Announcing: The Release of Microsoft Operations Framework 4.0 and the new MOF Online Forums

Hi all.  I wanted to let everyone know about two exciting announcements.  At MMS, the MOF team has announced the relesae of Microsoft Operations Framework 4.0 and the new MOF Online Community Forums, a new online home for the discussion of of all things related to MOF, service management, ITIL, IT governance and related frameworks across the IT lifecycle as they tie to the Microsoft platform. We sincerely look forward to getting to know you all better on our new forum and introducing you to the new MOF. Now that we're though the very intensive development schedule of MOF 4.0, the level of online activity across our all of our community outlets will be picking up considerably over the next few months.  Please drop in our our new forum, say hello, and keep an eye out for some of the announcements that will be coming, such as training webcasts, hosted LiveMeetings with the both the MOF development team, key customers and implementers, as well as Microsoft's own IT department.  The release announcement for MOF 4.0 follows.

Microsoft Operations Framework 4.0—Simplifying IT Service Management

I am thrilled to announce the release of Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) 4.0.

 

MOF 4.0 applies service management concepts to the tasks and challenges IT professionals face every day. The guidance it provides puts IT pros in the spotlight—it speaks to their needs and provides them with job aids to help them make sound decisions. MOF 4.0 features guidance specifically written to help CIOs, IT directors, IT managers, and IT professionals at all levels plan, deliver, operate, and manage IT services across the lifecycle.

In version 4.0, MOF introduces a new structure that puts emphasis on outcomes, results, and roles in a format that’s easy to reference. Because every group, team, and company is unique, the service management functions (SMFs) in MOF 4.0 are anchored by questions that support the decision-making process within an organization. This new, streamlined approach makes it possible to use either the entire framework or just one component of the framework to solve a particular problem.

The practical guidance in MOF 4.0 features processes; governance, risk, and compliance activities; management reviews; and best practices from Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF). Finally, to ensure industry alignment, MOF 4.0 supports the best practices found in frameworks such as ITIL, CoBIT, and ISO 20000.

The new release of MOF offers concise, practical guidance across the IT lifecycle, but it doesn’t stop there. Another very important element of version 4.0 is our online community: a platform where IT professionals can contribute their own timely, relevant recommendations for achieving reliable, cost-effective IT services…and benefit from the contributions of their peers.

What You Should Do Next

Download MOF 4.0 now at www.microsoft.com/MOF, then join the online MOF community. See what you can contribute—and what you can gain—by participating in forums and blogs, providing feedback, and supporting other IT professionals.

Please let us know what you think of this latest release of MOF. We look forward to hearing from you,

Sincerely,

Jason Osborne

MOF Frameworks PM