IBM has released systems management software which they claim will advance process improvement within companies.

The new software focuses on design and integration of IT processes across separate departments.

Using the new software, automation and standardisation should now be possible. Theoretically, designing processes for individual departments will be replaced.

Components of the new product include those from, Tivoli, Rational, WebSphere and DB2 middleware. The new initiative helps implement the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL).

Analyst Gartner said many IT organisations would shift their focus this year from traditional cost-cutting techniques to process improvement, a measure that would not only affect IT costs but also IT performance.

The analyst forecast that by the end of this year 20% of large IT organisations would rely on IT process improvements to lower operational costs by 10%, with the figure rising to as much as 40% of large IT organisations by the end of 2007.