What does the IT in ITIL® stand
for? This question may seem easy to answer. The IT stands for “information
technology”. But what does that really mean? Is there more than one way to
answer the question of what the IT in ITIL® means? I believe there are more
than one context or meaning for IT and we must be aware of the distinct
meanings. Let’s take a look at some of the ideas or concepts behind IT.
· IT as
“information technology”: This most basic use of IT refers to the physical
and technological pieces and components made up of electronics and
operating/machine software. E.g. A desktop computer is IT as “information
technology”.
· IT as
“management information systems (MIS)”: Computerized components that are
used to manage, control and govern information used to run a business or
organization. E.g. A customer relationship management system is IT as “MIS”.
· IT as “collection
of applications and infrastructure”: This umbrella use of IT encompasses
anything technological or computerized regardless of its usage or its nature.
E.g. Cloud computing is IT as “collection of applications and infrastructure”.
· IT as
“place”: This use of IT refers to the location where IT management, control
and governance occur. E.g. A data center is IT as “place”.
· IT as
“organization”: This logical use of IT represents the “department” of
people who create, deliver, manage, control and govern “information technology”
and “management information systems”. The IT folks are IT as “organization”.
Many times I have run across
individuals and organizations where the use of the term IT or “information
technology” has become confused or misused. This leads to misunderstandings,
poor decision making and unclear roles and responsibilities. ITIL® encourages
us to clarify our terminology and use it in its proper context.
So let us look at an example. One
of the most confused uses of IT is that of IT as “organization”. Unfortunately
there is no clear boundary or standard as to what makes up an “IT Department”.
Some companies include all IT related work: projects, application development,
infrastructure management, support and many other areas. Some companies take a
more narrow view and only include the back-end operational activities of
supporting infrastructure and operating systems. Business application
development, support and management are not included.
This lack of consistency in
definition and usage leads to issues when trying to apply ITIL® and other best
practices. Does ITIL® cover application development, if that is not part of an
“IT Department”? Does ITIL deal with strategies that are related to outside
of a narrowly defined “IT Department”? Does requirements gathering and design
belong “inside” or “outside” an “IT Department”?
ITIL® itself does not necessarily
provide clear answers to these questions. ITIL® does provide guidance that will
lead an organization to become more consistent and comprehensive with its usage
and definition of terms like “information technology”. If your organization has
not undertaken to clarify basic terms like “information technology” it may
be interesting to see different definitions based on different perspectives. The benefits and value will
reveal themselves in the long run.
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