ITIL®– IT Infrastructure Library® for IT Service Management (ITSM) - ITIL 2011
ITSM Toolkits | ITIL Training | ITIL v3 2011 Update | ITIL Qualifications | ISO 20000
ITIL, or to use its full name, the Information Technology Infrastructure Library, is a methodology for managing IT as a service. It has a focus on the end user, rather than on the technology. ITIL is frequently used as a method of preparation for achieving ISO/IEC 20000 certification.
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ITIL 2011 (ITIL v3 2011 Update)
ITIL has undergone an extensive review project, and updated versions of the ITIL books were released on 29 July 2011. The idea behind the whole ITIL ‘refresh’ is that the guidance becomes easier to navigate, learn, read, teach and implement. However, the ethos and original principles behind the ITILv3 framework have not changed. Read more about the 2011 update on our blog post: ‘So long ITILv3, hello ITIL’!
You can order the 2011 updated versions of the ITIL books from the IT Governance online store in various formats:
- ITIL Lifecycle Publication Suite (Updated 2011 Softcover)
- ITIL Lifecycle Publication Suite (Updated 2011 DRM-Protected PDFs)
ITIL Beginner's Guide
Where do you start if you're new to ITIL?
Firstly, ensure that you use only genuine ITIL books, courses and tools. Unofficial publications, websites and toolkits are not guaranteed to align with ITIL best practice and, in tackling ITIL , you don't want to waste time using non-aligned, unaccredited books, courses or toolkits. If you are new to ITIL, IT Governance suggests the following books as a good place to start; we also have a very useful free white paper and FAQ's that you can download for free!
- Buy The Official Introduction to the ITIL - Service Lifecycle, Second Edition
- Buy Foundations Of ITIL
Download our free briefing paper and FAQ's on ITIL, ITSM & ISO 20000, by providing your details below.
Benefits Of Using ITIL
ITIL has been adopted by thousands of organisations throughout the world, including NASA, the UK National Health Service (NHS), HSBC bank and Disney™. ITIL provides guidance on how to manage IT infrastructure so as to streamline IT services in line with business expectations. ITIL is a best practices framework, presenting the consolidated experience of organizations worldwide on how best to manage IT services to meet business expectations.
Key benefits of implementing ITIL are:
- Improved customer satisfaction – you will achieve a professional approach to service delivery, meaning
- your customers will be more satisfied.
- Increased staff retention.
- Increased ROI in terms of IT.
- Improve morale within IT staff.
- A more transparent approach towards IT costs and assets.
- Improved delivery of third party services.
History Of ITIL
ITIL was originally developed during the 1980s by the UKs Central Computer and Telecommunication Agency (CCTA), who created ITIL (version 1) as an approach independent of vendor technology and caters to organisations with differing technical and business needs. CCTA has now become part of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) who, as the official publisher of the ITIL library, updated it and published version 2. ITIL was refreshed in 2007, and republished as Version 3. It subsequently underwent a extensive review during the course of 2010 and early 2011, and the new versions of the ITIL core books were published in July 2011.
ITIL has been widely adopted across the world, in both the public and the private sector, and is now recognised as best practice for IT service management and is deployed in organisations of all sizes. As an official distributor for the TSO (official OGC publisher), we distribute the full range of the official OGC ITIL publications from our sites. The core ITIL library is made up of five books, all of which are included in the ITIL Lifecycle Publication Suite.
- The ITIL Lifecycle Publication Suite (the complete set of the five core ITIL 2011 Updated books), available in all formats from this site, including PDF and online subscription;
- Multiuser licences for organisations that want all of their key ITSM staff to access the content;
Browse our ITIL and ITSM bookshop – and access the Web's widest range of ITIL books, standards and guides.
ITIL Resources
The most useful resources for anyone implementing ITIL are, of course, the books in the ITIL 2011 Lifecycle Publication Suite . The books in this set form the core guidance to the ITILv3 methodology, and are essential for any organisation implementing ITIL, or for students who are doing the intermediate exams.
IT Governance recommends these titles for anyone considering implementing ITIL:
- ITILv3 Key Element Guides
- ITILv3 Management Guides – Lifecycle Approach based on ITILv3 Suite.
- Implementing ITIL: Adapting Your Organization to the Coming Revolution in IT Service Management
- Visible Ops Handbook: Implementing ITIL in 4 Practical Auditable Steps
We offer a wide range of titles from third-party publishers supporting the methodology, including books by Randy Steinberg, all of which are available in the Randy Steinberg ITIL Book Collection, Foundations of ITIL V3, plus a huge selection of ITILv3 Foundation and Intermediate eLearning and computer-based training courses as well as an extensive range of ITIL process software and downloadable/electronic ITIL resource kits to help with ITIL implementation.
ITIL & ITSM Toolkits
Implementing IT Service Management within an organisation can be a difficult task. At IT Governance however we have a range of toolkits that simplify the process and enable you to achieve implementation on your own:
- ITSM, ITIL & ISO20000 Documentation Toolkit Achieve ITIL implementation and ISO20000 certification quickly and cost-effectively with the most up-to-date toolkit on the market.
- ISO20000 Documentation Toolkit - This toolkit contains a set of policies, procedures and templates to assist any organisation implement key elements of an ISO20000 management system
- IT Service Management Toolkit, based on ITIL (Multi-User CD-ROM) - This toolkit contains a set of tools, templates and guidance on how to initiate and fine tune an ITIL focused organisation.
- IT Service Management (ITSM) Excellerator Toolkit (Multi-User, CD-ROM) - This toolkit provides tactical tools and deliverables to help accelerate ITIL based service support & delivery assessments, measurement activities and improvement initiatives.
ITIL Training & Qualifications
ITIL has a comprehensive qualification scheme that allows IT service management professionals to gain recognition of their level of ITIL and ITSM management competency. The syllabuses for the ITIL qualifications will be updated to be in line with the 2011 version of the methodology by early August 2011.
For those who hold a current ITILv3 qualification there is no need to update these qualifications as the practises and principles covered by the exams will be very much the same after the release of the revised version of the methodology.
The Official Accreditor for the ITIL examinations is the APM Group. APMG administers the ITIL certification scheme, via the ITIL qualification board, through examination institutes such as EXIN, ISEB, CSME.
There are currently four levels of certification, which are:
- Foundation
- Intermediate
- Expert
- Master.
In order to gain ITILv3 certification there are different study options available: distance learning, or using an accredited course. Distance learning options are offered for both the Foundation and the Intermediate exams. There is also a wide range of classroom-based courses for both the Foundation and Intermediate exams. Many of the above courses are accredited by the Official Accreditor or one of the examination institutes.
ISEB- & EXIN-accredited distance learning options are ideal for all who prefer to learn in their own time and at their own pace. Other options include classrooom training for those who can afford the time, travel and expense and who prefer classroom-based learning.
See our Interactive Diagram of the ITILv3 Certification Scheme.
To support your ITILv3 certification studies it is always wise to invest in a range of materials that will guide your learning process and give you the best possible chance of passing the exam, or exams, you have chosen to take. IT Governance offer a leading range of study guides for both ITILv3 Foundation and Intermediate studies.
Important information about the ITIL Exams
Because of the ITIL 2011 updates, the syllabus documents, including the book references, have been updated and aligned for the ITIL exams. Because of the August release of ITIL 2011 and the effective date of the new exams in January 2012, a transition period has been established.
Between 8 August 2011 and January 1 2012 a set of hybrid exams are in operation. Therefore, there are exams matched to the courses developed for the 2007 edition of the relevant syllabus, and the courses developed against the new 2011 edition of the syllabus.
On January 1 a new set of exams will come into existence. These exams will be fully aligned with the 2011 version of the syllabus documents and will reference material only from ITIL 2011.
The marketing-leading range of ITIL exam guides available from IT Governance includes:
ITILv3 Foundation
- Foundations of ITIL V3 – the classic ITIL textbook that has been refreshed for ITILv3.
- ITIL V3 Handbook, Second Edition – an ideal introduction to the ITIL methodology. It also covers the ITILv3 Foundation exam syllabus highlighting key information.
- Passing the ITIL Foundation Exam – the official study guide to the ITILv3 Foundation Exam.
- For the Foundation certificate, both distance learning and classroom training options should be supported by our unique ITILv3 Foundation Starter Kit, which includes the Passing the ITIL Foundation Exam Guide.
ITILv3 Intermediate
Further guidance on which are the right books for your ITIL capability stream studies is provided in the table below.
| Course / Qualification | Minimum recommended to be supplied with the training course |
Additional recommended reading | Additional reference / Pocket guides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Offerings and Agreements (SOA) | ITIL Service Strategy ITIL Service Design |
Passing your ITIL Intermediate Exams | Key Element Guide Service Strategy Key Element Guide Service Design |
| Release, Control and Validation (RCV) | ITIL Service Transition ITIL Service Operation |
Passing your ITIL Intermediate Exams | Release, Control and Validation ITIL V3 Intermediate Capability Handbook |
| Operational Support and Analysis (OSA) | ITIL Service Operation ITIL Continual Service Improvement |
Passing your ITIL Intermediate Exams | Operational Support and Analysis ITIL V3 Intermediate Capability Handbook |
| Planning, Protection and Optimization (PPO) | ITIL Service Design | Passing your ITIL Intermediate Exams | Key Element Guide Service Design |
ITIL Certification For Organisations
ITIL is a framework of best practice for IT service management. It is not a standard or specification in which organisations can gain certification to meet or demonstrate certain criteria.
The standard to which organisations can be certified to demonstrate the maturity of their ITSM processes is ISO/IEC 20000. By implementing the Standard and meeting the specification within Part 1 of ISO/IEC 20000, organisations can gain certification of their ITSM processes to show they follow best practice.
You can find further information about ISO/IEC 20000 here.
ITIL®, IT Service Management and ISO20000
There is a practical relationship between the various books and guides to ITIL , IT Service Management, and ISO/IEC 20000, as shown below:
Although they are integrated, ITIL and the ISO 20000 series serve different purposes. Primarily, the ISO 20000 series is to provide an independent best practice standard that is suitable for independent third-party certification audits.
The purpose of ITIL is to provide advice on best practices in IT service management. It includes options that may be adopted and adapted by organisations according to business need, local circumstances and the maturity of the service provider. ISO20000 sets the standards that service management processes should aim for. Here is an official guidance paper, by Jenny Dugmore and Sharon Taylor, on the relationship between ITIL and ISO/IEC 20000.
Service Level Agreements
Service Level Agreements (or SLAs) are at the heart of ITIL and are used to describe agreed levels of service between a service provider and a customer – and are applicable both inside and outside an organisation.
Become a leader in the ITIL field by using our tools and books to build your ITIL expertise.
Need assistance with your ITSM, ITIL or ISO 20000 Adoption/Implementation?
If the answer to the above question is yes, IT Governance now offer an extensive ITIL, ITSM and ISO 20000 consultancy service.
Acknowledgement of OGC Copyrights.
