The IT Service Management Forum (itSMF) Gulf, the first forum of its kind in the region, and global management software vendor CA, Inc. (NYSE: CA) announced today that CA has increased its commitment to IT service management best practices with a platinum level sponsorship of the itSMF Gulf organization.

"The Gulf chapter of itSMF is very appreciative of the CA sponsorship as it shows their commitment to promoting knowledge-sharing and thought-leadership in our local community of IT professionals,س said Feras Abou Shackra, Executive Committee for itSMF Gulf.

ItSMF Gulf is a not-for-profit organization which was formed in 2006. An affiliate of the international itSMF organization, itSMF Gulf is wholly- owned and operated by its membership. To date itSMF Gulf has attracted over 150 individual members and 20 corporate memberships. The main goal of itSMF Gulf is to create awareness and share knowledge based on IT Service Management and IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) best practices, and is a destination for members to freely exchange ideas and experiences with one another.

CA is a leading authority on IT service management and has been a driving force in the development of IT service management. Already an active member of the global itSMF organization, CAصs sponsorship of the Gulf chapter reaffirms its goal of helping member organizations to achieve measurable operational excellence by introducing, developing and promoting IT Service Management best practices and encouraging IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) standardization and certification.

"As an internationally recognized non-profit organization, itSMF Gulf is uniquely positioned to help organizations in this region establish clear governance and internal policies. We see itSMF Gulf becoming a powerhouse for driving compliance and implementation of best practices in the region.س said Maria Medvedeva, CAصs Regional Director of Technical Sales.

"One of CAصs key imperatives is to help customers improve service, which is very much aligned with the itSMFصs founding goals. We see the opportunity to bring our global expertise to the region via itSMF Gulfصs platform and to help local companies achieve success in their service management investments,س continued Medvedeva.

itSMF Gulf reaffirms its commitment to the region through partnerships with industry leaders such as CA to promote and cement the constant flow of innovations and ideas and to continue to attract other companies of the like to interact in the forum.