| The emergence of ASL (Application Services Library) | | | | information systems aligned with service and process |
| has spawned a potential compliment to the ITIL | | | | perspectives. According to the ASL Foundation, |
| framework, and is catching the attention of ITSM | | | | "Current research has shown that on average, the |
| professionals. Touted as another "standard" public | | | | majority of costs are incurred during the maintenance |
| domain framework sponsored by The ASL | | | | and enhancement stages." |
| Foundation, it provides a collection of best practices for | | | | So, just how much has the focus shifted? From the |
| managing application development and maintenance. | | | | ASL perspective, quite a bit: roughly 80% of AM |
| But how does it fit into the "big picture" of ITIL? | | | | efforts may lie in the maintenance of systems. This is |
| Although ASL is based on the processes and service | | | | powerful insight into where the majority of value |
| concepts of ITIL, the two frameworks differ in their | | | | added activities should fit relative to the overall |
| approach to controlling and supporting the technical | | | | application lifecycle. Moreover, exacerbated by the |
| infrastructure. ASL stresses different functional | | | | trend of outsourcing non-core competencies (e.g. |
| competencies and introduces additional processes that | | | | internal application development), ASL looks more |
| support the AM framework, in addition to providing | | | | realistically at the activities that focus on optimizing |
| more detail surrounding the ongoing management and | | | | service to the customer and in direct support of overall |
| support of business systems and services. | | | | business objectives. |
| In order to alleviate some confusion, service managers | | | | While ASL does not replace the ITIL Application |
| should first review the overlap between ASL and the | | | | Management framework, it compliments the service |
| ITIL Application Management component. While ITIL's | | | | manager through its broader perspective into the |
| current Application Management publication provides a | | | | dependencies associated with the functional and |
| framework surrounding application development and | | | | technical aspects of optimized service provision. That |
| service management, ASL adds more depth to the | | | | being said, the evolution of ITIL and ASL as a |
| collaboration required between customers, systems | | | | partnership should continue, but the framework |
| and the service providers optimizing service provision. | | | | documentation itself could more collaborative, reduce |
| In effect, ASL more explicitly outlines the process | | | | redundancy and more clearly articulate AM best |
| interdependencies between the infrastructure, | | | | practices to the ITIL community. |
| applications and the business. | | | | Bottom line: ASL takes a deep dive into the |
| However, specific to the application realm, ASL also | | | | management of the application lifecycle and integration |
| adds some practical guidance for management of the | | | | with the ICT infrastructure. By providing additional |
| lifecycle through its recognition of a paradigm shift in | | | | processes that support the AM framework and |
| focus from application development to software | | | | stressing the shift from development to management, |
| maintenance. ASL sites the traditional focus on | | | | maintenance and enhancement, ASL advances the |
| systems development efforts (e.g. SDLC) but | | | | application services framework with additional detail to |
| acknowledges more recent attention to the | | | | better serve the business. |
| management, maintenance and enhancement of | | | | |