How is a Las Vegas casino like a company's computer network? According to Malcolm Fry, the IT infrastructure library (ITIL) developed by the British government is turning out to be the best bet for management of computer services.
This set of seven books is a collection of standard terms and best practices for running a technology network, currently much more widespread in Europe, but gaining increasing momentum on this side of the Atlantic as well. Companies like Pink Elephant are scrambling to keep up with demand for corporate ITIL certification in major companies across the US.
So for example, Fry says, a casino manager is really a lot like a service manager -- he plans, has a certain locus of control, manages security and risk, understands likely challenges, and needs to oversee effective communications and use of resources. In the gambling business there are divas, loners, impresarios, different gaming formats and above all user experience, all of which are found in the infrastructure management business as well.
In the expectation that understanding the rules of good service management in one area can lead to insights in the other, Malcolm's discussion of their parallels will be the highlight of an upcoming event at the Palms in Las Vegas on October 5. Drop me an e-mail if you'd like more info.
