a year ago I've not had the time to complete the certification and do the test. I finally found that time a couple of weeks ago and have now gotten the result.

It feels real good to get a concrete acknowledgement and the pin is really nice in demonstrating this ;-).

Best regards and happy Easter to ya all!

David :-)

The difference between a change and a change...

I understand if this sounds a bit like philosophy and not ITIL or even like a poor sentence, but I think you'll see the point if you read the entire post.

The Change Management process is one of the fundamental pieces of Service Management and of ITIL. What I want to point out is how this process is often managed with an operational view and how that can conflict with the whole customer-oriented view of ITIL. An RFC for instance is often initiated by a customer wanting to change for example a service on a high level. This kind of change requires a project which further down the process line makes a change to the CIs in the production environment. What I want to point out here as a risk in this chain of thinking is that the change is different both in character and in content on the tactical or strategic business level compared to the operational level.

The businesses perspective on the change in this example is much more complex and must be secured at the appropriate level (see picture with Change in the classical three layer pyramid). If the parties involved in this change have not agreed on and realized that this "business change" is impossible to get in place if Change Management and RFCs is delimited to an operational view. If that is the case the (often) technical change must "push the change up to a business level" which I think is wrong.

What I think is needed is a more holistic view on changes. The ITIL literature is in my opinion both a bit vague on the strategic/tactical support and a bit too focused on the operational parts of a change. To secure a better handling of changes initiated by customers the provider must "meet" the customer and stop accepting RFCs that are "thrown over the wall" or to keep the pyramid view, "down to the operational level".

If the service provider invests (with the customers money as is always the case, right?) in a better cooperation in the creation, interpretation and "breakdown" of RFCs with the customer it is my strong belief that Change Management would benefit. Maybe it is needed to point out that RFCs initiated from the operational level have similar requirements although inverted. The technical changes must be of value for and in alignment with the business, right?


"Business reorganisation" and "the adaptive business" are really strong drivers in todays businesses and change is business critical. To serve these businesses well it is my humble opinion that we have to adopt a more tactical and perhaps even a strategic view on Change Management.

What is your view on this? Feel free to comment and share your thoughts on the subject!

Regards, David :-)

Details on the ITIL version 3 launch

At last the release party we all have been waiting for is here! The itSMF invites everyone to celebrate the launch of ITIL version 3. The place is Vinopolis, a conference centre a couple of blocks from the London Bridge, and the date is now set to June the 5th. For £295 (itSMF members) and £395 (non members) you get a whole day with the Refresh team, the authors and of course Sharon Taylor. Although I guess the presentations will be similar to the ones given on several itSMF conferences during the last couple of months it is of course an "historic event". To get your name on one of the tickets to this event you should go to the new website that has been set up for the launch: http://www.itilv3launch.com/ (see image above). Proud sponsors are IBM and OGC's partners TSO and APM Group. A cool event that I'll not attend, unfortunately..

So, now the launch is really close and it feels like the best practices that were published as GITIMM/ITIL for the first time more than 20 years ago are getting a great Refresh. Thanks to all of you out there that have been working for almost 3 years with this. Can't wait to get my hands on the books...

Best regards, David :-)