This is it! Almost show time!

As we all scramble to pack and put the finishing touches on our Knowledge12 breakout sessions, labs, keynotes, ExpoNow booths, Mardi Gras get-ups, etc., we thought it beneficial to provide you with a concise list of Know12 “must-dos”. This comprehensive list captures everything you must do, see and know about Knowledge12 and will serve as a checklist for you before and upon your arrival to New Orleans:

What: HDI 2012 Conference & Expo
Where: Orlando, Florida
When: April 24-27, 2012
Why: Because we <3 IT

ServiceNow HDI Sessions (aka, The Chris Dancy show):

Chris Dancy speaking: 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM on Thursday, April 26

ON show floor at the Expo Hall we have a presentation by Chris Dancy: Thursday, April 26 from 12:40 until 1:00 p.m.

Chris Dancy is also speaking session 502: Clockwork Orange: Mobility, Big Data and Precognition

Come visit us at booth #421.
Exhibit Hours:
Tuesday, April 24, 2012 | 6 :00 pm - 8:00 pm

Wednesday, April 25, 2012 | 11:30 am - 6:00 pm

Another week gone by and we are that much closer to kicking off the greatest ITSM gathering in the entire universe! (A bold statement- but one we'll deliver on.) And let me tell you- with only 23 days until show time, things are a bit crazy around here...! But we've decided to slow down amongst all the last minute madness and catch up with our amazing platinum sponsors.

It's official... The ONE MONTH countdown for KNOWLEDGE12 is underway! Get out your red pen and start marking the days off your calendar because in just 30 short ones YOU will be at the greatest ITSM show on earth! You might be thinking, "Wait a minute...30 days? That's May 13th. I thought Knowledge started on May 15th." Well, yes and no. May 13th marks the beginning of pre-conference training, and since so many of you (close to half of all registrants) have decided to come out and start the party early, we can't help but join you.

And as the host of this affair, it would be rude of us to not introduce you to your platinum sponsors. These organizations are the ones that believe so deeply in the power of Knowledge that they have become and actual part of the event. We appreciate their support and commitment to making Knowledge12 unique, inspiring and most importantly, yours.

This week we'd like you to get to know Fruition Partners. Patrick Stonelake, Co-Founder and Director of Solutions, shares with us what Knowledge means to Fruition and what Fruition means to Knowledge:

Knowledge12 is just around the corner and in effort to help you ease your debilitating K12 anticipation, we have created some fancy Knowledge12 Twitter Lists. Twitter lists? But why?! We created a Knowledge12 Attendee List and a Knowledge12 Speaker List to get you learning, sharing, and connecting...NOW!

Upon arrival at Knowledge12 in New Orleans, you may notice a few significant differences between this and the Knowledge conferences of yesteryear. For starters, attendees will not be sequestered to a tiny island in the middle of Mission Bay to fend for themselves against “alleged” Shamu attacks. Nor will they be forced to repeatedly explain to family and friends that they are going to San Diego for work, not vacation.

Great news! The Knowledge12 agenda and session abstracts are now available! For the past few months, we have been talking up a storm—claiming this year’s content will be “second to none”, “world class”, “best in the universe”—now it’s time to prove it. And thanks to you, our customers, we can…

We need help. This week at the Pink Elephant ITSM Conference in Las Vegas we're putting together a posse to round up ITIL violators. Here are the steps to be deputized:
1. Get a Notice of ITIL Violation ticket book from a ServiceNow customer session or our booth.
2. Observe violator.
3. Fill out ticket.
4. Hand ticket to violator while saying, "You're not from around these parts, are ya?"

The Holiday decorations have been taken down, New Year’s resolutions made and broken, Valentine’s Day chocolate wrappers blowing in the wind—and just when you thought things were finally winding down…enter Pink Elephant. The ITSM extravaganza, set for February 19-22, will send IT professionals, near and far, on a pilgrimage to the City of Sin!

Is Cloud The Napster of IT?

Remember what Napster did to the music industry? It changed the playing field. This webinar explores how cloud infrastructure is having a similar impact on business computing and, more importantly, how the lack of an intuitive, actionable service catalog can keep you from realizing the biggest benefits of the cloud. Join George Spalding of Pink Elephant and Craig McDonough of ServiceNow for an informative session discussing how an IT service catalog is critical to the success of your cloud initiative.

Learn How To Transform IT In 45 Minutes Or Less!

Learn how to improve the productivity of your IT organization and the business systems you rely on through powerful IT cloud services that are simple to use and easy to implement. In less than an hour, our ServiceNow experts will show you how an effective IT Service Management strategy can enhance IT business value while saving significant resources, time and money. And no, we're not just making this stuff up!

Disclaimer: This entry was written by guest blogger Michael Slabodnick, ServiceNow Administrator at Omnicare. For more on Michael, visit his blog at www.itilandme.com

This blog details how Omnicare's IT department achieved the unachievable, creating a one-of-a-kind gamification strategy that successfully improved morale, motivation and performance across the entire team. "The Game" was a grassroots vision that was originally conceptualized by members of the help desk and eventually attracted the attention of upper management. Learn how the IT department at Omnicare took the dreary 9-5 into their own hands and transformed IT into a game---badges and all!

San Diego LIG - Mobility, Cloud and the Coming Singularity, Chris Dancy

Who: Chris Dancy
What: Mobility, Cloud and the Coming Singularity
Where: ServiceNow Headquarters
12225 El Camino Real, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92130
When: January 26th, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Why: Because we <3 IT!
How: Register Here

Knowledge12, New Orleans (a.k.a the Mari Gras of ITSM) was officially announced yesterday!

Many of you may not know this about me, but I grew up in Singapore, one of the safest countries on earth. Growing up, I was free to roam the island and utilized all types of public transportation to do so. MRT, bus, taxi, or rickshaw, the island was my playground, and I was lucky enough to be handed the freedom to explore my surroundings safely; However…this was not the case in Las Vegas…

A couple months ago I found myself stranded in Las Vegas due to a massive power outage and airport closure in San Diego. Oh no… I’m stranded in Vegas! What should I do?

I tried to comment on a Forrester blog post titled, "Are You Happy With Your IT Service Management Tool?" from @stephenmann but it blocked me for spam. Guilty as charged. I'll post my comment here instead...

I guess the SaaS vendor should chime in...so here are a couple of thoughts to keep this conversation in perspective. 1. No two SaaSes are alike. 2. The SaaS referred to in the survey is ServiceNow.

Not for these guys...

Have you heard about the ServiceNow Mustache Movember team? This group of selfless men have been hard at work growing out their 'staches for the past 15 days to raise awareness and donations for men's health issues. All donations raised by YOUR ServiceNow team go toward the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LiveSTRONG Foundation in effort to fund global prostate cancer research and community outreach programs for cancer survivors.

Chris Dancy joined ServiceNow about a month ago. It has been great to have him as part of the family, but we all know he's been a critical member of a much bigger family for years before he arrived at our doors.

I've watched the reactions of folks in the ITSM industry, both in and out of ServiceNow. Most have been excited at the news, but there has also been some disbelief.

ServiceNow is truly an innovative software platform.

IT clicked when I saw all the different modules in the system work together. The epiphany was realized after working through a simulation with several team members having different roles within a hypothetical business. There was a business owner, a CIO, a first level support team, and a problem and change management team all striving to keep IT services up and the business operational.

For my third installment of What You Should Know About Knowledge11, I caught up with European Regional Director, Michael Lindner, and learned how he hopes to unlock the magic of ServiceNow at Knowledge11 Europe…and you might be surprised to learn that he hopes to not sell a single thing! Instead, he hopes that the contagious, fanatical support of ServiceNow customers will convert any skeptics into ServiceNow believers. In fact, it is safe to say that Michael himself is an avid ServiceNow believer.

A couple of years ago, @mattberan created the ServiceNow Virtual User Group. In lieu of in-person meetings, Matt found other ServiceNow customers willing to provide a virtual show and tell of their ServiceNow instances. Folks like C.H. Robinson, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, Orrick and others were good enough to share. But it wasn't easy to deliver a consistent line up of demo volunteers.

It is late Sunday night and I just arrived in Orlando for Gartner Symposium 2011. I'm tired but I've been looking forward to this week for months. Check that, I've been looking forward to 12:45 pm on Monday, Oct. 17 for months. This is when Frank Wander, the CIO of Guardian Life, presents, "People - The Social Fabric of IT."

Join ServiceNow and ManageIQ for a webinar on Tuesday October 18 at 1pm EDT that describes how a leading financial services company built a global enterprise Cloud to transform IT, enable self-service and accelerate service delivery. Find out how they empowered users to request services from their service catalog, automated provisioning, and optimized IT resources through intelligent workload management and real-time CMDB integration.

For my second interview, I sat down with Moti Eliav, VP of Platform Development, to get the latest and greatest details on the ServiceNow platform. Moti had a lot to say about platform improvements that are currently underway, as well as his vision for the future of the platform. After sitting down with him for a few minutes, it was clear that Moti has a firm grasp on the direction he would like to take the platform in… but there is still a big piece of the equation missing.

I’m on my way to Fusion11. Chances are that’s Texas I see out the window, or Canada. As always the laptop comes out and I check Twitter first. I notice some chatter about Fusion11 and remember I don’t have a column yet for the #fusion11 stream. Unfortunately it doesn’t take long to scan it. Hmph.

Global weather forecast for September 29, 2011: Cloudy with a chance of Cloud.

Who: Forrester Research and ServiceNow
What:Webinar- Service Management for the Cloud, from the Cloud
Where: Register Here
When: September 29, 2011 at 8:00am Pacific Standard Time
Why: Because we <3 IT

In anticipation of Knowledge11 Europe, 5 – 8 December in Frankfurt, I will be sitting down with the who’s-who of ServiceNow for exclusive interviews on the past, present and future of the ServiceNow Knowledge User Conferences.

Why Your Cloud-First Step Should Be IT Service Management

Who: Triad Technology Partners & ServiceNow
What: Webinar- Why Your Cloud-First Step Should Be IT Service Management
Where: Register Here
When: September 29, 2011 at 2:00pm EST
Why: Because we <3 IT

Over the next couple weeks, I will be sitting down with the who’s-who of ServiceNow to discuss the past, present and future of the ServiceNow Knowledge User Conferences. These interviews will provide readers with unique insight into the company’s vision for the conference and will re-connect the community to the true purpose of the event: building relationships through a mutual sharing of knowledge.

Knowledge11 Europe will take place December 5th-8th in Frankfurt Germany!

REGISTER NOW! http://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=991067

Knowledge11 Europe, the ServiceNow User Conference, is Europe's premiere IT training and networking event of the year. Four full days of ServiceNow training, the latest innovations in IT, and networking with the community that is defining IT for the cloud era will prepare you to tackle the new year.

What Is Your Story?
We are on the hunt for talented, entertaining presenters to share their expertise at Knowledge11 Europe, a ServiceNow User Conference. Do you have valuable knowledge that would help the ServiceNow community? Are you a talented administrator experienced in configuring ServiceNow? Have you transformed IT in the face of adversity? Submit your speaking proposal today.

Looking for corporate nirvana and cosmic harmony? Hey, who isn’t? Meet Roger who sits on the board, in this short video from ShamanWorks. Roger is in charge of making sure that his entire company is properly equipped to do business. Sound like a big task? You bet it is, that’s why Mary, the queen of compliance and Kyle, the IT dude are part of the process. Oh yeah, and we mustn’t forget Bob, the auditor. Mary, Kyle and Bob help Roger ensure that everyone follows the appropriate regulations and standards for their industry so they stay in compliance.

If you like The Office, can relate to The Cubes or are a fan of Archie McPhee, then you’re in for a real treat! Check out the ServiceNow super-cool Runbook Automation (RBA) video, starring Roger, Paula and a cast of characters including some of your own office mates…

I’m one of the few people I know that loves to look at the world from an ITIL perspective, and has fun doing it. Business problems morph into puzzles that are solved as easy as 1, 2, ITIL. Sometimes, a problem seems so obvious that I can’t believe we haven’t thought of a solution sooner.

I recently heard a story about a woman consultant preparing to move across the country for a job transfer. Somewhere between a 60-hour workweek and packing a lifetime of memories into boxes, she unexpectedly ran into an inbox nightmare. “Sorry, your inbox is full”.

William Edward Deming is almost considered a hero in Japan for his lifetime of work dedicated to continuous process improvement. Deming developed a process based on the scientific method, which helped develop a culture of innovation and drive high quality manufacturing processes in Japan, ultimately revolutionizing supply chain manufacturing principles, worldwide. In fact, Six Sigma certifications have spawned from his teachings.

I know you’re thinking, “I really do love me some chicken wings.” In fact, chicken wings with the sweet and spicy aroma of Frank’s Hot Sauce are so appetizing they successfully converted my wife from a vegetarian existence of eight years. I recently visited a local establishment with a few friends from college to compete in a wing-eating contest at an attempt to make the wall of fame. As the new kid in town I had to establish myself, and this seemed like a good place to start.

Big News! ServiceNow released a brand new white paper titled, “Benefits of the Cloud for Outsourced Help Desks and Managed Service Providers”. Although the title is quite a mouthful, the white paper does an outstanding job of simplifying the beauty of the cloud for both those looking to outsource their IT departments, as well as the outsourcers themselves.

In preparation for the ServiceNow educational webinar “Making ITIL Work For You”, I was fortunate enough to interview Malcolm Fry, the always entertaining and all-things-IT service management expert. This interview is the first in a three-part series looking at Malcolm’s view on achieving success with the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL). As Malcolm will outline, the secret to process implementation (a shockingly common sense approach) is to keep it simple, demonstrate quick wins, and repeat the recipe of success.

This years Knowledge11 User Conference will offer a Technical Track featuring technical tips, tricks and how-to's for those who have a good grasp on the ServiceNow platform. The Technical Track sessions are recommended for system administrators and for those interested in learning more about ServiceNow functionality or fine-tuning their skills.

This years Knowledge11 User Conference will offer a Technical Track featuring technical tips, tricks and how-to's for those who have a good grasp on the Service-now.com platform. The Technical Track sessions are recommended for system administrators and analysts and for those interested in learning more about Service-now.com functionality or fine-tuning their skills.

This years Knowledge11 User Conference will feature a Development Track, in which Service-now.com employees will get into the nitty gritty of customization and application development. The Development Track will offer hands-on lab sessions with deep technical guidance for the most advanced Service-now.com experts and more basic how-to's for intermediate users.

This years Knowledge11 User Conference features a Development Track, in which Service-now.com employees will get into the nitty gritty of customization and application development. The Development Track breakout sessions include detailed guidance on how to take full advantage of Service-now.com capabilities.

Date: Monday, April 27, 2011
From: Fred Luddy
To: Service-now.com employees
Subject: A Great Leap Forward – Growing Service-now.com

About 18 months ago I realized the opportunity for Service-now.com to become one of the world's largest software companies was far more significant than I had imagined when a handful of us started this thing six years ago.

This year's Knowledge11 User Conference will feature multiple tracks and session types to meet the needs of about 1,000 attendees.

This year, for the first time ever, a majority of the Knowledge11 sessions will be delivered by Service-now.com customers. Who better to share success than the folks who know it best?

Here are more highlights of sessions from the "Knowledge" track about people in IT, as delivered by some really smart people:

This year's Knowledge11 User Conference will feature multiple tracks and session types to meet the needs of our diverse group of attendees.

One track will be the "Knowledge" track, designed to deliver IT process guidance, business transformation strategies, introductions to new and existing Service-now.com cloud services, and implementation best practices. This track is recommended for everybody from VPs to service desk managers and project managers.

Knowledge11 conference registrants can now schedule one-on-one expert meetings and begin collaborating using Service-now.com technology.

At Service-now.com, we take a lot of pride in using our cloud service to create a great experience for our customers. I am excited to highlight the many ways we are using Service-now.com technology to support our global user conference, Knowledge11.

My first day of employment at Service-now.com was January 14, 2008. Rob Luddy, Service-now.com vice president of sales, came into my office to welcome me to the company. He then proceeded to drop the bomb of all bombs for a marketing professional. He said, “Matt, our user conference is just three months out. We need to start working on it.” Start working on it? What!?

At the time, the 2nd annual Service-now.com user conference did not have a name. We had 46 employees and only two in marketing.

We are looking forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming Pink Elephant IT Service Management Conference. We understand there are dozens of sessions competing for your time so we want to make sure you know which Service-now.com customers and employees will be presenting at the conference.

Service-now.com customer sessions will address topics like:

• IT 3.0
• CIO priorities
• ITSM tool change
• Social IT
• Cloud services
  

I haven't been writing much on this blog recently and I miss it. Admittedly, many of my writing cycles have been spent on the Service-now.com community pages or writing for other outlets.

For example, I enjoyed the chance to guest post on the Pink Elephant conference blog answering some questions from Rob England. I provide a bunch of secrets for how we work with our customers to achieve IT 3.0.