ITIL^®– IT Infrastructure Library^® & IT Service Management

ITIL Lifecycle Suite | ITIL e-Learning  | ISO20000 | ITSM, ITIL & ISO20000 Toolkit

Buy the Updated 2011 ITIL Lifecycle Suite in softcover or in PDF format

On this page: An Introduction To ITIL ITIL 2011 Update ITIL Resources ITIL Qualifications For Individuals Relationship between ITIL, IT Service Management and ISO 20000 ISO/IEC 20000 & ITSM, ITIL & ISO20000 Toolkit Service Level Agreements

ITIL Lite - 2011 Edition

An Introduction To ITIL

ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is a best practice methodology for managing IT as a service. Developed by the UK’s Cabinet Office (previously the Office for Government Commerce, or OGC), ITIL is the most widely used approach for IT Service Management in the world and is used by companies including Disney, NASA, HSBC and HP.

Organizations cannot achieve certification against ITIL, however it is widely used as a method of preparation for achieving ISO20000 certification.

Individuals can achieve ITIL certification and you can read about ITIL qualifications below.

ITIL provides a clear framework for the identification, planning, delivery and support of IT services to an organisation. ITIL’s core principle is that IT services must be aligned with the requirements of the business and underpin all processes within the business. IT services should be a business driver, facilitating change, growth and meeting business goals. There are five core titles in the ITIL publication suite which cover:

• Service Strategy
• Service Design
• Service Transition
• Service Operation
• Continual Service Improvement

ITIL 2011 Update

ITIL is constantly reviewed to ensure that it is in line with the latest developments in IT Service Management. The most recent update to ITIL was in July 2011, where the guidance, language and concepts have been explained more clearly, making the ITIL 2011 publications easier to read, understand and implement. The core concepts from the ITIL 2007 editions have remained the same.

IT Governance is an official TSO distributor of OGC titles, order the updated ITIL titles today for immediate despatch:

Order the ITIL 2011 Lifecycle Suite. The ITIL titles are structured to be read as a  five title series, each building on the work of the other. The links between the titles have been enhanced and made clearer in the 2011 versions. The Lifecycle Suite is also available as a downloadable PDF.

ITIL Resources

The most useful ITIL resources are the ITIL books themselves. However there are several titles which will help you understand ITIL and act as useful guides:

IT Service Management Global Best Practices. This eBook provides in-depth information on a whole host of IT Service Management issues and is endorsed by itSMF International. Read more >>>

ITIL Foundation Handbook 2011 (Little ITIL). This official pocket guide from the Official Publisher of the ITIL manuals is a quick reference that will help you to prepare for and pass the ITIL 2011 Foundation exam. Read more >>>

Order Foundations of ITIL V3 This book fully covers the ITIL Service Lifecycle approach. It is regarded as a core text by many experts. Read more >>>

ITIL Certification and ITIL Qualifications For Individuals

ITIL certification for individuals and practitioners is supported by a structure of examination and certification.

There are currently four levels of ITIL certification, which are:

• Foundation
• Intermediate
• Expert
• Master.

At IT Governance we offer a range of resources for passing your ITIL exams:

• ITIL Foundation Exam Starter Kit - This complete exam kit is ideal for anyone looking to take the ITIL Version 3 Foundation exam. It contains all the essential ITIL v3 study aids
• ITIL Foundation eClass - This online e-learning course is accredited by the OGC and will help you pass your Foundation Exam.
• ITIL Foundation Computer Based Training Course (CD-ROM) - This course is ideal for those who wish to study in their own time, it includes the ITILv3 Foundation Exam fee.
• Passing Your ITIL Intermediate Exams - This book offers details about the Intermediate exams, how to prepare and how to achieve the target competencies needed in order to pass the exams.
• ITIL Key Element Guide Suite - Each one of these pocket guides supports a particular one of the core ITIL titles, providing a handy quick reference no-nonsense guide to the key information.

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. Here is an official guidance paper, by Jenny Dugmore and Sharon Taylor, on the relationship between ITIL and ISO/IEC 20000.

ISO/IEC 20000

ISO/IEC 20000 is the IT Service Management Standard. You can order the standard (ISO20000) itself, as well as the Achieving ISO20000 Series of Guides to implementation. In fact, we have a comprehensive ISO20000 Bookshop!

If you are considering adopting ITIL or ISO20000 within your organization we also offer the ITSM, ITIL® & ISO/IEC 20000 Implementation Toolkit. This toolkit is completely up to date with the latest versions of ITIL and ISO2000 and makes implementation easily achievable. Read more here.

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 organization.

Become a leader in the ITIL field by using our tools and books to build your ITIL knowledge base.

Acknowledgement of OGC Copyrights.