HP Introduces Reference Model for IT Service Management; Model Provides Framework for HP Services and Software for IT Service Management

Business Wire, Sept 18, 1997

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 18, 1997-- Hewlett-Packard Company today introduced its IT Service Management reference model, the framework for HP services and software for IT service management. HP's model is based on IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL)(1) best practices and enables IT organizations to improve processes and technologies to reduce costs and improve service levels to internal customers.

The reference model, which uses a series of high-level process relationship diagrams, allows HP and its customers to assess their existing IT environments and to design, implement and manage new environments with fully integrated processes and technologies. It also helps HP and its customers determine which processes and technologies should be managed internally and which should be outsourced. The model provides a common language for conducting a meaningful dialogue regarding IT service management.

To develop its reference model, HP took ITIL best practices and applied them to the distributed enterprise. HP also was able to leverage experience it has gained through developing and implementing IT service-management solutions for its own use and for its customers. HP has been providing consulting, integration, education, outsourcing and support services for IT service management for several years.

"IT is an important part of the corporate value-chain; the product that IT produces -- information -- is critical to the success of the overall business," said Jim Sherriff, general manager of HP's Professional Services Organization. "IT organizations must be able to service their business units by providing access to information exactly when and where it is needed. Our reference model addresses the process, people and technology components needed to ensure that IT can provide quality services to its customers and measure service levels."

PROCESS

Despite the tendency to blame technology, IT organizations' failings have more to do with the absence of -- or poorly performing -- IT processes. Many organizations that migrated mainframe-centric processes into a client/server environment have seen their processes fail, mainly because process "silos" that worked in the mainframe world (thanks to the close proximity of the various data-center groups) do not work for geographically distributed systems, applications and personnel.

"Even if you have the best technology solution, lack of or ineffective processes will lead to rework, duplication of effort and many false starts," said Sherriff.

PEOPLE

IT organizations often contain functional silos, in which people work in self-contained units. Such organizational structures can lead to poor communications among different groups and make it difficult to identify accountability.

IT organizations must address organizational issues as well as the need to reskill their IT people and IT's customers -- the users. Education helps to maximize return on IT investments and reduces the risk of project failure because of lack of acceptance or understanding by the people who will support and use IT.

TECHNOLOGY

Historically, IT departments have selected system- and network-management technologies and process tools on a case-by-case basis. This method of selection inevitably has led to islands of management technologies that do not necessarily integrate well.

These point solutions are being replaced with "process-enabling" technologies -- such as HP OpenView products, including the Prolin IT Service Manager solution -- that are designed to provide process automation and to enable more simplified inter-process integration and communication.

IT SERVICE MANAGEMENT AT DUTCH PTT

LCSN is the IT department for the operations side of the Dutch PTT. Over the past year, LCSN and HP have improved LCSN's IT processes for incident, configuration and change management, and replaced LCSN's homegrown help-desk tool with an off-the-shelf product that integrates with the existing HP OpenView environment.

Now, LCSN is providing better service to its internal customers, thanks to efficient management of incidents, fast escalation procedures and improved availability of integrated configuration data.

ABOUT HP

HP is the official information-technology hardware and maintenance supplier to the 1998 World Cup soccer tournament and the 1997 Tournament of France. Selected for its technology and skills to support and manage mission-critical applications, HP will help create an information-management infrastructure for handling game-scoring; media centers; personnel accreditation; hotel information; and various ticketing, stadium, warehouse and back-office operations.

Hewlett-Packard Company is a leading global provider of computing, Internet and intranet solutions, services, communications products and measurement solutions, all of which are recognized for excellence in quality and support. It is the second-largest computer supplier in the United States, with computer-related revenue in excess of $31.4 billion in its 1996 fiscal year. HP has 120,500 employees and had revenue of $38.4 billion in its 1996 fiscal year.