The IT Skeptic - CobiT

What to think of the ISACA acquisition of CMMI?

skeptic — Sun, 06 Mar 2016 00:27:13 +0000

I'm not sure what to think of ISACA's acquisition of the CMMI Institute. I don't see it addressing their major issue of failure to expand constituency. What are your views?

Copyright issues when using ITIL at the coalface

skeptic — Tue, 05 May 2015 10:57:54 +0000

Axelos are shooting themselves in the foot by constraining consultants' use of ITIL.

ISACA's strategy and missed opportunity

skeptic — Thu, 27 Nov 2014 22:11:20 +0000

is ISACA missing its window of opportunity to own the IT practices space? To be THE body of knowledge, the one ring to rule them all...

ITIL Intellectual Property under the new Axelos regime

skeptic — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 07:20:20 +0000

Axelos has published Intellectual Property (copyright and trademark) guidance for ITIL, PRINCE2 and the rest of the "Swirl suite". Unintelligible Property guidance, more like. Combine it with worrying signs that Axelos want to start shaking down the consulting industry for dollars and it doesn't look good for we consultants.

ISACA's long cultural road

skeptic — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 09:25:40 +0000

Will ISACA ever shed the audit-and-security culture and embrace a more general IT practitioner orientation as hinted by Lynn Lawton four years ago now?

Can COBIT ever be more than a sideshow if they don't? No.

Where's the COBIT 5 training?

skeptic — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 20:40:50 +0000

Here we go again. COBIT 5 is hot: the industry itches to get using it. APMG is signed up to roll out the training programme. The ITIL V3 training courses faced a similar situation a few years back. The ITIL training courses (also administered by APMG) came out later than promised, much to the frustration of an industry busting to put it to work. Now we see the same thing again with COBIT 5. Rattle your dags, ISACA and APMG!

Interpreting COBIT licensing

skeptic — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:26:13 +0000

A reader asked about apparently contradictory information on COBIT licensing requirements for consultants. Here is my interpretation:

Breaking news: APMG to accredit COBIT5 training industry. Fort COBIT?

skeptic — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 23:02:54 +0000

In a press release today, ISACA announced

Four new COBIT 5 training courses will be launched over the next five months as the result of a new partnership between ISACA and APMG-International.

COBIT5

skeptic — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 23:01:27 +0000

COBIT5 is a very very important development for the IT industry. It deserves more attention. It may even be The Next Big Thing.

More Future of IT Management

skeptic — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 01:37:03 +0000

In which the IT Swami updates his vision of the future of ITSM and the IT Skeptic looks forward to upcoming conferences.

Governors govern

skeptic — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 22:40:02 +0000

I've said it before on this blog a number of times but it bears repeating: governors govern.

Why COBIT wins in a showdown with ITIL

skeptic — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:29:49 +0000

I like ITIL. I use it quite a bit. But it puzzles me why ITIL is the default source of ~~best~~good, generally accepted practice for IT ~~processes~~practices. Often people talk as if it is the only source.

My default source of IT good practice is COBIT. It wins over ITIL, hands down.

COBIT 5 copyright terms confirmed. And the name may be used.

skeptic — Tue, 08 May 2012 10:25:03 +0000

Not long ago, I blogged about how COBIT 5 looked like it would be a much more accessible framework for consultants to use, without the restraints of ITIL. It is true. Castle ITIL should take note, but will they?

COBIT 5 will be released in April

skeptic — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 23:28:34 +0000

ISACA have announced to members that COBIT 5 will be released in "mid-April".

The release includes three publications:

COBIT 5 (Framework)
COBIT 5: Enabling Processes
COBIT 5 Implementation

...and a "toolkit", an undefined "set of resources". I smell spreadsheets.

Cost to ISACA members for the pdf version? Nada. Free. Suck on that Cabinet Office/TSO/itSMF.

And ISACA is providing a separate download server for members so as not to have to compete for bandwidth with the great unwashed masses.

The difference between ITIL and COBIT for consultants: four words

skeptic — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:46:11 +0000

As a consultant, COBIT is my first-choice body of knowledge for my engagements. I go to it first* to assess, to frame, to define, to justify, to audit. I turn to ITIL second, when I need more detail, or when I need the authority of the holy of holies to justify what I suggest. There are two reasons for this:

COBIT 5: muddying governance and management

skeptic — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 20:48:47 +0000

Execution always falls short of expectation. I'm still pondering my impressions of COBIT5 - more on that later - but one thing is clear: they haven't fully fixed the governance/management thing. [Update: I didn't get this right, see comments below]

A study in governance: comparing Castle ITIL with ISACA

skeptic — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:40:17 +0000

It is always illuminating to use COBIT as a benchmark to study ITIL. In recent days, ISACA has announced another solid Board, whilst itSMF continues its infighting (see below), APMG expands its empire, TSO goes its own merry way unanswerable, and OGC tightens control over - and profit from - what everyone thought was public property (blog coming if I can ever unravel it all).

COBIT5 another step closer... to ITIL

skeptic — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:44:19 +0000

COBIT5 is coming along. The first(?) development workshop is over and the next is in August, not far away! For those of you who haven't got your head around the next generation of COBIT, you need to. I grow weary reiterating that COBIT is not for auditors. COBIT is good for management, governance-enablement, design, assessment... and audit. [COBIT is the first tool I reach for, not ITIL]. It is marching into ITIL's space with superior fire power. So wake up.

COBIT is a useful tool for much more than Audit

skeptic — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 19:36:47 +0000

When I presented my "layman's view of COBIT" to the local chapter of itSMF some time back, the main point I wanted to make was that COBIT has many practical uses - only one of them is audit. This is reflected in the changing makeup of the ISACA membership: auditors are now a minority.

COBIT 5 draft Design document available for public comment

skeptic — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:18:14 +0000

ISACA have published a draft design document of COBIT 5 for your comment. If you have an interest in IT management, ITSM or governance you should read it and provide feedback. Here's what I will be saying. What about you?