Key ITIL Processes For Cloud Computing

ITIL and Cloud Computing Series - Part 2

With cloud computing, the only difference that is going to be in ITIL world would be that the ITIL processes could no longer be ignored. In my experience, today in many organizations ITIL processes exist in silos. Key processes like configuration management are ignored. In most of the processes, an option to bypass the process exists, i.e. the process adherence and its compliance with best practices are significantly low.

But with cloud computing ITIL processes can no longer be neglected. Service Asset and Configuration Management (SACM) process will become utmost important along with the IT security and demand management processes. To highlight the key processes in cloud computing environment, I would prefer to list 5 key processes from customer's and service providers’ perspective in the order of their importance.

Customer perspective:

1) Security Management

2) Service Continuity Management

3) Incident Management

4) Change Management

5) Release & Deployment Management

This perspective is important for a customer while finalising a vendor. These are the processes which concerns a customer the most.

Service provider perspective – External Facing

1) Service Level Management

2) Service Portfolio Management

3) Service Catalog Management

4) Financial Management

5) Supplier Management

These are the key processes which the service provider needs to focus on while approaching a customer.

Service provider perspective – Internal Facing

1) Service Asset & Configuration Management

2) Demand Management

3) Financial Management

4) Request Fulfillment

5) Capacity Management

These processes are important for a cloud service provider for their internal organization in order to provision customers’ requests.

The subsequent post will highlight the importance of above processes in cloud computing environment.