The ITSM Practice: Elevating ITSM and IT Security Knowledge

Is your security stack actually protecting you, or are you just paying for too many tools? This episode looks at security tool sprawl, unused capabilities, overlapping products, skills gaps and vendor dependency. Before buying another security product, understand what you already have, what your team can actually operate and what would really happen if you switched a tool off.

In this episode, we answer to:
Are you paying for security tools you do not actually need?
Is your team using the security capabilities you already pay for?
Should you consolidate security tools or invest in specialist products?

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
Meriplex website, blog article “Cybersecurity Services for Mid-Market Businesses: What You Really Need in 2025”, link: https://meriplex.com/cybersecurity-services-for-mid-market-businesses/

HashiCorp website, blog article “The risks of cybersecurity tool sprawl: Why consolidation is a strategic priority”, link: https://www.hashicorp.com/en/blog/the-risks-of-cybersecurity-tool-sprawl-and-why-we-need-consolidation

MES Computing website, article “What Midmarket CIOs Must Prove By EOY 2026: Fewer Platforms, Faster Security, Measurable Outcomes”, link: https://www.mescomputing.com/news/2026/business/what-midmarket-cios-must-prove-by-eoy-2026

CyberNeurix website, blog article “Security Tool Consolidation in 2026: Why CISOs Are Deleting Tools Instead of Buying Them”, link: https://blogs.cyberneurix.com/blog/security-tool-consolidation-2026/

Red Canary website, blog article “Why CISOs under consolidation pressure are embracing Microsoft Security solutions”, link: https://redcanary.com/blog/microsoft/tool-consolidation-microsoft/

Bitdefender Business Insights website, article “The Security Platform Is Dead. Long Live the Security Platform.”, link: https://businessinsights.bitdefender.com/security-platform-is-dead-long-live-security-platform

Connect with me on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theitsmpractice/
Website: http://www.theitsmpractice.com
And if you want more tips and guidance, follow me on LinkedIn. I am sharing daily posts regarding Enterprise Service Management, IT Service Management, and IT Security.

Credits:
Sound engineering by Alan Southgate - http://alsouthgate.co.uk/

Graphics by Yulia Kolodyazhnaya

24/7 support does not automatically mean 24/7 capability. In this episode of The ITSM Practice Podcast, Luigi Ferri explores how MSPs can design profitable 24/7 IT support using follow-the-sun models, AI, automation, Level Zero support, intelligent routing, and service tiers, while protecting engineering capacity, customer experience, SLAs, and margins.

In this episode, we answer to:
How can MSPs deliver effective 24/7 IT support without replicating expensive engineering capability across every time zone?
How can AI, automation, and Level Zero improve incident management, troubleshooting, routing, and follow-the-sun handovers?
How can MSPs balance SLA performance, customer experience, engineering capacity, and profitability in a 24/7 support model?

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
TechMonarch website, article “How to Scale Managed IT Services for Growing Businesses Without Compromising Quality”, link: https://techmonarch.com/blog/how-to-scale-managed-it-services-for-growing-businesses-without-compromising-quality/

Splashtop website, article “5 Strategies for Scaling IT Operations”, link https://www.splashtop.com/blog/5-strategies-for-scaling-it-operations

Convergence Networks website, article “How to Overcome the 10 Biggest Managed Services Challenges”, link: https://convergencenetworks.com/blog/managed-it-services-challenges/

Advance IT website, article “From Startups to Scale-Ups: Key Trends in Scaling Operations for Long-Term Growth”, link: https://www.advanceit.sg/blog/from-startups-to-scale-ups-key-trends-in-scaling-operations-for-long-term-growth

ScottMadden, website, article “IT Organizational Structures Explained: Finding the Best Fit”, link: https://www.scottmadden.com/insight/it-organizational-structures-explained-finding-the-best-fit/

BPM website, article “Scaling IT Security Operations”, link: https://www.bpm.com/insights/scaling-it-security-operations/

Connect with me on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theitsmpractice/
Website: http://www.theitsmpractice.com
And if you want more tips and guidance, follow me on LinkedIn. I am sharing daily posts regarding Enterprise Service Management, IT Service Management, and IT Security.

Credits:
Sound engineering by Alan Southgate - http://alsouthgate.co.uk/

Graphics by Yulia Kolodyazhnaya

AI is no longer just a technology tool, it is becoming part of the workforce. In this episode, Luigi Ferri explores why AI represents a workforce transformation rather than a technology project, and how CIOs, CISOs, and business leaders must rethink governance, digital workers, AI leadership, cybersecurity, and Enterprise Service Management to successfully manage hybrid human-AI teams.

In this episode, we answer to:
Why is AI a workforce transformation rather than just another technology implementation?
How should CIOs and CISOs govern and manage digital workers alongside human employees?
What leadership, governance, and cybersecurity challenges emerge when AI agents become part of the workforce?

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
ServiceNow website, article "Autonomous Workforce", link https://www.servicenow.com/platform/autonomous-workforce.html

Atomicwork website, article "The AI Workforce: What it actually is and how to make it work for your service teams", link https://www.atomicwork.com/itsm/ai-workforce-guide

Digital Workforce, article "Business Automation. Orchestrated.", link https://digitalworkforce.com

NICE Cognigy website, article "AI Agent Examples and Use Cases for Enterprise Contact Centers", link https://www.cognigy.com/ai-agents/examples-ai-agents

DOMO website, article "Customer Support AI Agents: What They Are and How to Build Them for Best Results", link https://www.domo.com/blog/customer-support-ai-agents-what-they-are-and-how-to-build-them-for-best-results

IBM website, article "Better customer service with AI agents", link https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/ai-agents-in-customer-service

Torq website, article "The Economics of an Agentic SOC: How AI Reduces Security Operations Costs", link https://torq.io/blog/economics-agentic-soc/

KuppingerCole website, article "The Emerging AI Security Operations Center (SOC)", link https://www.kuppingercole.com/research/lc81057/the-emerging-ai-security-operations-center-soc

Connect with me on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theitsmpractice/
Website: http://www.theitsmpractice.com
And if you want more tips and guidance, follow me on LinkedIn. I am sharing daily posts regarding Enterprise Service Management, IT Service Management, and IT Security.

Credits:
Sound engineering by Alan Southgate - http://alsouthgate.co.uk/

Graphics by Yulia Kolodyazhnaya

Are cyber exercises actually improving your cybersecurity resilience, or just satisfying compliance requirements? In this episode, Luigi Ferri explores ENISA's cyber exercise methodology, the gap between testing and real capability improvement, the role of MSPs in incident response, and why organizations must focus on measurable cyber resilience instead of annual audit-driven exercises.

In this episode, we answer to:
Why are cyber exercises important for improving cybersecurity resilience rather than just meeting compliance?
What is the difference between testing cybersecurity and improving organizational cyber resilience?
How can organizations ensure cyber exercise findings lead to measurable capability improvement?

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
ENISA website, guideline "ENISA Technical Advisory for Secure Use of Package Managers", link https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrkMQ3LAHFqUAIA0Av04olQ;_ylu=Y29sbwNpcjIEcG9zAzIEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1787000268/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fwww.enisa.europa.eu%2fsites%2fdefault%2ffiles%2f2026-03%2fENISA%2520Technical%2520Advisory%2520-%2520Package_Managers_Final.pdf/RK=2/RS=gKGJNKMoHHsXF59MpNiBxFeSfpU-

Connect with me on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theitsmpractice/
Website: http://www.theitsmpractice.com
And if you want more tips and guidance, follow me on LinkedIn. I am sharing daily posts regarding Enterprise Service Management, IT Service Management, and IT Security.

Credits:
Sound engineering by Alan Southgate - http://alsouthgate.co.uk/

Graphics by Yulia Kolodyazhnaya

Projects Deliver Outputs, Services Deliver Outcomes: The Ownership Crisis Nobody Discusses. Discover why the biggest risk in any IT project begins after go-live. In this episode, Luigi Ferri explores the critical difference between project outputs and service outcomes, why Service Ownership is essential for long-term business value, and how IT Service Management (ITSM), Product Management, and Business Capability Management must work together to drive sustainable success. Learn why organizations have an ownership problem.

In this episode, we answer to:
Why is the day after go-live often the most dangerous stage of a project?
What is the difference between a Product Owner and a Service Owner, and why does it matter?
How can organizations improve long-term business outcomes through Service Management and clear ownership?

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
PMI Institute, article "Pulse of the Profession 2024", link https://www.scribd.com/document/709988299/PMI-Pulse-of-the-Profession-2024-Report

Balanced Scorecard Institute, article "Is Your Strategy Execution Crumbling as a Result of Too Many Projects?", link https://balancedscorecard.org/blog/is-your-strategy-execution-crumbling-as-a-result-of-too-many-projects/

PwC website, article "PwC Middle East Transformation and project management survey part 1", link https://www.pwc.com/m1/en/publications/transformation-and-project-management-survey.html

Business Chief website, article "MIT Sloan: Why so many business digital transformations fail", link https://businesschief.asia/digital-strategy/mit-sloan-why-so-many-business-digital-transformations-fail

MIT website, article "5 reasons companies struggle with digital transformation", link https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/5-reasons-companies-struggle-digital-transformation

Connect with me on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theitsmpractice/
Website: http://www.theitsmpractice.com
And if you want more tips and guidance, follow me on LinkedIn. I am sharing daily posts regarding Enterprise Service Management, IT Service Management, and IT Security.

Credits:
Sound engineering by Alan Southgate - http://alsouthgate.co.uk/

Graphics by Yulia Kolodyazhnaya