Itil

ITIL® Managing Digital Information Assets
Shirley Lacy, ConnectSphere Frieda Midgley, Digital Continuity Project Judith Riley, Digital Continuity Project Nigel Williamson, Digital Continuity Project

White Paper January 2011

© The Stationery Office 2011

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ITIL® Managing Digital Information Assets

Contents
Synopsis Introduction 1 2 Information asset management 1.1 Why manageinformation assets? What are the digital challenges? 2.1 Adapting to manage the growth in digital content and information 2.2 Understanding how digital information supports the business 2.3 Identifying digital information assets and their relationships 2.4 Ensuring digital continuity through business and technology change 2.5 Managing the liabilities and risks associated with information assets 2.6Managing information across the supply chain 2.7 Reducing redundancy and duplication, and disposing of information Where digital continuity fits in 3.1 Business or organisational change 3.2 Technical change 3.3 Identifying business needs and technical dependencies 3.4 ITIL principles that support digital continuity management 3.5 Organising for digital continuity 3.6 Financial management and serviceportfolio management Using your IAR to understand the relationships between your information assets, business requirements, and technical environment 4.1 Defining the scope of your IAR and identifying starting points 4.2 Designing your IAR 4.3 Adopting the ITIL asset and configuration management practices with the IAR Using the IAR to improve the way you manage digital information 5.1 Planning foreffective and efficient information asset management 5.2 Identifing risks to digital continuity 5.3 Identifying and planning the realisation of savings and efficiencies 5.4 Contracting with new IT service providers 5.5 Obligations on suppliers to use an IAR when contracting for IT services Manage information assets over time, and during periods of change 6.1 Using the ITIL service lifecycle tomanage digital continuity Conclusion Annex A Glossary of terms and definitions Key roles and responsibilities Annex B Annex C Managing digital continuity Annex D Bibliography and references 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 7 7 7 7 8 9 9 10 10 10 10 11 11 11 12 12 13 14 14 15 17 17 17

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Acknowledgements Trademarks and statements

© The Stationery Office 2011

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Synopsis
Information is a valuable asset and needs to be managed as carefully as any other tangible asset, such as money or equipment. In particular, you need to ensure that digital information assets can be used as needed, for as long as needed, to support business requirements. This is called managing digital continuity. This White Paper uses ITIL servicemanagement best practices to explain the principles of providing services to business customers that are fit for purpose, stable and reliable. It is complementary guidance to ITIL on digital continuity. This paper explains what IT service providers, and key points of contact with external IT suppliers, need to do to manage digital continuity in relation to their business activities. In brief, you needto take action to make sure that your technical environment adequately supports the digital information your organization relies on. That means making sure it supports the way your organization needs to use its information, and provides sufficient functionality now and in the future. Key recommendations are as follows:

This White Paper provides complementary guidance to ITIL. For moreinformation visit www.itil-officialsite.com.

Introduction
‘Information is a valuable asset that must be safeguarded. In the case of information held by public authorities and businesses … people want to be certain that it is held securely, maintained accurately, available when necessary and used appropriately’ Sir Richard Mottram, Foreword, National Information Assurance Strategy Organizations depend...