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In May 2007, the ITIL® management framework was comprehensively updated from V2 to V3 – with V2 fully withdrawn in 2010.
However, ITIL is continually refreshed and updated to make sure that it meets industry requirements, and a the latest new edition is being released on 29 July 2011.
This latest edition of ITIL incorporates improvements and suggested changes to the framework.
If you want to test your knowledge of ITIL – why not try our interactive ITIL quiz. You can also check out our full range or ITIL courses here.
What’s New in the ITIL 2011 Update?
The first thing to be clear on is that ITIL 2011 is an update, not a new version (like V2-V3). The updates to the publications are designed to:
- Resolve any errors or inconsistencies in the text and diagrams, both in content and presentation.
- Improve the publications by addressing issues which are largely to do with clarity, consistency, correctness and completeness.
- Address suggestions for change made by the training community to make ITIL easier to teach.
- Review the Service Strategy publication to ensure that the concepts are explained in the clearest, most concise and accessible way possible. There is no notion of simplifying the concepts; rather, improving the exposition of the ideas.
The updated publications will be easier to read and understand, having addressed errors and inconsistencies, and issues raised in the Change Control Log and by the training community.
The project’s primary objective was to respond to users’ feedback and requirements, and provides them with an improved product.
Read the rest of "2011 ITIL V3 Updates Explained"
Posted by Andy Trainer in ITIL, News on July 20th, 2011| No Comments »
Silicon Beach Training now offers the increasingly popular range of Agile Project Management training courses – but what is Agile Project Management, and why is it such a big deal all of a sudden?
In March 2011 the government unveiled it’s new ICT Strategy which identified a number of problems (or challenges using their words!) with the method in which IT projects and programmes were managed and delivered, causing them to fail. The first of these challenges being:
- “projects tend to be too big, leading to greater risk and complexity, and limiting the range of suppliers who can compete”
Silicon Beach Training now offer accredited Agile Project Management training, including the Agile Project Management Foundation course and Agile Project Management Practitioner course.
For example, if a project to implement a large IT system is deemed to take 5 years to complete, it is very likely that, in those five years circumstances (e.g. technology, customer and business requirements, even governments!) will have changed, rendering the final solution based on the original specification unfit for purpose.
A number of strategies were identified to address these challenges, one of which is “by the application of lean and agile methodologies that will reduce waste, be more responsive to changing requirements and reduce the risk of project failure”.
Agile methodologies have been used in software development for some years, but are now being applied in project management as they offer a flexible process that can change according to customer or organisational needs.
How does Agile Project Management differ from traditional project management methodologies?
Traditionally a project manager may direct the project team using a ‘command and control’ style, actively directing their team towards the work that must be completed. Agile project management uses a different technique. At the beginning of an Agile project a high level plan will be created by the project manager, which is based around basic requirements and a high level vision of the solution. From there on the final project is created iteratively and incrementally, with each increment building on the previous increments. Agile Project management also differs in the way that team members create the plans for each increment, rather than the project manager themselves.
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Posted by Alistair Wylie in Agile Project Management, Business Skills, ITIL, MSP, MSP Training, News, PRINCE2, Project Management on May 11th, 2011| 2 Comments »
With the withdrawal of the ITIL v2 qualifications we have expanded our range of ITIL training to include the ITIL v3 Intermediate courses.
If you have completed your ITIL v3 Foundation certificate and wish to take your knowledge of ITIL further there are several routes you can take with the ITIL v3 Intermediate courses to ITIL Expert and Master qualifications.
The modular approach to the V3 Intermediate certifications allow you to choose a flexible certification path, focusing on the different disciplines of ITIL that best suit your requirements. The diagram below illustrates the different modules available:
The ITIL v3 Service Lifecycle training courses offer a broad, management level focus of ITIL Practice areas:
The ITIL v3 Service Capability training courses offer more specialised, process level knowledge of ITIL practices:
Read the rest of "ITIL Training Course Range Expanded"
Posted by Alistair Wylie in ITIL, News on March 7th, 2011| No Comments »
No Sound on YouTube Video on Mac - image by heather buckley
Just a very quick post as this has been driving me mad since I got my new Power Mac using OSX. I had sound on the computer for most things but no sound on YouTube and some Flash animation.
Having a look around for the answer, as usual I was presented with lots of complicated fixes. I chose the simplest and it worked straight away with out having to download anything dubious!
Q: How do I get sound on Youtube on my Mac?
A: delete the – /Library/Preferences/Macromedia folder
Simples ;)
If you are looking for PRINCE2 training, ITIL training, ISTQB training or MSP Training why not call and book a course in Brighton, Sussex. It’s the place to be! Take a look at our full range of training courses, UK.
No sound on Mac reset sound options
No Sound on Mac Update
Some people may find that after installing Mac OS X 10.5.6 update your Mac may appear to have lost it’s sound. For some reason the update sets the sound output to “Headphones” instead of “Internal speakers”. You will need to set it back to “Internal speakers” to get the sound back.
Posted by Heather Buckley in New Free Resources on March 2nd, 2011| 4 Comments »
The Phoenix Chip
The University of Michigan has developed an amazing new computer prototype. The microcomputers were presented at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) in San Francisco.
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The Phoenix Chip
This is the first complete millimeter-scale computing system and can hold up to a week’s worth of data (what ever a weeks worth is!). Its called the Phoenix chip and was designed to monitor eye pressure in glaucoma patients, although there are infinite uses for such a device. What’s so special about this chip is it’s power saving capacity – microscopic chips are not new but the battery size needed to power them is problematic. The battery for this chip in integrated into the unit itself and uses 30,000 times less power in sleep mode and 10 times less in active mode than similar chips now on the market.
Silicon Beach Training provide a great range of programming training, project management training including PRINCE2 training, ITIL training and MSP training
Posted by Heather Buckley in News, Programming on February 24th, 2011| 1 Comment »
February Deadline for Train to Gain Funding Applications:
THIS FUNDING STREAM IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE – DETAILS OF THE NEW LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT TRAINING GRANTS SCHEME FOR 2011
Training Funding will be finishing soon – APPLY NOW to avoid missing out…
Over the last few years, lots of Silicon Beach Training’s clients have taken advantage of Train to Gain’s “Leadership & Management” funding. This scheme allows business leaders and owners to gain access to up to £1,000 in funding towards training.
Unsurprisingly, many recipients have chosen to take our Leadership Training and Management Training courses in Brighton, Sussex. However the funding can be used on any courses that help business leaders to succeed, including accredited PRINCE2 Training, MSP Training and Six Sigma Training, or even creative courses like Photoshop Training or InDesign Training.
All good things have to end though, and the scheme is closing soon…
Read the rest of "Training Grants: Last Chance for Train to Gain Funding"
Posted by Andy Trainer in Human Resources, Management & Leadership, News, Personal Development, Train to Gain Funding on January 17th, 2011| 2 Comments »
Thing-O-Matic 3D Printer
All Star Trek fans out there will know about ‘replicators’ – machines that can make any object you want. This is no longer the stuff of sci-fi – now you can buy one for your own home! Well – sort of… The Thing-O-Matic 3D Printer can make small plastic models of anything you can produce a 3D computer drawing of, and will accept files from most 3D design packages…
Silicon Beach Training provide 3D Studio Max Training and Vectorworks Training. We also run regular PRINCE2 Training, MSP Training and ITIL Training courses in Brighton, Sussex.
OK, so it can only make objects up to 7″ by 6″ in size, but at just $1,225 (around £790) and only 3o minutes to ‘print’ each object, just think of the possibilities! Can’t find your bottle opener? Can’t be bothered to go out and buy one? Just knock up or download a 3D model and PRINT one! Combine the thing-o-matic with the MakerBot 3D scanner, which scans 3D objects around itself and turns them into designs the MakerBots can replicate everything you already have.
The 3D printer, made by Makerbot Industries in the USA works by building up microscopic layers of plastic. More advanced machines have existed for a while in the manufacturing industry, but thie is the first time a 3D printer has been made available for home use.
And whilst it can only print plastic objects at the moment, a new model is already in the pipeline that can include metal components too, making the prospect of “printing” electrical devices like mobile phones (minus the microchips) a potential reality.
So what would you print with a 3D printer…? We’ve had a bit of a brainstorm in the office and come up with the following list – let us know what you’d print in the comments section below:
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Posted by Andy Trainer in News, Social Media on January 13th, 2011| 5 Comments »
by Louise Docker on Flickr
PRINCE2 is a valuable method-based system for business management. PRINCE2 helps Project Managers to work out who should be involved in the project and what their roles and responsibilities within the project should be.
If you would like to learn more, Silicon Beach Training offers Management Training as well as accredited PRINCE2 Training and Project Management Training in Brighton, Sussex. We offer both the PRINCE2 Foundation Training and PRINCE2 Practitioner Training courses with hands-on workshops delivered by knowledgeable Project Managers with a vast amount of real-world experience.
Training is necessary as PRINCE2 is a system with many processes, with the right training, you will learn vital skills required to successfully complete a project and utilise your new understanding of the PRINCE2 processes.
The biggest plus point of PRINCE2 is its ability to be adapted to any size of business and project; even if your project lasts a few days, you can choose the appropriate processes from the PRINCE2 methodology and implement them successfully into your project.
When you are being taught PRINCE2, the principles sound logical, but it’s often a different story when you come to implement them into your own projects. If users don’t fully understand PRINCE2 then this can lead to excessive use of its processes, which wastes time and effort.
Why implementation is not simply training employees in PRINCE2?
Implementing PRINCE2 requires consistency of the application of project management processes throughout your business or organisation. The PRINCE2 implementations will vary according to the business as well as the project. Applying PRINCE2 effectively requires tailoring to fit into existing working practices.
The information learned on a PRINCE2 training course should not be applied in a rigid way, the PRINCE2 method should be tailored to suit the individual organisation and project.
When this does not happen PRINCE2 can be perceived as unwieldy and bureaucratic leading to the method being side stepped so that project managers can get on with managing. In fact this happens so often it even has its own acronym PINO (Prince in Name Only)!
You may need help with applying PRINCE2 if –
- This is the first time PRINCE2 has been used by your business.
- You feel PRINCE2 isn’t working for your business or you haven’t noticed an increase in performance.
- You want to make sure that all the PRINCE2 processes are being fully realised.
Assign a PRINCE2 Mentor
Many see the implementation of PRINCE2 as a venture; this can be completed within the company by a PRINCE2 mentor. The aim of the mentor is to ensure that PRINCE2 is successfully implemented into projects and can be used in the businesses future projects by the PRINCE2 accredited personnel.
A PRINCE2 mentor can help with advice and support by coaching and ensuring the appropriate processes are used correctly. They can help individuals and small groups by using their PRINCE2 knowledge and creating the right method for their businesses projects. This can be done in small work groups or over the phone or email depending on how much help is needed.
The mentor’s roles can differ with each case. A mentor is someone who helps and offers assistance to others less skilled than them. A great mentor will take a hands-on approach to your businesses project and they should have a large amount of experience and knowledge to help you succeed.
To Conclude
To attain good results when implementing PRINCE2, do not forget its great adaptability and its ability to be tailored to your specific needs, sometimes you don’t need to use everything that PRINCE2 has to offer as it may be irrelevant. Getting a PRINCE2 mentor to help your business is much more than just being provided with instructions; they are there to help create a structure for the very best way to go forward with your project, its also vital that you understand which areas need changing and why. PRINCE2 has the ability to add enormous value to organisations, but only if implemented effectively and intelligently.
Silicon Beach Training is also MSP and ITIL accredited. Please take a look at our ITIL Training and MSP Training courses.
Posted by Aaron Charlie in Business Skills, Management & Leadership, News, PRINCE2, Project Management on January 4th, 2011| 1 Comment »
