itil v3 goes hard core with gaming simulation
May 2007
A leading provider of gaming solutions has made best practice IT frameworks exciting with the introduction of the world's first IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) V3 simulation.
G2G3 is releasing Polestar ITSM V3, a high-impact experiential learning game that brings ITIL to life in the context of a 'realistic and exhilarating scenario'.
ITIL is the most widely accepted global framework for achieving best practice service management.
The long-awaited third version of the framework, due for official launch on May 30, 2007, offers a more strategic and business-focused lifecycle approach to service management than its predecessor.
The expanded scope and greater sphere of influence of the new ITIL V3 framework offers a significant educational challenge for organizations intending to adopt the updated version.
ITSM V3 responds to this challenge and offers significant benefits over traditional ITIL education programs, including: accelerated acceptance of ITIL V3 across large audiences; rapid familiarization of new concepts and terminologies included in ITIL V3; significantly increased engagement and retention rates.
G2G3 already has plans to license the simulation technology to Hewlett Packard to support its new ITIL V3 education capability.
The company also partners with IBM and BMC.
Describing the technology as cutting-edge, G2G3 CEO, Mark Ross Sutherland, said the game is first to market and will help partners and customers realize the benefits of an ITIL refresh.
Industry analysts have recognized the growing use of simulations and experiential learning.
In a recent research report, Gartner said by 2012, high-performing enterprises will shift 50 percent of development spending from training to experiential learning programs to boost employee effectiveness.
G2G3 provides best practice based IT service management simulations and communication programs that actively drive IT and business alignment. The goal is to accelerate learning with similar offerings available on SOA and IT governance.
Perth-based St John of God Health Care (SJOG) will be one of the first organizations in Australia to roll-out ITIL version three following the successful implementation of version two.
According to SJOG IT service manager, Russel McCarren, the hospital developed an IT service management (ITSM) platform based on the ITIL framework to connect and streamline its disparate IT departments located in each of its hospitals.
"We did a complete ITIL two roll-out, which adhered to all frameworks and processes, rather than a cut-and-paste approach," McCarren said.
SJOG operates 11 hospitals in Western Australia and Victoria and is Australia's third largest private hospital with its 6600 staff and 1666 beds across its acute, rehabilitation and psychiatric facilities.
The not-for-profit hospital admits more than 140,000 patients each year.
ITIL was developed in the late 1980s by England's Office of Government Commerce (OGC) which laid out 10 core processes IT shops should implement to streamline operations, improve service levels and cut costs associated with network downtime and manual labor.
ITIL didn't lay out how to get the processes in place, because there was no set of guidelines that could apply to multiple IT organizations.
That is expected to change when the developers of the British best practice framework publicly release version 3 later this month.
This version will include more specific guidance on getting the processes in place to optimize IT service delivery and management.
"Past versions of ITIL provided guidance around what to do, but offered less insight into how to do it," according to Sharon Taylor, president of IT service management consultancy Aspect Group in Canada, and chief architect of ITIL Version three.
"We have made improvements as to how to execute the best practices, but still took a holistic focus because the market that uses ITIL is very diverse," she said adding that the refresh process began as far back as 2004.
"ITIL Version 3 assumes knowledge of Version 2 and it assumes IT practitioners understand there are 10 ITIL processes," says George Spalding, executive consultant at Pink Elephant, a consultancy offering training and certification courses in ITIL.
"Based on real end-user experiences with Version 2, Version 3 adds practical steps for implementation. In the past, we would offer multiple approaches, but this version says more definitively, 'experience has shown that this way works best for most.'"
More important, say those who worked on the new version, ITIL now reflects how IT exists within businesses today.
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