Everything you need for ITIL®– IT Infrastructure Library® for IT Service Management
- BUY
ITIL Books (the new ITILv3 Complete Lifecycle Publication Suite) - Earn ITIL Certification
- Obtain ITIL information and resources (below)
ITIL® or IT Infrastructure Library®, was developed by the UK's Office of Government Commerce as a library of best practice processes for IT service management. Widely adopted around the world, ITIL is now supported by ISO/IEC 20000 (was BS 15000), against which independent certification can be achieved.
Browse our ITIL® and ITSM bookshop to access the Web's widest range of ITIL books, standards and guides (in English). These include the new, recently published ITILv3.
We are an authorized TSO distributor of official OGC publications and ITIL books. We offer the new ITIL®v3, the Official ITIL Lifecycle Publication Suite as well as all the ITILv2 titles (which are still in publication). You can therefore still get all 8 of the core ITILv2 books including Introduction to ITIL, ITIL Service Support, ITIL Service Delivery and ITIL Security Management.
We are also an authorized distributor of a range of handy ITILv2 pocket guides from itSMF (the IT Service Management Forum), an international distributor of British and international standards including ISO20000, and a distributor of other well-established ITIL and service management books, CD-Roms and guides.
In particular, Foundations of IT Service Management based on ITIL V3 is a popular and unique introduction book that is accepted by all major players in the ITIL® market as the default book for training and is also the recently released support book for the ITIL® exams. It replaces Foundations of IT Service Management based on ITIL (still available, used as a reference for the Version 2 Foundation exam.)
If you would like the most recent version of our FREE briefing paper and FAQs on ITIL®, ITSM & ISO20000, please provide your details below (only submit once) and we'll email you a download link.
ITIL®v3 Refresh
ITIL® was last updated in 2000, and an update (or 'refresh') project has now been initiated, and the Official ITIL Lifecycle Publication Suite became available from 31 May 2007. The objective of the refresh is to ensure that ITIL® continues to provide up-to-date and useful best practice guidance as technology continues to evolve. You can also now order and take delivery of the ITILv3 (the 'refreshed ITIL') Official ITIL Lifecyle Publication Suite.
ITIL® Certification for organizations
ITIL® is a library of best practice guidance, not a specification. As a result, it is not possible for an organization to be 'ITIL-certified' - there is no ITIL® specification against which an external audit could be conducted.
ISO/IEC 20000:2005 has emerged to fill this gap for organizations. It is a two-part standard against which an organization can have its IT Service Management processes externally assessed.
ITIL® Certification for individuals
ITIL® certification for individuals and practitioners is supported by a structure of examination and certification. Examination and certification in Europe have been managed through two independent bodies: ISEB, the Information Systems Examination Board, and EXIN, the European Examination Institute for Information Science. Between them, these organizations controlled the entire certification scheme. With the publication of ITILv3, a new ITIL® certification scheme is emerging.
The three levels of individual ITIL® certification are:
- ITIL® Foundation Certificate,
- ITIL® Practitioner’s Certificate, and
- ITIL® Manager’s Certificate.
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.
For the Foundation certificate, both distance learning and classroom training options should be supported by our unique ITILv3 Foundation Starter Kit, which includes the ITIL Foundation Exam Guide.
In the United States, HDI also manages examination and certification there as well as internationally. (The HDI guide to implementing ITIL is another key book). All these organizations guarantee that personal certification is fair, honest and independent of the organizations that provide the training, and they accredit training suppliers in order to bring about a consistent quality in course delivery.
ITIL® is the most widely used IT framework today. These two worldwide best sellers are helping organizations everywhere with their ITIL strategies!
Relationship between ITIL®, IT Service Management and ISO 20000
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 organizations according to business need, local circumstances and the maturity of the service provider. ISO 20000 sets the standards that service management processes should aim for.
Service Level Agreements
Service Level Agreeements (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 organization.
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. The ITIL Certification Management Board (ICMB) is committed to enforcing Crown Copyright in the ITIL® trademark and library, and to protecting the integrity of the OGC's official ITIL publications. 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.
There are a number of practical starting points:
- The first for ITIL version 2 is Foundations of IT Service Management based on ITIL, or for ITIL version 3 - Foundations of IT Service Management based on ITIL v3.
- The second is the itSMF series of Pocket Guides. The Complete Set of the itSMF Pocket Guides, which are aligned with the core ITIL® publications, is an ideal starting point for the busy executive.
- Our unique ITILv3 Foundation Starter Kit combines all the introductory texts and provides comprehensive preparation for the Foundation Certificate.
For smaller organizations, ITIL: Small Scale Implementations is, in addition to the other titles, a must-have guide to realising the benefits of ITIL®v2 in smaller organizations.
