Fresh Links Sundae encapsulates information I have come across during the past week. Often they are from the people whose work I admire or resonate with me. I hope you will find these ideas thought-provoking at the minimum. Even better, I hope these ideas will, over time, help my fellow IT pros make better decisions, be awesome, and kick ass!

To save costs and prepare for adoption of next-generation infrastructure technology, leading organizations are adopting commercial-style demand and service management. Himanshu Agarwal, Leandro Santos, and Irina Starikova describe the attributes of effective demand and service management for an IT organization. Managing the demand for IT infrastructure In a related article, Chandra Gnanasambandam, Michael Huskins, and Kara Sprague talk about overcoming several challenges of implementing the next generation of IT infrastructure. Next-generation IT infrastructure (McKinsey & Company)

In IT, we spend a great deal of time discussing the value of adopting ITSM. Earl Begley outlines the things we have to do in ITSM to help drive adoption, but are not covered in the typical ITIL courses. Things I didn’t learn in ITIL school (ITSM Review)

Configuration management supports the management of cloud services by providing information crucial to the other service management processes. Kai Holthaus discusses three common cloud-based models and the configuration management aspects to keep in mind for each model. Configuration Management in the Cloud (VMware Blogs)

Many IT organizations respond to calls, emails and chat session requests quickly, but those requests were then sent elsewhere for action. As a result, things slowed down significantly and IT customers still are not happy with the interaction with IT. Robert Stroud explains why today’s support centers cannot just “log and flog.” Close the Loop on “Log and Flog” Service Management (CA Service Management)

With the technology becomes more accessible, more business executives are willing to lead technology initiatives. Business-led IT initiatives are here to stay, but many business teams still struggle. Raf Gelders discusses ways IT can help the business teams extract value from their technology investments. Why Not All Business-Led IT Takes Off (CIO Leadership Council)

Although data analysis is at top priority of many businesses these days, the ROI and success rate of such projects are still very low. Pearl Zhu explains what the challenges are and how to overcome them. The Brutal Truth about Data Analysis (Future of CIO)

It can be difficult to get it right when estimating software development projects in an agile paradigm. Glen Alleman tackles three common estimating situations and recommends approaches for those situations. How To Fix Martin Fowler’s Estimating Problem in 3 Easy Steps (Herding Cats)

When asked about what changes that can be made to manage more effectively, many C-level executives believe they should delegate more. Marshall Goldsmith argues that, when it comes to delegation, quality still trumps quantity. Don’t Delegate More – Delegate More Effectively (Marshall Goldsmith Personal Blog)