A CODE for IT service management has been launched by the British Standards Institution, write Dan Sabbagh and Joanne Wallen.

The 100-page code, written in response to criticism from frustrated users, aims to promote understanding between IT departments and business users.

It was developed with the help of corporations such as Homebase, the BBC, National Air Traffic Services, and Shell.

The code is aimed at managers in IT service units in both vendor and end user organisations.

Lynda Cooper, managing consultant of the FI Group and one of the code?s authors, said: ?Service management is often an area that is little understood. People understand systems development but do not see that service management requires different processes?.

The code will benefit IT managers who had to look after the service management function, as well as business managers receiving the services, Cooper said.

Co-author Paul Carr, consultant at service management software provider Marval Software, said that a highly detailed set of service guidelines known as the IT Infrastructure Libraries (ITIL), were written by the CCTA under the last government, but were ignored by busy IT managers because they ran to 10 volumes.

? BSI Code of Practice for IT Services Management is available from the BSI on 0181 996 9001.