ITSM Glossary of Terms

Visit the ITSM glossary for the definition, history, and uses of key industry terms, including standard operating procedures (SOP), risk management, and more.

Citizen Development

Jun 23, 2022 9:00:02 AM

What is Citizen Development? 

When a business has its non-IT team members train in low-code or no-code software development, that is called citizen development. A citizen developer doesn’t report to the IT department, but uses tools that are sanctioned by IT to build applications that will make their work easier and more efficient. 

Low-Code Development

Jun 23, 2022 8:58:58 AM

What is Low-Code Development? 

Low-code is all about building and developing software applications faster without needing to write code. For example, instead of developing a website page with native coding, a low-code method would allow you to visually create the webpage with something like drag-and-drop modules or point-and-click interface creation. This makes application and software development accessible to those who might not be familiar with coding, opening up a world of opportunity for businesses. 

IT KPIs

Jun 23, 2022 8:57:26 AM

What are IT KPIs? 

KPIs are key performance indicators, the metrics that businesses use to measure their performance and success. There are many KPIs out there, and the importance varies based on industry and even companies. IT KPIs are the thresholds specific to IT teams and departments, and can include anything from resolution time and total vs. open tickets to IT return on investment (ROI) and cyber security rating, to name just a few.  

Client Portal Software

Jun 23, 2022 8:56:05 AM

What is a Client Portal? 

A client portal is software or system that manages everything involved in the client-provider relationship. Through a portal, clients can submit service requests, check on tickets, chat with support, and access important documents or service offerings in a secure and centralized place. 

Enterprise Service Management (ESM)

Jun 23, 2022 8:54:16 AM

What is Enterprise Service Management? 

Enterprise service management (ESM) uses IT service management (ITSM) practices to improve the performance and outcomes of business functions. ESM is conceptually very similar to ITSM but essentially applies the tenets of ITSM across an entire enterprise to improve a business’s service delivery holistically, from employee onboarding in HR to document reviews in the legal department and beyond. 

Service-Level Agreement (SLA)

Jun 23, 2022 8:48:45 AM

What is an SLA? 

A service-level agreement (SLA) is the deal struck between a service provider and a client detailing the expectations and responsibilities of the provider. SLAs usually include components on reporting, responsiveness, incident management, and more so that client and provider are on the same page from the very beginning of an agreement. 

ITSM Tools

Jun 23, 2022 8:47:19 AM

What are ITSM Tools? 

ITSM tools facilitate and support the processes associated with IT service management (ITSM). ITSM refers to anything an IT team does, end-to-end, to deliver their services, and an ITSM tool is anything that enables high-quality ITSM operations, such as ticket processing workflows or onboarding automation. 

Anything-as-a-Service (XaaS)

May 26, 2022 8:24:57 AM

What is XaaS? 

XaaS stands for “Everything-as-a-Service” or “Anything-as-a-Service,” and is a general term that refers to delivering anything as a service. XaaS encompasses many cloud-based services, including Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). It seeks to eliminate these distinctions and focus more on how all services can be offered over the internet.