ITIL Overview

ITIL is a framework providing best practice guidelines on all aspects of end to end service management. It covers complete spectrum of people, processes, products and use of partners.

Now a day’s ITIL is being practiced by almost every company providing IT services to the customers.

The processes, tasks and checklists described in ITIL are not organization-specific, but can be implemented by any organization. It gives organization a framework to plan, implement and measure IT services.
ITIL was published in 1989 by Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) in UK on behalf of the Central Communications and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA), now subsumed within the Office of Government Commerce (OGC).

Why ITIL is required?

ITIL helps business managers and IT managers to deliver services to the customers in effective manner and hence gaining the customer’s confidence and satisfaction. Here are the areas where ITIL plays an effective role:

◉ IT and business strategic planning

◉ Integrating and aligning IT and business goals

◉ Implementing continuous improvement

◉ Acquiring and retaining the right resources and skill sets

◉ Reducing costs and the Total Cost of Ownership

◉ Demonstrating the business value to IT

◉ Achieving and demonstrating Value for Money and Return on Investment.

◉ Measuring IT organization effectiveness and efficiency

◉ Developing business and IT partnerships and relationships

◉ Improving project delivery success

◉ Managing constant business and IT change

ITIL Versions

ITIL was originated as collection of books. These books of ITIL cover all aspects of IT service management. Since its origin, it has undergone many changes which lead to the following versions of ITIL:

◉ ITIL V1 was the initial version of ITIL consisting of 31 books

◉ From 2000 to 2004, ITIL V1 was revised and replaced by 7 books (ITIL V2). This version became globally accepted and is now used in many countries by thousands of organizations

◉ In 2007, ITIL v2 was modified and consolidated with 3rd version of ITIL, consisting of five core books covering the service lifecycle. ITIL V3 included 26 processes and 4 functions

◉ In 2011, the 2011 edition of V3 was published. It was an updated version released in 2007.

ITIL Publications

ITIL core publications include a set of five manuals: Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation and Continual Service Management.

Benefits of ITIL

Following diagram shows several benefits of ITIL:

ITIL V2 vs. ITIL V3

ITIL V2	ITIL V3
Focused on product, process and people.	Focused on product, process, people and partner.
Process oriented approach	Lifecycle based approach.
Security management is part of evaluation	Security management is a separate process
Emphasizes on service design and service strategy	Equal attention to all processes
Have 10 processes and 2 functions	Have 26 processes and 4 functions.