ITIL V3:
In business and technology circles, the IT Infrastructure Library, or ITIL, is viewed as the most widely accepted approach to IT Service Management (ITSM) in the world. Owned by the British government's Office of Government Commerce, ITIL Version 3 provides a cohesive set of best practices, drawn from both public and private sectors. ITIL is the backbone to structuring IT organizations that optimize service quality, improve service levels and reduce costs and it's becoming increasingly important to today's corporations.
In fact, a recent industry analyst report notes that by 2008, more than half of all enterprises will be looking to standardize ITSM processes based on ITIL V3. What's more, industry analysts have observed that many corporations are looking into improving their infrastructure management processes, as demonstrated by the strong interest in ITIL and other process rationalization methods implying that the ITIL V3 approach is well on its way to becoming the de facto standard for service delivery.
Why update ITIL to V3? Why now?
Just as business and technology are constantly evolving, so too is the approach to ITSM making this the ideal time for an ITIL refresh. Certainly the IT industry has matured since ITIL V2 was published in the late 1990s. That version put greater emphasis on what service management is rather than how you can best approach it. The last version also centered on processes for Service Delivery and Service Support, all of which aligned to activity and output but not necessarily to value.
ITIL V3 represents a significant shift in how IT is viewed in the greater business context. With the realization that managing IT requires more than just a set of processes comes an increased focus on managing the service lifecycle and providing value to the business with an emphasis on how technology can best be leveraged to enhance that value.
ITIL V3 brings service management in line with changing business needs and priorities, advancing technology and new governance models. The refreshed version is better aligned to the needs of CIOs and the businesses they serve. It features modifications designed to speed and simplify the implementation, adoption and application of service management processes to optimize business outcomes. On a practical note, the itil version 3, new version includes updates that:
- Clarify the business benefits to be derived from ITIL
- Improve its usefulness and applicability
- Make it easier to implement ITIL
- Leverage real-world advancements since ITIL V2, including tools, technology and relationship types.
What has changed?
While there are no fundamental departures from the basic principles and processes that have constituted ITIL since the beginning, the differences between ITIL V2 and ITIL V3 are a direct result of maturity in the market and a deeper understanding of ITSM and its role within the business. However, some significant changes can be found in the refreshed version. Perhaps the first, most obvious change is that ITIL V3 divides the materials into three distinct components:
- Five core books, presenting the basic building blocks of ITSM, based around a service lifecycle approach
-Complementary materials, published to meet specific scenarios or examples, such as "how to implement IT service management in an outsourced environment" or "how to use Six Sigma to implement IT service management," with some of these materials being Web-based, so that they can be published more rapidly and keep ITIL V3 up-to-date with new developments
- Value-added products, such as templates and workflow diagrams
This new structure is intended to prolong the life of ITIL V3 while also providing more specific guidance to ITIL users for specific situations. Other evolutionary changes are designed to smooth integration with existing service management operations, while placing greater emphasis on operational efficiency. For example:
- ITIL Version 3 offers guidance on how to comply with current legislation and regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley and Basel II, as well as formal governance models.
- Industry- and topic-specific guidance includes implementation templates for addressing special concerns of specific vertical markets and industries. -New topics include service management strategies for outsourcing, co-sourcing and shared services models.
-A greatly expanded, state-of-the-art service management knowledge system captures current practice and aids proactive service management.
