Why Social Media is important for ITIL and ITSM practitioners November 9, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in cloud computing, itil, itsm.Tags: change management, customer, economy, IT Service Management, itil, technology, the art of service
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Life will never be the same again! I remember the day in the last century when I purchased my first mobile phone so I could continue the conversations with my clients while I was stuck in one of many traffic jams in The Netherlands. I also remember that most of my consultancy clients didn’t have email addresses, although there was inter-company electronic mail and those big yellow internal mail envelopes for paper memos etc. To connect with clients you used the phone or fax.
fast forward to 2009:
Our current clients have email addresses, a skypeID, google chat, twitter accounts, a facebook or myspace page, a google Wave account and everybody always talks on their mobile computer (isn’t it amazing that the Apple iPhone has this cool apps that you can download so you can even make phone calls with it?)
So what did I do? Over the past few months I have been more and more active with social media for The Art of Service. For one reason: we want to continue to create long-lasting relationship with our clients and course participants.
For me this is natural and logical: Our clients discuss important and urgent issues on twitter and facebook (as well as the not so important but still urgent), so where are there to answer their questions and to engage in the conversation.
So how has the interaction changed?
- I have my own twitter account http://www.twitter.com/ivankamenken . I use this account to share my research findings, ideas, comments and general communication around IT Service Management, ITIL, Cloud Computing, Business Management and personal ’stuff’
- Because not everybody is interested in my thoughts and rants, I also create a corporate twitter account to discuss our events, programs, products and generic information. http://www.twitter.com/taos_events
- I started promoting my mobile phone number on my business card and email signature again to encourage clients to speak with me directly, rather than going through my PA.
- I have a personal SkypeID, and the company has a corporate SkypeID so nobody has to feel they can’t connect with a client at the other end of the world
- The Art of Service has a corporate blog, posts ideas and links on posterous
- We encourage people to send in their questions and requests for help via the forms on our websites
- and of course there are the multiple of RSS feeds, Digg and delicious bookmarks, the hyves and Linkedin profiles
So when I look back at my first years as an ITIL and ITSM practitioner and compare it with the current situation – I would say that social media is a must for every ITIL and ITSM consultant or practitioner who wants to stay connected with the industry, their clients, peers and colleagues.
The way we did business 20 or 30 years ago doesn’t work (as well) anymore, we can’t stop growing… if you don’t use social media yet… change, and embrace it!
Why do training organisations pay mega $$ for ITIL accreditation? October 21, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: apmg, elearning, exam, EXIN, IT Service Management, itil, ITIL V3, itsm, the art of service, value
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Caveat and pre-warning. This might turn into a little bit of a rant…
Today I was notified that we didn’t win a large training opportunity. This doesn’t happen often, but still.. not happy with the results. And as always I try to figure out where I could have assisted the client better in their purchasing process. Good thing is that this time I know who I lost the opportunity to, so I decided to check out what the differences are in our approach.
Now here’s the deal: The Art of Service is accredited with EXIN for all ITIL V2 and ITIL V3 certification courses, both for our classroom delivery and our eLearning delivery methods. And yes, the full list is:
- ITIL V2 Foundation
- ITIL V2 Practitioner IPAD, IPPI, IPSR, IPRC
- ITIL V2 Service Manager
- ITIL V2-V3 Foundation Bridge
- ITIL V2-V3 Manager Bridge
- ITIL V3 Foundation
- ITIL V3 Intermediate Capability SOA, PPO, OSA, RCV
- ITIL V3 Interemediate Lifecycle SS, SD, ST, SO, CSI
- ITIL V3 Managing Across the Lifecycle
This is important to us, as we want to do the right thing AND have that independent validation of our course materials.
(and I must admit – I am very critical of the fact that we have to be accredited for ITIL Foundation programs, when people can do self study or no study and sit the exam anyway… but we want to cover all bases hence the full suite of programs.)
This is what the friendly lady on customer service told me when I quizzed ‘the other company’ on their accreditation status:
you: Who is your ITIL Foundation course accredited with?
XXX: we don’t offer credits
you: ?
you: You offer ITIL V3 Foundation
XXX: yes
you: I only want to know if your ITIL course is ACCREDITED
you: who are you accredited with
you: ?
XXX: the training is a self study course
you: yes – I understand that
you: but who is the accrediting body who approved the courseware
you: or are you using somebody else’s materials?
XXX: We use the book from OCG which is the Official Guide to ITIL v3
you: that is great – but that’s only a book
you: who authorized the coursematerials?
XXX: and the training is instructor lead training delivered thru streaming video
XXX: the training is guaranteed
XXX: its not authorized by anyone
you: yes – who is the course approved / accredited / authorized by?
XXX:and noone has ever failed the exam after doing the training withus
XXX: with us
you: are you sure? (as this is compulsory for all providers due to copyright restrictions)
XXX: yes I am sure
you: ok – thank you
Isn’t that interesting? I mean – it will be a HUGE cost saving not to have to worry about the accreditation, audits, paperwork, renewals etc.
I might need to rethink our business model … what do you think?
The future of ITIL certification : NO more ITIL V2 exams October 16, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: certification, exam, EXIN, IT Service Management, itil, ITIL V3, itsm, the art of service
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I am packing up as my stay in Cairns has finished. The last 2 days were very good – I was invited to attend the EXIN partner event to hear about the direction EXIN is going to take in the future.
As always the presentations are mostly marketing and sales from EXIN to the training providers, but I did learn a few things that may be of interest to non-trainers as well:
1) Of all exams taken, approx. 40% are still ITIL V2 exams.
I was quite amazed at this number as my assumption was a lot lower percentage. We still have clients, in Europe and the Middle East mainly, who prefer ITIL ITIL “>V2 to ITIL V3 but I was not aware that this number is this high.
2) APMG / OGC are alledgedly taking the V2 exams out of production
The current understanding is that the ITIL ITIL “>V2 Foundation exam will no longer be available after June 2010 and that the ITIL V2 Practitioner exams and ITIL V2 Manager exams will be phased out between June and December 2010. There will still be the option for resits until somewhere in early 2011 but no new exams will be issued.
So when I take both of these together, that means that 40% of the market must change certification strategies.. OR we are going to lose that part of the market because these companies take an “ITIL V2 of nothing” approach.
Why should I do ITIL V3 Intermediate Programs via The Art of Service? September 30, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: the art of service, goal, itil, value, IT Service Management, itsm, exam, EXIN
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ITIL v3 Intermediate Courses
- Do the courses also include a paper textbook or strictly PDFs? My preference is on paper since easier on the eyes (especially with me doing cram weeks). If strictly PDF can I get the paper version too?
- Who would focus on the Capability versus Lifecycle program? I suspect I’m more interested in Capabilities but I want to understand the audience for each better.
- What’s the pass rate for the intermediate exams? I’ve heard it’s fairly low.
When you prefer paperback books, the only option is to purchase the Certification Kits via Amazon.com as they supply the Paperback version. We only have the PDF eBooks on our system.
Amazon only does the single products though – and you don’t have the option of the full pathway package.
Capability programs are more rolebased, and typically suited to the practitioner – the person in the field who deals with the implementation on a regular basis. The programs cover a number of chapters from various Lifecycle phases as each role would require knowledge and skills covered in multiple phases.
Lifecycle Programs are purely theory based and more suited to executive management and consultants who need an intimate knowledge of the details. Each lifecycle Program is written for one singular Lifecycle Phase.
Passrates – Well, let me get the official figures:
The Art of Service compared to the rest of the world...
So with the exception of Service Transition our students score consistently higher than the EXIN average!
I’m sure that will fill you with a high level of comfort! When you want to start with the programs – contact us!
Real world ITIL experience, not from the theory books.. but from the front line September 26, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: IT Service Management, itil, ITIL expert, itsm, the art of service
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At the time of writing, there are 115 authors registered for the ITIL Experience Crowdsourcing Project, and 40 of those have written a page on their experiences with ITIL already.
This is what Vinoth Sivasubramanian wrote:
1. I choose to study the ITIL Framework because…
I have spend over 7 years of my life in the IT environment, started as a customer support engineer, going through regulations compliance and process and reaching a middle management level where I am currently on. I have also spent the last two years of my career researching on Internal Controls and process excellence with some research papers to credit. I was really looking for a program/ framework which would drive quality coupled with legal regulations and deliver excellence to business operations using technology a perfect answer for that was ITIL which focuses on business as well as IT.
Comment on Tweet from Majid Iqbal [ @majidiqbal ] September 24, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: the art of service, itil, value, IT Service Management, business, certification, ITIL V3, EXIN
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Majid wrote the following tweet on the 17th of September:
Call for re-write is for benefit of ITIL training industry; not necessarily for advancement of current best practice. Tails wagging dogs.
This may be so for a few influential players who will be involved with the re-write but most training organisations out there will be disadvantaged (yet again) by this update. It will most likely mean that the training provider has to update course materials, review practice exam questions and spend time understanding what these changes mean in the context of the entire framework.
It means another investment into the knowledge of the ITIL trainers, who will need non-billable time to digest the changes and update their materials.
It also means that the market has to deal with another level of confusion: when you did your Foundation exam for ITIL V3, does this mean you will need to do an update session to the new-ish version before you commence your Intermediate programs?
It also means that the exams will have to be updated, with all quality learning curve issues that appears to be the standard (if history repeats itself)…
So with all due respect – I don’t think that there are many training providers out there who are very happy with this result.
As an ITSM Professional I think that this review is a good thing for the advancement of current best practice – we all know that it could do with a few improvements! But as training provider I cringe at the additional workload that’s coming our way… again.
The ITIL pyramid scheme September 20, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: the art of service, value, exam, certification, ITIL V3, EXIN
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One of the entries in our ITIL Experience Book talks about the “Pyramid Scheme” for the ITIL V3 Certifications.
He probably referred to the way the certification scheme is illustrated
the official qualification scheme
APMG probably didn’t mean to have people talk about this qualification scheme as a ‘pyramid scheme’ but a lot of discussion is happening in offices around the world about the investment required to do the certification Programs.
This has been one of the drivers for The Art of Service to develop the entire qualification pathway as eLearning Programs. You go through fully accredited course materials, supported by ITIL Expert Trainers, at a fraction of the classroom price.
You can achieve your entire ITIL Expert qualification through our eLearning programs, which are accredited by EXIN.
Is this the end of an era? Will Cloud Computing separate the “boys from the men”? September 19, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in business, cloud computing, itsm.Tags: business, cloud computing, service management, technology, the art of service, value
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Had an interesting discussion today at lunch with the owner of an IT support company in Brisbane and the owner of a niche specialist IT provider for the retail industry about the effect Cloud Computing has and will have on this part of the IT industry.
The discussion really started when somebody asked about our experience with migrating from Exchange based email services to Google apps based services. And Scott made a valid point: the small IT support shop around the corner that services the Small Business segment will really feel the change in the market.
Ask yourself the question… seriously… if you had to start all over again, and set up IT systems for your business, would you purchase proprietary software or would you start off with Google Apps for your email, word processing, basic spreadsheets, intranet pages, etc?
I know what I would do.. we did it a few months ago: we no longer use Microsoft Exchange Server. We no longer need the IT support that goes with managing email ID’s etc. That could amount up to a massive cost saving for the small business owner, but what will it mean for the small IT shop?!?!
The only way to succeed in this industry (imho) is to be amazing with your services. Your clients will want to stay with you – not for the money, but for the unparalleled service which they can NOT get anywhere else!
Technology is replaceable for something with the exact same features and benefits – service is not.
The question most ITIL Experts dread at parties… September 18, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in business, itil, itsm.Tags: business, elearning, IT Service Management, management, technology, the art of service
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Have you ever been at a birthday party or a neighborhood barbeque and have people asking you: “So, what is it that you do for a living?”
I used to HATE that question! I have been working in the field of IT Service Management for the last 13 years … and every time I answered this question, I would be attacked by technical stuff about their PC or laptop at home. Heck, I don’t know! I am not a PC specialist.. I am an IT Service Management specialist.
So – what do you say to people at parties?
I struggled with this for years. Even stopped mentioning the ‘IT’ in ITSM… but then it turns into.. well, yes – not quite dinner party conversation.
But the IT industry has matured now – no longer do I have to feel embarrassed about the fact that I work in the IT industry in a role that does not require detailed technical skills.
I can now proudly announce: I run a company that helps the career driven IT Professional with Educational programs and tools for personal and professional development. For example:
•Certification Courses
•Exam Preparation
•Study Guides
•Toolkits
•Templates, cheat sheets
Want to know what this looks like? Check out our websites:
http://theartofservice.com for product info
http://theartofservice.org for eLearning programs
http://theartofservice.net for general company information
Do you get PDU credits when you enrol in ITIL V3 eLearning Programs? September 17, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: the art of service, itil, value, IT Service Management, itsm, exam, ITIL expert, ITIL V3, EXIN
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Many of our students are registered with PMI and because of this, they are interested in the PDU values.
After you complete your eLearning Program you receive a certificate of completion. This certificate has our company name on it and the contact hour equivalent of the program.
For example:
ITIL Foundation eLearning is equivalent to 18 contact hours
ITIL Intermediate Lifecycle eLearning is equivalent to 21 contact hours
What most students do is forward a copy of the certificate to PMI to get the PDU’s approved.
There is curently also a discussion going on about this exact question in a Linkedin Group:
“I heard on the AOS Foundations forum that PMPs can get 17 PDUs for the v3 Foundations cert.
Did any PMP’s here get this credit? Can you confirm the number of PDUs and which Category Code was used?”
-Manish Gupta: I applied for 16 PDUs against the ITIL V3 e-learning program under category 4. And, it was accepted.
- Christopher Little: I have since passed my exam and received 18 PDU’s for the ITIL v3 Foundation cert under Category 4. TAOS does indeed put them on their certificates.
So go ahead – enrol in an eLearning class.. it has the same end result as the classroom programs, at a fraction of the cost!
