What is ITIL?
ITIL is a series of documents, originally created by the Office of Government Commerce, a governmental department in United Kingdom. These are used to help implement an efficient framework for IT Service Management (ITSM).
This ‘ITIL framework’ essentially defines how to organize the system and network management departments within individual organizations. The concepts within ITIL support IT service providers in the planning of consistent, documented, and repeatable processes that improve service delivery to the business.
ITIL addresses the organizational structure and skill requirements for an IT organization by presenting a comprehensive set of management procedures with which an organization can manage its IT operations.
ITIL: Information Technology Infrastructure Library.
ITIL is an integrated set of best-practice lifecycle recommendations with common definitions and terminology. It is actually divided into a series of five documents/books, which are known commonly as ’sets’ or ‘volumes’. The volumes themselves describe what are often termed ‘disciplines’, covering individual subjects and approaches.
Conceptually, the driving volume is ‘Service Strategy’, which offers a view of ITIL that aligns business and IT so that each brings out the best in the other. The remaining four volumes are Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation and Continual Service Improvement.
An established and well defined certification scheme is also in place to support ITIL. This comprises three disctinct levels: Foundation, Practitioner and Manager. This is discussed in a separate section of this portal.
ITIL Central
ITIL is now a worldwide phenomena, used by organizations of all shapes and sizes, and with a growing army of certified individuals. This website was produced to offer information and support, at both corporate and personal levels. When fully developed, it will provide a focal point for news, interaction and of course access to a wide range of support products and services.
What is ITIL?
ITIL® is the only consistent and comprehensive documentation of best practice for IT Service Management. Used by many hundreds of organisations around the world, a whole ITIL philosophy has grown up around the guidance contained within the ITIL books and the supporting professional qualification scheme.
ITIL consists of a series of books giving guidance on the provision of quality IT services, and on the accommodation and environmental facilities needed to support IT. ITIL has been developed in recognition of organisations’ growing dependency on IT and embodies best practices for IT Service Management.
The ethos behind the development of ITIL is the recognition that organisations are becoming increasingly dependent on IT in order to satisfy their corporate aims and meet their business needs. This leads to an increased requirement for high quality IT services.
ITIL Refresh
ITIL Version 2 (V2) has undergone a major refresh which is Version 3 (V3). Version 3 represents an important evolutionary step in its life. The refresh has transformed the guidance from providing a great service to being the most innovative and best in class. At the same time, the interface between old and new approaches is seamless so that users do not have to reinvent the wheel when adopting it. V3 allows users to build on the successes of V2 but take IT service management even further.
ITIL: Overview and Benefits
ITIL provides a systematic and professional approach to the management of IT service provision. Adopting its guidance offers users a huge range of benefits that include:
reduced costs
improved IT services through the use of proven best practice processes
improved customer satisfaction through a more professional approach to service delivery
standards and guidance
improved productivity
improved use of skills and experience
improved delivery of third party services through the specification of ITIL or ISO 20000 as the standard for service delivery in services procurements.
ITIL Users
ITIL has been adopted by hundreds of organisations worldwide. These include:
Microsoft
IBM
Barclays Bank
HSBC
Guinness
Procter & Gamble
British Airways
Ministry of Defence
Hewlett Packard
