At JOS, the company started with hiring a consultant, which Mok said has brought an easier way for them to locate the starting point. But for many local IT executives, not knowing how to approach and where to start has been the major challenge and barrier to adopting ITIL.

Nevertheless, Gartner noted that experienced ITIL consultants are few and expensive. The firm estimated that, in 2004, there were fewer than 200 ITIL-certified and practicing consultants with more than three years' experience in ITIL implementation...globally.

The research firm suggested a selective and focused use of consultants, instead of hiring a large number of inexperienced consultants.

"ITIL consultants should be used strategically and sparingly," suggested Gartner. "And not as ITIL implementation project managers."

"For many organizations, pursuing an ITIL framework can seem like climbing Mount Everest," said Michael Marks, CA's vice president of alliances and market development. "CIOs shouldn't let the magnitude of a full-scale ITIL stop them in their tracks. Instead, they should target a limited set of readily achievable objectives."