The Information Technology Infrastructure Library, usually referred to as ITIL, is a set of publications that describe a full framework for managing IT service delivery. Originally developed out of the UK Government Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA), ITIL has now gained widespread international acceptance and is very influential in IT service delivery. The CCTA were the same UK Government agency that developed the PRINCE2 project management method.
The UK CCTA functions have been consumed into other UK Government departments, and ITIL is now a registered trademark of the UK Cabinet Office.
The current version of ITIL is the 2011 editions, which have been
published as 5 core books by The Stationary Office (TSO) of the UK
Government.
|
Publication |
Primary Purpose |
|
ITIL Service Strategy |
Service Strategy sets and manages the strategy for IT, based on the overall business strategy, so that IT services meet current and future needs of the business. |
|
ITIL Service Design |
Service design is all about designing IT services to meet the current and future needs of the business. |
|
ITIL Service Transition |
To ensure that any modifications to the IT environment meet the expectations of the business, customers and users, considering new, modified, retiring and retired services. |
|
ITIL Service Operation |
To coordinate, manage and deliver services to ensure that the service levels agreed with the business, customers and users are met or exceeded. |
|
ITIL Continual Service Improvement |
To learn from experience and to apply that learning in order to continually improve the quality of IT services and to optimize costs. |
Amongst other places, these core publications can be purchased from The Stationary Office online shop, or through major online resellers like Amazon.
The 5 core volumes of ITIL contain information on various principles, processes, common activities, technology considerations, methods and techniques, with appendices that contain further information on things like other frameworks and standards for related guidance.
ITIL Service Strategy covers the following processes:
Strategy management for IT Services
Service portfolio management
Financial management for IT services
Demand management
Business relationship management
ITIL Service Design covers the following processes:
Design coordination
Service Catalogue management
Service level management
Availability management
Capacity Management
IT service continuity management
Information security management
Supplier management
ITIL Service Transition covers the following processes:
Transition planning and support
Change management
Service asset and configuration management
Release and deployment management
Service validation and testing
Change evaluation
Knowledge management
ITIL Service Operation covers the following processes:
Event management
Incident management
Request fulfillment
Problem management
Access management
ITIL Continual Service Improvement contains one process:
Seven-step improvement process.
ITIL details various activities and functions, including:
Service desk.
IT operations management.
Requirements engineering.
Application management.
Management of data and information.
Examples of some of the appendices are:
Description of asset types
Service strategy and the cloud
Sources of related guidance (Quality systems, governance, COBIT, ISO standards, balanced scorecard, CMMI, six sigma)
Risk assessment and management
Samples and guidance on specific documents (SLA, service catalogue, maturity framework, recovery plan, procurement documents)
Considerations in facilities management
References and further reading
One of the advantages if ITIL is the standard terminology and approach that developes accross IT staff, and the availability of training material and courses, leading to recognised qualifications in ITIL. The benefit is each organisation implementing ITIL does not need to reinvent training material, and new staff being hired come into the organisation with a common set of terminology and high level understanding of how IT service is delivered.
ITIL has a formally recognised qualification scheme with the following certifications:
ITIL Foundation
ITIL Intermediate Level
ITIL Managing Across the Lifecycle
ITIL Expert Level
ITIL Master Qualification
These are listed in order from the lowest (Foundation) through to highest (Expert and Master) levels. The higher level qualifications can only be obtained though courses run by approved providers (either through in person training or through online training). The foundation level exam can be sat through an approved examination provider without having to attend an approved course first.
It is common for the ITIL Foundation level to be undertaking by those
directly involved in IT Service delivery and also those in associated
fields helping design and build IT systems (such as business analysts
and project managers). The higher level ITIL foundation qualifications
tend to be taking by smaller numbers who are specialising in aspects
of ITIL or specific roles (like service managers, servicedesk
managers, change managers and similar roles).
Copyright 2014 Edward Hall. All rights reserved.
Last revised 17 July 2014.