Information Technology (IT) has evolved far beyond being a mere tool for businesses to make use of; these days, it forms the very foundations of most, if not all, successful corporations, regardless of their industry, age or size. Failing to fully optimize IT capabilities can leave a business static in an ever-changing and dynamic landscape, making it highly vulnerable to competitors.

Indeed, the ‘governance’ of IT will usually branch out into virtually every aspect of an organization, including the provision of customer services, the processes which generate end products and even change management. This, of course, begs the question: in a growing business with a web of activities, how does one not only keep track of IT operations, but also make sure that they are optimized and refined?

COBIT is a leading framework for the governance and management of enterprise IT. Created by the non-profit ISACA, COBIT was built by experts to suit the requirements of both business executives and IT professionals. It combines enterprise governance and management techniques, providing principles, practices, models and analytical tools to help users consistently increase the value of, and trust in, their IT systems.

Part of COBIT’s success comes from the fact that it has been consistently updated to meet the ever-changing needs of IT governance. For example, the latest version, COBIT 5, is better able to integrate with other popular frameworks, standards and resources, including VAL IT, Risk IT and ITIL.

So, what exactly does COBIT 5 do in a nutshell? It enables organizations to balance resource usage, risk optimization and realizing benefits, helping them to improve business outcomes and ensure that their IT systems are supporting them as much as possible.

This kind of flexibility can also help organizations to:

•Adapt to user demands

•Conform to industry regulations and compliance initiatives

•Manage risks and security

•Maximize the value of intellectual property

•Make sure IT is capable of supporting major changes

As you can probably tell by now, enterprise IT is an enormous subject. Very few tools cover it in such depth as COBIT 5, making it an excellent investment for any organization serious about optimizing its use of IT. 

This course the COBIT 5 principles in detail and gives an in depth understanding.