Press Release: itSMF Australia 11th National Conference and Expo is “Going up a Gear” in wake of new strategic partnerships
NewsMay , 2008
Australia’s largest ever conference dedicated entirely to IT service management, IT governance and best practice frameworks will be bigger and better than ever when it takes place over three days in Canberra from August 27-29
May 1, 2008, Melbourne, Australia – New strategic partnerships with high profile independent associations from within the IT industry are helping to boost even further the relevance and value of itSMF Australia’s 2008 National Conference and Expo.
In addition to the established high value content presented to members of the Australian chapter of the world’s largest ITSM industry association, this year’s event will also accommodate presenters and delegates from the Help Desk Association of Australasia (HDAA), the Australian Computer Society (ACS, (CMG) and (ISACA),.
“This year’s National Conference and Expo will once again set new benchmarks in terms of the number of registered delegates, exhibitors’ sponsorship packages sold and size of the programme,” Kathryn Heaton, itSMF Australia Board Member and Conference Director said. “We have adopted a conference theme of ‘Going up a Gear’ and these new strategic partnerships we have embarked on are definitely a manifestation of the advancing maturity of IT service management.
“Partnering with HDAA has allowed us to add a whole new breakout stream focused on service management and service delivery issues within the Service desk environment. Meanwhile, by embracing some of Australia’s leading IT professional bodies such as ISACA and ACS, we will get a significant boost in delegate numbers. It also creates improved opportunities for itSMF to reach a broader audience about the business benefits afforded by adoption of best practice IT service management practices and processes.
“One of the key challenges facing all IT managers is demand from the business to ‘do more with less’. Best practice frameworks such as ITIL and international standards such as ISO/IEC 20000 offer clear guidelines on how to save costs, improve IT performance and directly link ITSM to business outcomes.”
“The quality programme being put together by itSMF Australia will offer the best insight available into the theoretical and practical application of best practice frameworks and standards. It will include comprehensive coverage of issues relating to the ITIL Version 3 framework and the ISO/IEC 20000 international standard for ITSM which are both important considerations for private and public IT organisations.”
Another key feature of this year’s conference will see Mr. Greg Farr – current CIO at the Department of Defence and former CIO of the Australian Taxation Office – as a keynote presenter.
Mr. Farr is one of Australia’s best credentialed CIOs and was the 2007 winner of MIS Magazine’s CIO of the Year award. He is also an enthusiastic supporter of the role best practice frameworks and processes play in IT governance, improving the performance of information systems and the quality of IT services delivered to organisation.
"I think that it's critical that there is a highly disciplined, highly documented framework in place if you are going to run IT effectively," Mr. Farr said. “Process improvement is an ongoing and evolving discipline which offers a route to lower cost, better performance and improved accountability of IT organisations, particularly in complex IT environments with large capital investments and diverse systems and applications.
“I think there's a growing understanding of the need for best practice processes in IT and I think as communities practice it and start to understand the practical realities of it rather than just the theories, ITSM will be much more widespread.
“Events such as the itSMF Australia National Conference and Expo represent important peer review opportunities where those practical realities can be explored. I am looking forward to sharing my ITSM experiences with delegates and will also be sending several senior IT mangers within the department to the conference.
“They will be encouraged to take full advantage of this tremendous opportunity to learn how other IT organisations are tackling their ITSM challenges and to exchange ideas about the latest theories and practices in the area of ITSM frameworks.”
According to Mr. Peter Cross, Chairman of itSMF Australia, the increased scrutiny of IT investments and minimal increases in budgets for IT Projects has seen IT service management become a mission critical business process for both public and private sector IT organisations.
“The selected conference theme – ‘Going up a Gear’ – is just so relevant to what is happening in ITSM at the moment as it accurately reflects the need to further enhance the business relevance of the ITSM industry in Australia,” Mr. Cross said. “Where ITSM used to be just an IT department issue, it has now stepped up in relevance to be at the core of business development, business processes and good corporate governance.
“It is great to be bringing this event to the nation’s capital for the first time as best practice IT service management processes are very relevant to the way our Federal Government departments administer some of Australia’s largest IT budgets. Government agencies all over Australia are genuine pioneers in ITSM and this event will dissect a lot of the issues and will provide a great forum for analysis and rigourous debate on the implications of progressing ITSM maturity.”
“As has been the case for over 10 years now, this gathering is a must-attend event for individual and corporate members as well as a unique opportunity for our strategic partners and the broader vendor community to showcase the differentiation and innovation they bring to ITSM.”
Mr. Ian Maitland, Managing Director of HDAA, said he was excited for his organisation to be associated with itSMF for this year's conference.
“Both membership bodies acknowledge the rising importance of standards and best practice frameworks in delivering better quality IT Service Management, particularly the advantages of better aligning IT to the business need,” Mr Maitland said. There is a definite synergy between itSMF and HDAA in this regard"
"Our members and corporate sponsors will gain tremendous benefit from an association with the itSMF National Conference because in addition to the dedicated Service Desk stream, they will have the opportunity to embrace the broader programme of events and quality of content that is always a feature of this conference."
“As ITIL grows in popularity and more organisations embrace the principles, it is important for IT professionals at all levels to keep abreast of the latest developments. HDAA is very happy to be associated with this high quality industry event and we look forward to a continued relationship with itSMF Australia over the coming years.”
A comprehensive array of conference information, including the online registration system, is now available from the itSMF Australia Website (www.itsmf.org.au) or the conference specific website (www.goingupagear.org.au). Early bird registrations for the conference are open until June 20 and offer a discount of over 10 per cent. Standard registrations are open until August, after which a late registration surcharge of around 10 per cent will apply.
Delegates also have the opportunity to book workshops, accommodation, extra social event tickets and a post-conference weekend ski trip to Perisher in the NSW snow fields through the Website and receive it all on one bill.
The itSMF Australia 11th National Conference and Expo programme includes:
- Nine optional half day workshops on Day 1;
- An exclusive CIO Breakfast
- Expansive Trade Show Exhibition with new sponsors and exhibitors who will provide you with extensive information on the latest tools and services available to the ITSM industry
- Two first class social functions at The National Museum and a Gala Dinner at The Great Hall in Parliament House designed to maximise your networking opportunities in a fun filled and entertaining environment
- Three days of conference sessions which include:
- High profile International and Australian Keynote speakers;
- Six programme streams which focus on "hot topics" of interest
- A large number of ITSM case study presentations from high profile public and private IT organisations
- Entertaining and inspirational guest speakers
- Presentations and judging for 2008 ITSM Industry Awards (ITIL Project of the Year category)
A huge array of information and services relating to the Conference is available from the itSMF Australia Website. Visit www.goingupagear.org.au for:
- Full details of itSMF Australia’s 11th National Conference and Expo programme
- Profiles for Keynote Speakers and Workshop Presenters
- Online registration and accommodation bookings
Contacts:
Peter Cross – Chairman, itSMF Australia – 0418 502 201
Geoff Rowe – General Manager, itSMF Australia – (03) 9879 5466
Gerard Norsa – Schmooze Communications – 0427 563 442
ABOUT itSMF AUSTRALIA:
The itSMF is an internationally recognised organisation that is dedicated to non-proprietary IT service management standards and solutions. Now with over 40 national chapters around the world, it was formed to facilitate professional development of members and to provide them with a relevant forum in which to influence the creation of standards, exchange information and share experiences. Ultimately, this interaction and communication amongst members will assist in improving the management and delivery of IT Services to their business and customers.
For further information, visit the itSMF Australia Website (www.itsmf.org.au).
ABOUT IT SERVICE MANAGEMENT:
In recent years, defined process-based service management frameworks have been the foundation upon which many organisations have improved IT service delivery, governance and risk management. These are designed to create operational efficiencies, improve service levels and to reduce the costs of delivering IT service and support.
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