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January 9, 2009

NEW EMA RESEARCH POINTS TO CONTINUED GROWTH FOR IT SERVICE MANAGEMENT (ITSM) INITIATIVES IN 2009

CIOs will advance ITSM programs to better align IT with business drivers

BOULDER, Colo., Jan. 7, 2009 – Enterprise Management Associates (EMA), a leading IT management research and consulting firm, today announced the release of its latest research paper titled, “2009 Trends and Best Practices Advice for ITSM Technologies and Processes.” For this report, the firm surveyed 143 IT professionals to uncover success factors and pitfalls of ITSM initiatives and recommended best practices based on real-world deployments. Despite the unsteady economy, the report reveals that 87 percent of IT professionals are planning strategic, enterprise-level ITSM programs with the support of senior management. EMA will host a free Webinar on January 8, 2009 at 1 p.m. EST to share highlights from this study (see link below). 

“The coming year will certainly be a critical, pivotal year for IT executives,” said Chris Matney, EMA consulting director and study leader. “Fiscal pragmatism will be weighed against the increasing challenges of IT, and IT leaders must carefully balance both. Successful CIOs will continue to advance ITSM maturity while closely watching business drivers and the corporate balance sheet.”

According to the survey, mid-size companies showed the highest levels of ITSM adoption. Smaller companies typically rely on traditional service/help desk implementations, while the largest enterprises continue to work through the challenges of complexity and scalability. Most companies are in a transition phase with their ITSM maturity, between an “active” and a “proactive” approach. EMA believes that the most successful companies will push through the economic recession with IT advancements and investment, while unsuccessful organizations will adopt a more passive “business as usual” approach. Additional key findings from the survey include:

IT budgets are not in a total free-fall, but a growing number of IT organizations are cutting budgets by 10 to 25 percent.

• Change management was the most important ITSM initiative for companies of all sizes, followed by the other ITIL service support disciplines.
• Only three percent of respondents reported that all ITSM initiatives have been completed, and 80 percent said some have been finished
• 74 percent of respondents place primary responsibility for strategic ITSM planning on C-level executives, IT vice presidents and IT directors.
• 67 percent of respondents are not planning to replace their ITSM tools. For those that are, functionality limitations are the primary drivers for mid-sized companies and lack of scalability is the motivation for enterprise organizations.
• ITIL is the biggest area of investment for advancing the adoption of ITSM best practices, with 62 percent of companies expecting to undertake training in 2009.

As far as a timeline, EMA believes short-term projects will gain favor in 2009 due to long-term budget uncertainties. Most ROI break-even expectations for ITSM projects are between six and 18 months. Suggested best practices recommended from survey respondents included creating an incremental ITSM plan and securing executive and business support early in the process.

Follow the link to sign up for the free Webinar on January 8 titled, “Make the Most of ITSM in 2009: Best-Practice Advice from Your Peers.” http://www.enterprisemanagement.com/research/asset.php?id=1017
 
To purchase a copy of this research report, please go to: http://www.enterprisemanagement.com/research/asset.php?id=1092

NOTE TO EDITORS

For more information, or to arrange an interview with Chris Matney please contact Guy Murrel at gmurrel@catapultpr-ir.com at 303-581-7760 x17

About Enterprise Management Associates
Founded in 1996, Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) is a leading industry analyst and consulting firm dedicated to the IT management market. The firm provides IT vendors and enterprise IT professionals with objective insight into the real-world business value of long-established and emerging technologies, ranging from security, storage and IT Service Management (ITSM) to the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), virtualization and service-oriented architecture (SOA). Even with its rapid growth, EMA has never lost sight of the client, and continues to offer personalized support and convenient access to its analysts. For more information on the firm’s extensive library of IT management research, free online IT Management Solutions Center and IT consulting offerings, visit www.enterprisemanagement.com.

June 5, 2008

EMA RESEARCH LOOKS AT SUCCESS FACTORS FOR IT GOVERNANCE, RISK AND COMPLIANCE (GRC) MANAGEMENT

Study finds IT Service Management best practices enable more effective IT GRC management while enhancing IT’s role as a strategic asset to the business

BOULDER, Colo., May 28, 2008 – New research from Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) shows that IT governance, risk and compliance (IT GRC) management is increasingly linked to the overall governance of an organization. The study, led by Scott Crawford, EMA research director, looks at the challenges facing IT GRC, the factors that contribute to successful IT GRC deployments and the critical role IT Service Management best practices play in IT GRC success.

“There are continued examples, led by the Societe Generale scandal, that illustrate how a lack of IT governance and risk programs can lead to a lack of overall business controls that ultimately results in near-catastrophic outcomes,” said Crawford. “IT GRC has become a very loaded term, with incredibly high expectations. Yet, in many cases, it is still loosely defined let alone well understood. This limits the ability of senior management to support IT GRC initiatives, resulting in greater exposure to risk and – worst of all – hampering the ability of IT to deliver tangible business value.”

The survey, completed by 224 IT and non-IT professionals, calls attention to major issues associated with IT GRC management within organizations. According to the study findings, 13 percent of those polled said their organization does not even have a strategy in place to assure the confidentiality of sensitive information. In addition, 29 percent of all respondents indicated that the board of directors and senior executives do not properly support IT GRC initiatives. 

The study also calls out the high value of adopting IT Service Management best practices such as the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), which was embraced by 55 percent of all respondents. When EMA divided individuals who took the survey into three groups based on the level of maturity of their IT GRC management, those in the “high performer” category consistently showed greater maturity in domains of IT Service Management directly related to IT GRC priorities, as well as more positive outcomes in multiple aspects of IT risk control. “Our findings show that those who performed best in meeting the many challenges of IT GRC were those who most recognized the need for best practices in IT Service Management, such as configuration control, event and incident response and sensitivity to business priorities,” said Crawford.

Not surprisingly, high performers had more positive outcomes overall and they reported fewer disruptive security events than the medium and low performers, with 64 percent of the high performers indicating that fewer than 10 percent of security incidents result in disruptions to IT performance, availability or resource integrity in the past year. In addition, high performers had more positive outcomes when it came to the success of IT projects, IT change success and percentages of unplanned work.

When looking at the overall success of IT GRC implementations, high performers cited the following factors:

• Configuration Management:
o Ninety four percent of high performers define configuration control processes, ensure that defined processes are followed and enforce consequences for deviations.
o Ninety one percent of high performers monitor the IT environment for changes and use monitoring information to enforce change control.
o High performers also showed higher maturity than medium or low performers in the adoption of best practices in configuration-related IT management, such as the Configuration Management Database (CMDB).

• Access Monitoring and Business Risk Control:
o The majority of high performers (77 percent) monitor the internal IT environment for anomalous behavior or other indications of potential security risks before a suspicion exists.
o Seventy seven percent of high performers monitor IT access and use for indications of fraud and other business risks before a suspicion exists.

Other areas in which high performers show greater maturity in IT GRC include:
• Security management
• Event management and incident response
• Business continuity planning and management
• Realism in defining risk management processes with increasing interest in detailed visibility into activity in IT

According to EMA, businesses must continue to learn from the ways in which the high performers define IT GRC effectiveness. “One of the most frequent questions heard from medium and low performers during our research was, ‘Where is the best place to start with IT GRC?,’” said Crawford. “Given the feedback from high performers, we believe the answer is to start with IT Service Management best practices. When a mature approach to IT Service Management is in play, IT GRC not only improves risk management outcomes, it enables IT to become a true strategic asset to the business.”

Crawford will share additional highlights from this study during a free webinar on this topic on Wed., May 28 at 2 p.m. EDT. For more information and to register please visit: http://www.emausa.com/ema_lead.php?ls=itgovwebpr0508&bs=itgovweb0508

The new EMA™ Research Report “IT Governance, Risk and Compliance Management in the Real World” is available now. To purchase the full report, contact EMA at 303.543.9500 or sales@enterprisemanagement.com.

NOTE TO EDITORS
For more information or to speak with Crawford please contact Guy Murrel at gmurrel@catapultpr-ir.com or at 303-581-7760, ext.17.

About Enterprise Management Associates

Founded in 1996, Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) is a leading industry analyst and consulting firm dedicated to the IT management market. The firm provides IT vendors and enterprise IT professionals with objective insight into the real-world business value of long-established and emerging technologies, ranging from security, storage and IT Service Management (ITSM) to the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), virtualization and service-oriented architecture (SOA). Even with its rapid growth, EMA has never lost sight of the client, and continues to offer personalized support and convenient access to its analysts. For more information on the firm’s extensive library of IT management research, free online IT Management Solutions Center and IT consulting offerings, visit www.enterprisemanagement.com.

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June 4, 2008

EMA RESEARCH LOOKS AT SUCCESS FACTORS FOR IT GOVERNANCE, RISK AND COMPLIANCE (GRC) MANAGEMENT

Study finds IT Service Management best practices enable more effective IT GRC management while enhancing IT’s role as a strategic asset to the businessBOULDER, Colo., May 28, 2008 – New research from Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) shows that IT governance, risk and compliance (IT GRC) management is increasingly linked to the overall governance of an organization.

The study, led by Scott Crawford, EMA research director, looks at the challenges facing IT GRC, the factors that contribute to successful IT GRC deployments and the critical role IT Service Management best practices play in IT GRC success.“There are continued examples, led by the Societe Generale scandal, that illustrate how a lack of IT governance and risk programs can lead to a lack of overall business controls that ultimately results in near-catastrophic outcomes,” said Crawford. “IT GRC has become a very loaded term, with incredibly high expectations. Yet, in many cases, it is still loosely defined let alone well understood. This limits the ability of senior management to support IT GRC initiatives, resulting in greater exposure to risk and – worst of all – hampering the ability of IT to deliver tangible business value.” The survey, completed by 224 IT and non-IT professionals, calls attention to major issues associated with IT GRC management within organizations. According to the study findings, 13 percent of those polled said their organization does not even have a strategy in place to assure the confidentiality of sensitive information. In addition, 29 percent of all respondents indicated that the board of directors and senior executives do not properly support IT GRC initiatives.  The study also calls out the high value of adopting IT Service Management best practices such as the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), which was embraced by 55 percent of all respondents. When EMA divided individuals who took the survey into three groups based on the level of maturity of their IT GRC management, those in the “high performer” category consistently showed greater maturity in domains of IT Service Management directly related to IT GRC priorities, as well as more positive outcomes in multiple aspects of IT risk control. “Our findings show that those who performed best in meeting the many challenges of IT GRC were those who most recognized the need for best practices in IT Service Management, such as configuration control, event and incident response and sensitivity to business priorities,” said Crawford.Not surprisingly, high performers had more positive outcomes overall and they reported fewer disruptive security events than the medium and low performers, with 64 percent of the high performers indicating that fewer than 10 percent of security incidents result in disruptions to IT performance, availability or resource integrity in the past year. In addition, high performers had more positive outcomes when it came to the success of IT projects, IT change success and percentages of unplanned work.When looking at the overall success of IT GRC implementations, high performers cited the following factors:• Configuration Management:
o Ninety four percent of high performers define configuration control processes, ensure that defined processes are followed and enforce consequences for deviations.
o Ninety one percent of high performers monitor the IT environment for changes and use monitoring information to enforce change control.
o High performers also showed higher maturity than medium or low performers in the adoption of best practices in configuration-related IT management, such as the Configuration Management Database (CMDB).• Access Monitoring and Business Risk Control:
o The majority of high performers (77 percent) monitor the internal IT environment for anomalous behavior or other indications of potential security risks before a suspicion exists.
o Seventy seven percent of high performers monitor IT access and use for indications of fraud and other business risks before a suspicion exists.Other areas in which high performers show greater maturity in IT GRC include:
• Security management
• Event management and incident response
• Business continuity planning and management
• Realism in defining risk management processes with increasing interest in detailed visibility into activity in ITAccording to EMA, businesses must continue to learn from the ways in which the high performers define IT GRC effectiveness. “One of the most frequent questions heard from medium and low performers during our research was, ‘Where is the best place to start with IT GRC?,’” said Crawford. “Given the feedback from high performers, we believe the answer is to start with IT Service Management best practices. When a mature approach to IT Service Management is in play, IT GRC not only improves risk management outcomes, it enables IT to become a true strategic asset to the business.”Crawford will share additional highlights from this study during a free webinar on this topic on Wed., May 28 at 2 p.m. EDT. For more information and to registerplease visit: http://www.emausa.com/ema_lead.php?ls=itgovwebpr0508&bs=itgovweb0508The new EMA™ Research Report “IT Governance, Risk and Compliance Management in the Real World” is available now. To purchase the full report, contact EMA at 303.543.9500 or sales@enterprisemanagement.com.NOTE TO EDITORS
For more information or to speak with Crawford please contact Guy Murrel at gmurrel@catapultpr-ir.com or at 303-581-7760, ext.17.About Enterprise Management Associates Founded in 1996, Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) is a leading industry analyst and consulting firm dedicated to the IT management market. The firm provides IT vendors and enterprise IT professionals with objective insight into the real-world business value of long-established and emerging technologies, ranging from security, storage and IT Service Management (ITSM) to the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), virtualization and service-oriented architecture (SOA). Even with its rapid growth, EMA has never lost sight of the client, and continues to offer personalized support and convenient access to its analysts. For more information on the firm’s extensive library of IT management research, free online IT Management Solutions Center and IT consulting offerings, visit www.enterprisemanagement.com.# # #

April 28, 2008

EMA LEADS IT SERVICE MANAGEMENT TRACK

EMA founder Rick Sturm chairs ITSM track – analysts deliver presentations on ITSM and CMBD best practices

BOULDER, Colo., April 28, 2008, Enterprise Management Associates (EMA), a leading IT management and consulting firm, will share its in-depth knowledge and expertise on IT Service Management (ITSM) at Interop Las Vegas. EMA president Rick Sturm is serving as the chairman of the Interop ITSM Track, with Hank Marquis, EMA director of ITSM consulting, and Chris Matney, consulting director of IT services at EMA, presenting real-world guidance and findings based on the firm’s extensive work in this area.

“IT Service Management provides a structured approach to help organizations address challenges such as IT service quality, controlling IT costs and aligning IT with business,” said Sturm, “This track will provide actionable expert advice and hands-on tools to help companies jumpstart their CMDB, service catalog and other ITSM initiatives.”

EMA presentations include the following:

Hank Marquis, Tuesday, April 29:

2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. – How to Get (and Keep) Your ITSM Initiative on Track

Many ITSM projects fail. The service catalog and service portfolio management usually are hidden initiatives that can help organizations focus on services that are crucial to business. This session will discuss how, when done correctly, the service catalog can help organizations layout a roadmap for overall IT success.

3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. – How to Define IT Services: The Cornerstone of ITSM

Most IT professionals struggle with defining IT services. In fact, about 30 percent of ITSM projects are unable to move forward because of this roadblock. IT service definition is the first step in ITIL and ITSM initiatives from CMBD to service desk. This session will provide attendees with the tools and knowledge required to effectively define IT services.

Chris Matney, Wednesday, April 30:

10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. – Don’t Lose Your Mind or Your Job: What Every IT Professional Should Know About CMBD

EMA research has shown that more than 75 percent of IT projects fail. Major IT initiatives, including CMBD projects, are risky and often put IT leaders’ reputations on the line. This presentation will address what every busy IT leader needs to know about CMBD. Included are 10 questions every IT leader should ask when deciding whether or not CMDB is a good choice for their company and real examples of what to do (and avoid) when taking on a CMDB initiative.

11:30 a.m-12:30 p.m. – How to Scope Your CMDB Project Successfully: Big Vision, Baby Steps

Understanding the detailed requirements for CMDB projects, with detailed scope and project timelines, is the cornerstone of successful implementations. Matney will discuss techniques used by some of the largest companies in the world to overcome “analysis paralysis” and move forward with CMDB projects. He also will explain how to create a requirements document that will correctly scope, set priorities and make CMDB projects actionable.

The conference will be held April 27-May 2, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. Interop is the leading Business and Technology Event, with more than 20,000 attendees. It blends thought leadership across the range of IT areas with a focus on interoperability—more important than ever as a new wave of technologies promises unprecedented access to information and increased productivity.

For more information on Enterprise Management Associates visit www.enterprisemanagement.com

NOTE TO EDITORS

For more information or to speak with EMA on ITSM trends please contact Guy Murrel at gmurrel@catapultpr-ir.com at 303-581-7760 x17

About Enterprise Management Associates

Founded in 1996, Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) is a leading industry analyst and consulting firm dedicated to the IT management market. The firm provides IT vendors and enterprise IT professionals with objective insight into the real-world business value of long-established and emerging technologies, ranging from security, storage and IT Service Management (ITSM) to the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), virtualization and service-oriented architecture (SOA). Even with its rapid growth, EMA has never lost sight of the client, and continues to offer personalized support and convenient access to its analysts. For more information on the firm’s extensive library of IT management research, free online IT Management Solutions Center and IT consulting offerings, visit www.enterprisemanagement.com.

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