Foster-Melliar has launched a first-to-market training course for IT professionals wanting to get to grips with BS 15000 (SANS 15000).
In addition, in light of the role BS 15000 compliance plays in the intense task of achieving good IT and corporate governance, Foster-Melliar has engaged the services of internationally renowned consultant and trainer, David Clifford, to present the first course from 31 August to 2 September 2005.
Clifford has extensive experience in Prince 2, ITIL Service Management as well as BS 15000, he is involved in BS 15000 panels, reviewing and auditing BS 15000 publications and speaking at international itSMF events. BS (SANS) 15000 is an organisation board IT service management standard that is largely based on the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework and provides both internal IT departments and external IT service providers with an explicit standard to aim for.
"Unlike ITIL, the BS 15000 certification is organisationally based and provides tangible proof through non-proprietary assessments of the commitment and focus on `best practice` IT service management. BS 15000, in conjunction with ITIL, will promote and manage a culture of continuous service improvement, which adds to improving IT and corporate governance. Combined, they provide a sound solution for exceptional and sustainable IT service management and responsible IT and corporate governance," says David Anderson, CEO of Foster-Melliar.
"Momentum is growing globally as organisations have come to realise the benefits of alignment to and compliance with this IT service management standard. The International IT Service Management Forum (itSMF) is currently in discussions with the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) to make BS 15000 an ISO standard, earmarked to become ISO 20000 by close of 2005. BS 15000, along with ITIL, provides a measurable standard against which IT organisations can base line and measure their performance and assist in enabling IT governance which is a critical part of today`s corporate strategy," adds Anderson.
Foster-Melliar`s BS 15000 course is built around interactive sessions that are designed to provoke debate, combining lectures with group and individual assignments and assessments. A comprehensive set of slides and supporting documents is provided. Delegates will be provided with a copy of the SANS 15000 standard and code of practice - identical to BS 15000. In March 2005 Standards South Africa (STANSA), a division of the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), announced the adoption of a national version of BS 15000. This is known as SANS 15000-1 (2003-11-07), Part 1 - the specification, and SANS 15000-2 (2003-11-07), Part 2 - the code of practice.
The course provides organisations with a common reference point for quality IT service management to which they can refer. It assists organisations to understand the capabilities of service providers and customers, by providing an internationally applied, non-proprietary assessment. Certification to the standard provides hard evidence that the quality of ITSM is taken seriously in the organisation. It assists in enforcing process compliance by providing a method, review and assessment linked to continuous improvement, which underpins IT governance initiatives.
Upon passing the exam, successful candidates will receive a certificate from the itSMF stating that they are qualified BS 15000 consultants. For more information about the course, contact Kerry Milford at Foster-Melliar on (011) 785 9900 or e-mail kerrym@foster-melliar.co.za.
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Foster-Melliar, a wholly owned subsidiary of black owned Xantium Technology Holdings Limited, is the leading local provider and pioneer of ITIL and IT service management in SA since 1994. Driven towards optimising IT services within organisations, Foster-Melliar offers a host of solutions to assist companies capitalise on their IT investments.
Foster-Melliar focuses on an end-to-end service management solution in the form of training and consulting services. FM Software, a division of Foster-Melliar, boasts a broad range of software products that assists organisations to manage and control their infrastructure and in doing so, dramatically improves the efficiencies and effectiveness of their IT services while proactively managing their costs. For more information on Foster-Melliar, visit www.foster-melliar.co.za.
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