ITIL use found in process automation projects

Among the ITSM professionals working to implement process automation at their organizations, 42 percent have based the effort on ITIL software, according to research from InformationWeek Reports.

However, the publication said, the majority of IT staffers surveyed were not yet working on process automation. Content director Lorna Garey said some IT operations workers might be put off by the prospect, feeling that it could threaten their usefulness to an employer.

Garey asserted, though, that this view was mistaken.

"Our research shows that's not necessarily so. Just 11 percent of respondents who have fully deployed IT automation tools say this has led to staff reductions compared with 16 percent who say it's allowed staff to work in other - hopefully more interesting - areas," she stated.

Some respondents did see the upside of process automation, however, with many citing failure recovery and IT governance improvements as significant advantages.

Process automation is likely to be an important factor in the implementation of advanced new technologies like the smart electrical grid, with Government Computer News saying an NIST specification calls for use of the technique.