Hello world. Please allow me to begin this post with a question, then to get side-tracked, before I work my way back toward a (partial) answer.

Here goes: what is IT service management?

To begin my answer, first some history. I was a practitioner during the era of ‘distributed systems management’ (back when I had a real job during the mid–90's), then a vendor of ‘enterprise systems management’ (at IBM/Tivoli in the late–90's), and most recently an analyst within META's ‘infrastructure and application management’ team.

[ Have I sufficiently illustrated my pedigree yet? ;-) ]

You could argue they're all the same thing… or perhaps you couldn't.

Even my definition of IT service management (the current catch-cry) hasn't remained constant during the last 12 months. It's expanded—and is continuing to do so. Moreover, as another example, Bob Madey (of IBM/Tivoli) used the phrase “systems management is dead” during an event I attended this year. He went on, after getting my attention, to explain to the audience that IT service management encompasses both technology and process.

Our research, from enterprise IT organisations, is supporting this view. Process (improvement) is key—and no, I'm not being trite.

But have I answered my original question? Partially.

Why? Because I want to know what you think (and don't want to prejudice your opinion). Hydrasight is running a survey on this topic at the moment. Why not take our short survey on ITSM and let me know what you think, and then I'll share with you what your peers are thinking in the new year… plus my own humble opinion.

In the interim, I'm wishing you and yours a healthy and happy 2007.