APMG present cheque for £100,000 to itSMFI in support of IT service management community

14 November 2007, Brighton, United Kingdom: Yesterday the APM Group (APMG), which is responsible for the ITIL® qualifications scheme, handed over a cheque for £100,000 to Sharon Taylor, the itSMF International Chair designate. The exchange took place at the 16th IT Service Management (ITSM) conference which is taking place this week at the Hilton Metropole, Brighton.

The cheque forms the first instalment of a share of the income from Foundation exams. It will fund itSMF International's efforts to raise professionalism in the service management industry.

"This milestone is an important step for both APMG and itSMF International," Sharon Taylor said. "OGC, APMG, TSO and itSMF International will continue to work together to ensure that ITIL v3 and the qualifications scheme reflect the changing needs of service managers."

Richard Pharro, CEO, APMG, said: "We're delighted to make the first payment of a significant sum to support itSMF's international activities as it works with its Chapters around the world to establish the highest standards amongst service management professionals."

ITIL v3 is a strong theme at the 3-day conference which ends today.

About The APM Group

The APM Group (APMG) is a global business providing accreditation and certification services. Through its international network of Accredited Consultancy and Training Organizations APMG helps end users develop their professional skills and organizations improve their processes through the adoption of worldwide best practice.

APMG works closely with the UK Office of Government Commerce (OGC) and TSO, their official publisher, in running global accreditation schemes in ITIL® (IT Infrastructure Library), PRINCE2™, MSP (Managing Successful Programmes), and M_o_R® (Management Of Risk).

Other partners include The Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP), The UK's Financial Services Skills Council (FssC), and the UK's Chartered Management Institute.

APMG is one of the first medium sized companies to establish an independent Ethics and Standards Board to monitor its business practice and help ensure it supports the industries it serves in a transparent and responsible way.

For further details about APMG's qualification and accreditation schemes visit: www.apmg-uk.com or call + 44 (0)1494 452450.