IBM Offers Reference Tool

ARMONK, N.Y. -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced the availability of a free, Web-based tool that provides clients with an information guide of best practices based on IT Service Management and governance initiatives. The new version of the IBM Tivoli Unified Process (ITUP) is the industry’s broadest “how to” source of information on industry best practices.

When organizations begin to document and apply industry best practices to improve their IT processes, most look to existing industry frameworks such as the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), COBIT, eTOM and ISO IEC 20000 to guide their direction. Although these frameworks provide important guidance, they do not provide details on how to implement specific processes and tasks. This lack of actionable tasks can leave clients struggling to define and implement service management and governance initiatives.

With today’s announcement of a new release of the ITUP tool, IBM provides clients enhanced and expanded practical guidance in how to implement process integration, activity flows, clarified operational roles, and management tool strategies required for effective service management. ITUP supports ITIL, COBIT , ISO IEC 20000, eTOM and includes detailed documentation of IBM's Process Reference Model for the Business of IT.

ITUP provides users with an intuitive web-based tool that includes a content-rich database, the ITUP Method Library, which draws from ITIL expertise derived from decades of IBM consulting experience. At the heart of ITUP is a IBM’s Process Reference Model for IT (PRM-IT). PRM-IT is based on ITIL principles and outwardly resembles the classic ITIL process model. A simple point-and-click interface allows users to gain a basic understanding of each process and then drill down to understand the relationships between processes, and the roles and tools involved in efficiently managing them.

“With complex compliance regulations looming, many organizations are seeking to implement a more consistent IT governance and risk management process,” said Susan Blocher, Director, Governance and Risk Management, IBM. “IBM is the only company that combines deep experience-based consulting with industry-leading technology and tools like ITUP to help clients successfully prioritize, plan and implement strategic IT processes with greater consistency, control and visibility.”

IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM)