Gap Analysis   (Continual Service Improvement) An Activity which compares two sets of data and identifies the differences. Gap Analysis is commonly used to compare a set of Requirements with actual delivery.

See Benchmarking.
        
Governance   Ensuring that Policies and Strategy are actually implemented, and that required Processes are correctly followed. Governance includes defining Roles and responsibilities, measuring and reporting, and taking actions to resolve any issues identified.
       
Gradual Recovery   (Service Design) A Recovery Option which is also known as Cold Standby. Provision is made to Recover the IT Service in a period of time greater than 72 hours. Gradual Recovery typically uses a Portable or Fixed Facility that has environmental support and network cabling, but no computer Systems. The hardware and software are installed as part of the IT Service Continuity Plan.
       
Guideline   A Document describing Best Practice, that recommends what should be done. Compliance to a guideline is not normally enforced.

See Standard.

H

Help Desk   (Service Operation) A point of contact for Users to log Incidents. A Help Desk is usually more technically focused than a Service Desk and does not provide a Single Point of Contact for all interaction. The term Help Desk is often used as a synonym for Service Desk.
       
Hierarchic Escalation   (Service Operation) Informing or involving more senior levels of management to assist in an Escalation.
       
High Availability   (Service Design) An approach or Design that minimizes or hides the effects of Configuration Item Failure on the Users of an IT Service. High Availability solutions are Designed to achieve an agreed level of Availability and make use of techniques such as Fault Tolerance, Resilience and fast Recovery to reduce the number of Incidents, and the Impact of Incidents.
       
Hot Standby   Synonym for Fast Recovery or Immediate Recovery.

I

Identity   (Service Operation) A unique name that is used to identify a User, person or Role. The Identity is used to grant Rights to that User, person, or Role. Example identities might be the username SmithJ or the Role "Change manager".
       
Immediate Recovery   (Service Design) A Recovery Option which is also known as Hot Standby. Provision is made to Recover the IT Service with no loss of Service. Immediate Recovery typically uses mirroring, load balancing and split site technologies.
       
Impact   (Service Operation) (Service Transition) A measure of the effect of an Incident, Problem or Change on Business Processes. Impact is often based on how Service Levels will be affected. Impact and Urgency are used to assign Priority.
       
Incident   (Service Operation) An unplanned interruption to an IT Service or a reduction in the Quality of an IT Service. Failure of a Configuration Item that has not yet impacted Service is also an Incident. For example Failure of one disk from a mirror set.
       
Incident Management   (Service Operation) The Process responsible for managing the Lifecycle of all Incidents. The primary Objective of Incident Management is to return the IT Service to Users as quickly as possible.
       
Incident Record   (Service Operation) A Record containing the details of an Incident. Each Incident record documents the Lifecycle of a single Incident.
       
Indirect Cost   (Service Strategy) A Cost of providing an IT Service which cannot be allocated in full to a specific Customer. For example Cost of providing shared Servers or software licenses. Also known as Overhead.

See Direct Cost.

       
Information Security Management (ISM)   (Service Design) The Process that ensures the Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability of an Organization's Assets, information, data and IT Services. Information Security Management usually forms part of an Organizational approach to Security Management which has a wider scope than the IT Service Provider, and includes handling of paper, building access, phone calls etc., for the entire Organization
       
Information Security Management System (ISMS)   (Service Design) The framework of Policy, Processes, Standards, Guidelines and tools that ensures an Organization can achieve its Information Security Management Objectives.
       
Information Security Policy   (Service Design) The Policy that governs the Organization’s approach to Information Security Management.
       
Information Technology (IT)   The use of technology for the storage, communication or processing of information. The technology typically includes computers, telecommunications, Applications and other software. The information may include Business data, voice, images, video, etc. Information Technology is often used to support Business Processes through IT Services.
       
Infrastructure Service   An IT Service that is not directly used by the Business, but is required by the IT Service Provider so they can provide other IT Services. For example Directory Services, naming services, or communication services.
       

Insourcing   Synonym for Internal Sourcing.
       
Integrity   (Service Design) A security principle that ensures data and Configuration Items are only modified by authorized personnel and Activities. Integrity considers all possible causes of modification, including software and hardware Failure, environmental Events, and human intervention.
       

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)   (Service Operation) A form of Automatic Call Distribution that accepts User input, such as key presses and spoken commands, to identify the correct destination for incoming Calls.
       
Intermediate Recovery   (Service Design) A Recovery Option which is also known as Warm Standby. Provision is made to Recover the IT Service in a period of time between 24 and 72 hours. Intermediate Recovery typically uses a shared Portable or Fixed Facility that has computer Systems and network Components. The hardware and software will need to be configured, and data will need to be restored, as part of the IT Service Continuity Plan.
       
Internal Customer   A Customer who works for the same Business as the IT Service Provider.

See Internal Service Provider, External Customer.

Internal Metric   A Metric that is used within the IT Service Provider to Monitor the Efficiency, Effectiveness or Cost Effectiveness of the IT Service Provider's internal Processes. Internal Metrics are not normally reported to the Customer of the IT Service. See External Metric.

Internal Rate of Return (IRR)   (Service Strategy) A technique used to help make decisions about Capital Expenditure. IRR calculates a figure that allows two or more alternative investments to be compared. A larger IRR indicates a better investment.

See Net Present Value, Return on Investment.

       
Internal Service Provider   (Service Strategy) An IT Service Provider which is part of the same Organization as their Customer. An IT Service Provider may have both Internal Customers and External Customers.

See Type I Service Provider, Type II Service Provider, Insource.

       
Internal Sourcing   (Service Strategy) Using an Internal Service Provider to manage IT Services.

See Service Sourcing, Type I Service Provider, Type II Service Provider.
       
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)   The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world's largest developer of Standards. ISO is a non-governmental organization which is a network of the national standards institutes of 156 countries.

Further information about ISO is available from http://www.iso.org/
       
International Standards Organization   See International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
       
Internet Service Provider (ISP)   An External Service Provider that provides access to the Internet. Most ISPs also provide other IT Services such as web hosting.
       
Invocation   (Service Design) Initiation of the steps defined in a plan. For example initiating the IT Service Continuity Plan for one or more IT Services.
       
IRR   Internal Rate of Return
       
ISG   IT Steering Group
       
Ishikawa Diagram   (Service Operation) (Continual Service Improvement) A technique that helps a team to identify all the possible causes of a Problem. Originally devised by Kaoru Ishikawa, the output of this technique is a diagram that looks like a fishbone.
       
ISM   Information Security Management
       
ISMS   Information Security Management System
       
ISO   International Organization for Standardization
       
ISO 9000   A generic term that refers to a number of international Standards and Guidelines for Quality Management Systems.

See http://www.iso.org/ for more information.

See ISO 9000, Standard.
       
ISO/IEC 17799   (Continual Service Improvement) ISO Code of Practice for Information Security Management.

See Standard.

       
ISO/IEC 20000   ISO Specification and Code of Practice for IT Service Management. ISO/IEC 20000 is aligned with ITIL Best Practice.
       
ISO/IEC 27001   (Service Design) (Continual Service Improvement) ISO Specification for Information Security Management. The corresponding Code of Practice is ISO/IEC 17799.

See Standard.
        

ISP   Internet Service Provider
       
IT   Information Technology
       
IT Directorate   (Continual Service Improvement) Senior Management within a Service Provider, charged with developing and delivering IT services. Most commonly used in UK Government departments.
       
IT Infrastructure   All of the hardware, software, networks, facilities etc. that are required to Develop, Test, deliver, Monitor, Control or support IT Services. The term IT Infrastructure includes all of the Information Technology but not the associated people, Processes and documentation.
       
IT Operations   (Service Operation) Activities carried out by IT Operations Control, including Console Management, Job Scheduling, Backup and Restore, and Print and Output Management.

IT Operations is also used as a synonym for Service Operation.

       
IT Operations Control   (Service Operation) The Function responsible for Monitoring and Control of the IT Services and IT Infrastructure.

See Operations Bridge.

       
IT Operations Management   (Service Operation) The Function within an IT Service Provider which performs the daily Activities needed to manage IT Services and the supporting IT Infrastructure. IT Operations Management includes IT Operations Control and Facilities Management.
       
IT Service   A Service provided to one or more Customers by an IT Service Provider. An IT Service is based on the use of Information Technology and supports the Customer's Business Processes. An IT Service is made up from a combination of people, Processes and technology and should be defined in a Service Level Agreement.
       
IT Service Continuity Management (ITSCM)   (Service Design) The Process responsible for managing Risks that could seriously impact IT Services. ITSCM ensures that the IT Service Provider can always provide minimum agreed Service Levels, by reducing the Risk to an acceptable level and Planning for the Recovery of IT Services. ITSCM should be designed to support Business Continuity Management.
       
IT Service Continuity Plan   (Service Design) A Plan defining the steps required to Recover one or more IT Services. The Plan will also identify the triggers for Invocation, people to be involved, communications etc. The IT Service Continuity Plan should be part of a Business Continuity Plan.
       
IT Service Management (ITSM)   The implementation and management of Quality IT Services that meet the needs of the Business. IT Service Management is performed by IT Service Providers through an appropriate mix of people, Process and Information Technology.

See Service Management.
        
IT Service Management Forum (itSMF)   The IT Service Management Forum is an independent Organization dedicated to promoting a professional approach to IT Service Management. The itSMF is a not-for-profit membership Organization with representation in many countries around the world (itSMF Chapters). The itSMF and its membership contribute to the development of ITIL and associated IT Service Management Standards.

See http://www.itsmf.com/ for more information.
       
IT Service Provider   (Service Strategy) A Service Provider that provides IT Services to Internal Customers or External Customers.
       
IT Steering Group (ISG)   A formal group that is responsible for ensuring that Business and IT Service Provider Strategies and Plans are closely aligned. An IT Steering Group includes senior representatives from the Business and the IT Service Provider.
       
ITIL   A set of Best Practice guidance for IT Service Management. ITIL is owned by the OGC and consists of a series of publications giving guidance on the provision of Quality IT Services, and on the Processes and facilities needed to support them.

See http://www.itil.co.uk/ for more information.
       
ITSCM   IT Service Continuity Management
       
ITSM   IT Service Management
       
itSMF   IT Service Management Forum
       
IVR   Interactive Voice Response

J

Job Description   A Document which defines the Roles, responsibilities, skills and knowledge required by a particular person. One Job Description can include multiple Roles, for example the Roles of Configuration Manager and Change Manager may be carried out by one person.
       
Job Scheduling   (Service Operation) Planning and managing the execution of software tasks that are required as part of an IT Service. Job Scheduling is carried out by IT Operations Management, and is often automated using software tools that run batch or online tasks at specific times of the day, week, month or year.

K

Kano Model   (Service Strategy) A Model developed by Noriaki Kano that is used to help understand Customer preferences. The Kano Model considers Attributes of an IT Service grouped into areas such as Basic Factors, Excitement Factors, Performance Factors etc.
       
KEDB   Known Error Database
       
Kepner & Tregoe Analysis   (Service Operation) (Continual Service Improvement) A structured approach to Problem solving. The Problem is analyzed in terms of what, where, when and extent. Possible causes are identified. The most probable cause is tested. The true cause is verified.
       
Key Performance Indicator (KPI)   (Continual Service Improvement) A Metric that is used to help manage a Process, IT Service or Activity. Many Metrics may be measured, but only the most important of these are defined as KPIs and used to actively manage and report on the Process, IT Service or Activity. KPIs should be selected to ensure that Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Cost Effectiveness are all managed.

See Critical Success Factor.
        
Knowledge Base   (Service Transition) A logical database containing the data used by the Service Knowledge Management System.
       
Knowledge Management   (Service Transition) The Process responsible for gathering, analyzing, storing and sharing knowledge and information within an Organization The primary purpose of Knowledge Management is to improve Efficiency by reducing the need to rediscover knowledge.

See Data-to-Information-to-Knowledge-to-Wisdom, Service Knowledge Management System.
       
Known Error   (Service Operation) A Problem that has a documented Root Cause and a Workaround. Known Errors are created and managed throughout their Lifecycle by Problem Management. Known Errors may also be identified by Development or Suppliers.
       
Known Error Database (KEDB)   (Service Operation) A database containing all Known Error Records. This database is created by Problem Management and used by Incident and Problem Management. The Known Error Database is part of the Service Knowledge Management System.
       
Known Error Record   (Service Operation) A Record containing the details of a Known Error. Each Known Error Record documents the Lifecycle of a Known Error, including the Status, Root Cause and Workaround. In some implementations a Known Error is documented using additional fields in a Problem Record.
       
KPI   Key Performance Indicator