Why ITSM and Marketing should kiss and make up

By Linda King, G2G3

The problem with the majority of IT departments is that they undersell themselves. Instead of being portrayed as innovative, exciting and at the ‘cutting edge’ of technology, IT departments are often viewed as dull, boring and nerdy. Whilst us ‘in the know’ are aware this isn’t true (most of the time!), there is an increasingly negative perception of IT and IT Service Management across the business. Because of this, the true contribution and importance of IT projects to the business is often unseen and underestimated.

This negativity is perhaps only matched by that towards Marketing - Marketing departments and Marketing professionals are often seen as being restrictive and ‘less than helpful’ - when the truth of the matter is that Marketing has a huge amount to offer IT. With just the simplest of marketing techniques, ITSM can be transformed into ‘Wow-TSM’. From branding to promos, vodcasts to podcasts, poster and infographics, Marketing methods can create engaging, stimulating and effective communications around your IT projects.

By sleeping with the enemy that is Marketing - IT Service Management projects can increase their chances of success, raise their profile and create a perception of IT and IT Service Management which exceeds the reality.

New Partners galore for G2G3!

G2G3 are delighted to have announced three new strategic partnerships in the last week!

Firstly, we celebrated our first partnership in China with SinoServiceOne. Based in Shanghai, our two companies have formed an alliance enabling SinoServiceOne to license our Polestar IT Service Management (ITSM) ITIL simulation.

We were also pleased to join forces with Olingo - the fast-growing and highly competitive provider of IT Service Management and ITIL training and consulting services across Sweden. Olingo has licensed the Polestar ITSM simulation and the Polestar Project and Portfolio Management (PM) simulation from G2G3 to add value to the comprehensive range of Olingo training and consulting services.

And last, but by certainly no means least, we have forged a partnership with US-based Creative Enterprise Solutions (CES). CES has also licensed G2G3's Polestar ITSM simulation as well as the G2G3 Project and Portfolio Management simulation, Polestar PM to add value to its extensive training and consulting portfolio.

Commenting on these new partner additions and our ongoing partner recruitment program, our CEO, Mark Ross Sutherland said: “I’m delighted to welcome these new partners to our vibrant G2G3 partner community. Today's challenging market conditions present a great opportunity for G2G3 and their partners. Simulations create a energetic culture of optimization and enablement, a vital factor for success in challenging economic times. It is this outstanding business value that has driven our increased focus on partner recruitment. Our partners also typically enjoy very fast time to value, high return on investment and a very low total cost of ownership.”

For more information about becoming a G2G3 partner, please visit the partner area of our website or email us.

An excuse to play games at work

By Linda King, G2G3

Everyone at G2G3 is delighted to see the buzz our latest product, the virtual Service Management simulator we developed for IBM is having across the industry. After its launch at the IBM Pulse event in Las Vegas last week, it seems that people are liking what they see. Read this blog article at Business Online Review

For more information on virtual Service Management simulators, please contact us.

Learning success story at Reckitt Benckiser

By Linda King, G2G3

IT has never been under more pressure to deliver more with less. Technology, process, cultural and regulatory change is being driven at an unprecedented rate, creating significant challenges around project adoption and acceptance. Significant investments are being made in ITSM, PPM and many other projects - however, these investments are worthless unless the changes being implemented are embraced to the point of effectiveness and beyond.

More and more large organizations have implemented a pioneering new approach from G2G3 to create readiness around such changes. G2G3 have successfully delivered Simulations and Readiness Programs to many of the world's leading companies, including HP, DHL, Microsoft, IBM, Thomson-Reuters, E.ON, Barclays Capital and many more.

One resounding success story is that of Reckitt Benckiser, the global force in household, health and personal care products.

"As part of a strategic global service improvement program, the Reckitt Benckiser IS department was undertaking a major global project to replace an in-house service desk application, whilst at the same time introducing IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) aligned processes and practices for the first time. Michelle Downs, Program Manager at Reckitt Benckiser said, “This training was vital - it was not just about what buttons to press, it was also about changing peoples way of thinking and becoming a truly global support organization”. Reckitt Benckiser knew that the generic, off-the-shelf technology training offered by the tool vendors would simply not be enough - as training of this type tends to be focused on the details of the technology as opposed to the needs of the business. They realized that they needed a unique learning solution to address the distinctive technology, cultural and process challenges that they as an organization faced. The decision was taken to engage G2G3, a global provider of simulations and readiness solutions, to deliver a bespoke contextual learning solution created specifically around the precise needs of Reckitt Benckiser. G2G3 offers a contextual approach to organizational readiness which takes into account the unique ‘fingerprint’ of an organization in terms of culture, working practices, processes and key behaviors"

Read the full success story here.

G2G3 seeks new partners

G2G3 are currently looking to expand their global partner network.

• Do you offer training or consulting around IT Service Management (ITSM), ITIL, ISO/IEC 20000 or Project and Portfolio Management (PPM)?
• Are you looking to roll out an ITSM, ITIL, ISO or PPM program in your organization?
• Do you offer software or services for which 'bringing the value to life' would be an irresistible proposition?
  

If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, then you can license the G2G3 simulation portfolio to add significant value to your portfolio or project. For more information about our partnership programs, please either visit the partner area of our website, or email us.

Do you tweet?

By Linda King, G2G3

I'm loving Twitter. It's a fast and furious communication medium, allowing individuals and business to get their messages out there (as long as they are 140 characters or less!).

Many people may be put off Twitter, thinking it is purely a social tool - however they'd be wrong. Some of the highest profile IT organizations and thinkers in the world are on there (including G2G3 of course!) - offering you a fascinating insight into thinking, ideas and news from around the globe.

Please check out (and follow) the G2G3 Twitter site here.

Twitter - blurring personal and professional boundaries?

By Linda King, G2G3

In the last day or so, 2 articles have come to light where Twitter posts have caused professional embarassment, and even caused a risk to US national security!

This first article from Computerweekly.com reveals that a high ranking member of the US House Intelligence committee used Twitter to reveal his ‘secret’ visit to Iraq, causing a serious security blunder.

This second article, also from Computerweekly.com discusses how a Canadian reporter lashed out at a Marketing Executive on Twitter after a frustrating phone call.

Microblogging is a great (and quick) way to get your (personal and professional) news out there, and to interact with others with which you have mutual interest... but as Twitter and similar services become more and more popular, surely there will be more of these blunders to come - especially as Twitter is a tool which genuinely seems to blur the boundaries between personal and professional...

Check out G2G3 on Twitter.

The power of positive people

By Linda King, G2G3

Few industries remain untouched by this economic crisis we face. The fear is spreading and is having a detrimental impact on our working lives. Everywhere we look, we are witnessing the collateral damage. Many people, working in IT (and other industries) are scared for their jobs, which is having a fundamental impact on the way they work.

When under threat, people do one of two things. They fight or take flight. And the same is true in the world of business. There will be a significant proportion of your workforce, who, when feeling threatened, will take the ‘flight’ option. And you can be guaranteed that those who are feeling like this will be actively disengaged. Rather than spending their time productively, they will be internet shopping, making endless cups of tea, constantly chatting or searching for alternative employment.

For some of these people, this poor work ethic is irreversible. And if this ‘dead wood’ leaves, believe me, the business will be better for it. This kind of behavior tends to have a significant negative impact on the rest of employees - along with other negative business behavior patterns such as narcissism or bullying.

In stark contrast, the ‘fighters’ are team players and will be determined to survive and thrive in the economic crisis. They will be engaged, motivated and ready to do whatever it takes - to save their jobs and the organisation for which they work.

So what makes a fighter? Fighters see the bigger picture. They understand that what they do as an individual makes a difference to the success of their business. They don’t speculate, they innovate. They experience a sense of belonging, and instead of focusing on themselves, they focus on the major forces that drive their business.

Creating a high-level situational awareness is key to this mindset and this can be done in a many ways. Creating stimulating communications which rise above corporate jargon can often pull people into the drama of their business. Effective simulations can recreate the challenges faced by IT and help participants understand the true impact to the business of their actions. And innovative approaches to conveying complex information such as infographics, can quite literally paint the bigger picture, engaging people and accelerating understanding.

One thing is clear - it won’t be the technology or the process that will navigate us through the challenging times ahead. It will be people.

G2G3 takes ITIL simulation to next level with single player game

By Linda King, G2G3

G2G3 have recently delivered phase 1 of the next generation of ITIL simulation to IBM... an exciting and immersive single player Service Management simulator. This amazing new game is being showcased this week in Las Vegas at Pulse, IBM's premiere Service Management event.


Within the game, you play a business consultant who faces a variety of business pains and poor organizational performance. Only by applying ITIL-based process can you be successful within the game and increase operational maturity, improve customer satisfaction and overall business success. Not only is this game challenging and highly educational, but it’s also great fun!

We’re really excited about this game, as we believe it signifies a significant paradigm shift towards the acceptance of single player gaming within a business environment. Not only that, but it offers something exciting and new for a tired and grey looking Service Management industry.

For more information on this new ITIL simulation game, please see the IBM website. To find out more about how G2G3 can help you bring Service Management life, contact us.

Allure of the gaming honey trap

By Linda King, G2G3

A new press release on computerweekly.com reports on how a third of senior staff at top UK firms, including the FTSE250, have fallen for an online game honey trap, which was set to test their security awareness.

A link to the game “Bish Bash Bosh” (showing President Bush being kicked out of the White House by Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton) was distributed anonymously in December and January. Whilst the focus of the press release is the ever-so-shocking fact that so many senior employees clicked on the unsecured link (and during working hours!), it fails to consider or discuss the reasons why. Gaming is seductive. Why else would they have called this game a ‘honey trap’? People love to play and find this kind of interaction simply irresistible. If you can combine this sort of gaming with positive business learning outcomes, then you’re onto a winner....

Weather the storm with business continuity

By Linda King, G2G3

Yesterday, it snowed in the UK. It snowed so hard that it brought certain regions to a complete standstill. London was particularly badly hit, with London Transport going completely offline. Not only did the physical infrastructures such as transport etc. struggle to cope, but the IT infrastructures also couldn’t cope. Many of the transport websites failed with the flurry of hits that came their way, and many commuters were left completely in the dark about the status of transport services. It was estimated that 20% of the UK workforce did not make it into work. The cost of snowy Monday? A cool 1.2 billion pounds. Luckily we do not have such extreme weather very frequently - however it highlights the fact that many businesses need to consider continuity in these extreme circumstances. Were many of those stranded people able to work from home? Did they know if they could? Did they have any comprehension of their companies continuity policies? Not only does business continuity need to be considered, it needs to be communicated, and many businesses just don't do this. The last thing our economy needed was a day like yesterday.... and unfortunately there is more snow to come....