A key challenge is that ITIL is descriptive but not prescriptive, said Rob Stroud, who heads CA’s ITIL and COBIT practices. In other words, ITIL has lots of theory but does not specify how or what to implement.

Stroud is also active in contributing to the refreshing of ITIL, which is currently underway. He also contributed to a white paper on the relationship of ITIL with COBIT, the IT governance framework, published by the IT Governance Institute.

He added that in most cases, different firms conduct training, assessment, and then handle the technology deployment. He claimed that many CA customers have asked for a broader offering, in spite of the fact that having the same outfit conduct an assessment and recommend the technology that it sells might pose a conflict of interest in some eyes.

CA’s training and assessments cover the two most popular elements of the ITIL framework, service management and service delivery. Customers can choose either or both tracks.

And to jump the gap and offer something prescriptive, they are publishing and making freely available subway maps that show the relationships between ITIL process goals, such as service level management and financial management, are related to each other. And it also shows how specific subtasks, such as negotiating service level agreements and setting pricing and charge-back policies, are related to those processes and each other.

In addition to the new training and assessment offerings, CA is also making available its Change and Configuration Management Database (CMDB) as a standalone product, because it is the cornerstone of ITIL adoption.

As part of the CMDB, it is offering 70 predefined configuration relationships out of the box, and not surprisingly, integration with several CA IT management products including NSM (network and systems management), asset management, and service desk. Additionally, it is offering an API to Microsoft’s Systems Management Server (SMS).

And just in case your eyes were glazing over, CA is also adding an Apollo 13 simulation game for teams to role play in a day long session. The idea, building empathy for other roles, pits different members who are part of the space or ground crews, who work to get the crippled craft back to Earth.

Most of the offerings, including a new ITIL portion of the CA website, are available now. The CMDB will be available in August.