Introduction
In past years a confluence of circumstances has driven IT
functions to become more service-oriented so that they can be
better aligned with the business objectives of their organisations.
These trends include the growing pressure for organisations in
the public as well as private sector to operate on a more costeffective
basis, the increasing dependence on IT for near realtime
information to support mission-critical activities, the need
for enhanced reporting integrity so as to meet stricter regulatory
requirements, and more exacting demands from users and senior
management for reduction in the level of tolerance and failures in
the IT infrastructure. The IT service management (ITSM) model
represents a paradigm shift for IT functions as it deemphasizes
the management of IT assets and focuses on the provision of
quality end-to-end IT services. While there are many avenues for
IT functions to achieve the transformation, the growing majority
have chosen the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework to
provide implementation guidance and a common language of
communication.