Though cloud computing, virtualisation and mobile have gone beyond hype and become reality, these technologies are often considered disruptive and can push local IT departments into a crisis mode.
So says Christopher Jones, finance director of the IT Service Management Forum (itSMF), who is one of the speakers at the upcoming Service Management Conference and Exhibition Africa (SMEXA) summit, to take place on 20 and 21 September at The Forum, Bryanston.
Jones says one of the highlights for this year's event, hosted by ITWeb in partnership with the itSMF, is the combination of business value outcomes and the extent to which IT is providing value to business.
Jones believes when the IT operations environment is faced with pressure and change, threats and opportunities exist for business.
He explains that IT cost containment has been the order of the day for many organisations, and this may have a material impact on the business' ability to maintain competitive advantage.
According to Jones, companies that seize the day in driving innovation may well position themselves to lead their respective markets.
SMEXA 2011 will include insights from industry leaders, who will address issues of cost optimisation, cloud sourcing, governance and demand management. The event will also feature case studies, panel discussions and workshops.
Other highlights include the examining of the Service Management Proficiency Index (SMPI). The SMPI, commissioned by the itSMF, enables organisations to assess, benchmark, compare and manage improvements to IT service management proficiency levels.
“It reveals new and interesting shortcomings in IT operations as well as the risks they expose to business,” says Jones.
He says attendees should expect good insight and practical answers to some of the biggest challenges facing IT operations.
The selected topics will provide the audience with insight into areas of exposure and vulnerability, as well as techniques to alleviate embarrassment and the devastating effects of critical errors and exposed risks.
For more information about the event, click here.
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