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Revision as of 12:41, 30 May 2006 by Mgillett (talk | contribs) (→References: minor fix to wiki tag)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a customizable framework of best practices that promote quality computing services in the information technology (IT) sector. ITIL addresses the organizational structure and skill requirements for an IT organization by presenting a comprehensive set of management procedures with which an organization can manage its IT operations.
The names ITIL and IT Infrastructure Library are Registered Trade Marks of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), which is an Office of the United Kingdom's Treasury. The content of the books is protected by Crown Copyright.
ITIL is currently undergoing a refresh and this page presents information that has been made public with regard to the new version 3. Version 2 remains the current version of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library and the products of the refresh are not expected to be released until September 2006.
Introduction to ITIL
The processes identified and described within ITIL are supplier independent and apply to all aspects of IT infrastructure. Since the mid 1990's, ITIL has been promoted as a standard for IT Service Management and is similar to Information Services Procurement Library (ISPL), the Application Services Library (ASL), Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM), and Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT).
The current version (Version 2) of ITIL is published in a series of books, each of which covers one major discipline in IT:
- Service Support
- Service Delivery
- ICT Infrastructure Management
- Application Management
- Security
These are supported by three books which support the practical implementation of ITIL.
- The Business Perspective
- Planning to Implement Service Management
- ITIL® Small-scale Implementation
In December 2005, the OGC issued notice of an ITIL refresh , commonly known as Information Technology Infrastructure Library v3 (ITIL v3).
ITIL v3
The ITIL v3 refresh project is expected to begin with the publication of five new core texts with delivery planned for late 2006. A key change to ITIL under version 3 has been a focus on the alignment of IT and 'the business' and on the management of IT throughout the complete lifecycle.
Version 3 Structure
It is planned that ITIL v3 will be delivered as a set of core texts that will be supported by additional complementary and web based materials.
ITIL v3 Core Texts
- IT Service Strategies
- IT Service Design
- IT Service Transition
- IT Service Operations
- IT Service Improvement
ITIL v3 Complementary material
While the new core texts will draw heavily on the best practice described by ITIL v2, the complementary material will make it easier for ITIL to address specific vertical markets and industries (e.g. Public Sector, Financial Services) and will provide a venue for more rapidly changing guidance around the application and implementation of the best practice described in the core works. It is likely that the complimentary material will likely include both a detailed glossary, process maps and mappings to governance and other frameworks (e.g. COBIT) and techniques (e.g. Six Sigma). It is currently believed that the recently published ITIL® Small-scale Implementation will be included as a part of the v3 complementary material and that the BSI involvement in the refresh will ensure that ISO 20000 is kept in sync with ITIL best practice as required.
ITIL v3 Web Based material
While some of the complementary material might to be delivered through the web, it will be supported by further web-only based materials that through web based delivery will support more frequent update and will allow increased breadth of coverage by ITIL guidance (eg. Case Studies).
The Web Based material for ITIL v3 includes a new Glossary of ITIL terms.
The Refresh Project
The ITIL Refresh project is being led by Sharon Taylor, Chief Architect of the ITIL Refresh and President of the Aspect Group. It is a publically stated aim of the refresh to include more reference to ROI.
Current Status of v3
14-Dec-05 - The call for authors was announced for version 3.
12-Jan-06 - The call for authors (previously extended) was closed.
27-Feb-06 - The successful authors for each of the five core books were announced.
- Each book has been initially assigned a pair of authors.
- The next stage is for the authors to submit a plan (contents) for the material they are to produce together with a sample chapter for review and approval. The submitted materials are then reviewed by an editorial committee and, if there are no problems, the authors will be invited to complete their assigned book.
29-Mar-06 - The communications links between ITIL refresh teams has been published.
03-Apr-06 - The mentors were announced for each of the core texts.
- There are eight groups (of two mentors each), one for each of the core publications and three more for integration, process modelling and terms and definitions.
18-Apr-06 - The glossary , has been published for the remainder of the version 3 work to draw on.
Certification and Version 3
Examination and certification is managed via two independent bodies:
EXIN - This is the Examination Institute for Information Science
ISEB - This is the Information Systems Examination Board.
These groups organise and control the certification activity. Both bodies accredit training organisations to guarantee a consistent level of quality in course delivery.
The refresh team have been reported as saying that today’s certification is still valid, but the certification scheme will ultimately be changing. The EXIN and ISEB exam institutes are both represented on the V3 project board and they are reported to be working on an updated certification scheme, which will be released after the release of V3, possibly 6-12 months after the release of the books. It has been suggested that the examination institutes' involvement in the refresh will also ensure that training and examinations in the interim will be kept current with updates, improvements and changes in ITIL best practice, allowing the examinations to evolve in the meantime.
References
- Office of Government Commerce. ITIL Refresh Statement. Retrieved February 13, 2006.
- Office of Government Commerce. Authors Announcement. Retrieved March, 2006
- Office of Government Commerce. Refresh Teamworking. Retrieved March 31, 2006
- Office of Government Commerce. IAG Mentors Announcement. Retrieved April 3, 2006
- Office of Government Commerce. ITIL Glossary. Retrieved May 25, 2006