Frequently Asked Questions: What is ITIL ?

ITIL was originally an acronym for the IT Infrastructure Library.  It is a codification of best practice in the field of information technology and information systems.  It enables dissemination and teaching of methodologies which have been proven to underpin the most successful IT users.

ITIL has its origins in the public sector in the UK in the 1980s when government was concerned to improve the effectiveness of major IT projects. A major precursor was a set of IBM "Yellow Books" on management information systems.  ITIL was and continues to be a common sense framework that is independent of technology vendor and is based on observations of best practices within the IT service industry.

There is regular and structured consultation within the IT/IS community.  A major player in this respect has been the ITSMF (IT Service Management Forum) which represents the professional concerns of the IT community worldwide.  Over time ITIL has shifted from a technical to a service focus.

Version 3 of ITIL was launched in June 2007 following the 3 year "ITIL Refresh" project.  The latest version builds on the already well established core processes but interprets them on a "service lifecycle basis". 

The 10 process defined books which described the framework are replaced by 5 books covering Service Strategies, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation and Continual Service Improvement.

There is a growing body of supporting study aid material.  In addition, Executive Briefs and Case Studies drive home the importance and relevance of the processes to non specialist personnel.

Ownership of the the name and copyright in materials lies with the Office for Government Commerce (the UK Government organisation which is also behind PRINCE2 and MSP).

However, the approach can be freely adopted by anyone.

Responsibility for examinations and trainer accreditation has been passed to the APMGroup.

ITIL qualifications are specific to an individual.  However, many organisations use ITIL training to establish a common best practice approach to IT service management.  Moreover, ITIL processes are deeply embedded within corporate certifications such as ISO20000.

Yes - extremely fast. 

The number of people sitting the ITIL Foundation exam has grown ten fold since 2000.  It is already the international standard for IT service management with over 100,000 certified professionals.  There is strong adoption within the US and emerging Asian economies as well as the UK and Europe. Version 3 will facilitate further international expansion through multilingual exams and support material.

ITIL is relevant to public and private sector organisations - large or small. 

Amongst larger organisations which have adopted ITIL as a basic management process are:

Barclays Bank

Boeing

British Airways

Caterpillar

Guiness

HSBC

Hewlett Packard

IBM

Microsoft

Procter & Gamble

Shell

UK Ministry of Defence

US Internal Revenue Service.

To overcome the frequent criticisms of IT investment regarding over spend, under delivery, and lack of transparency.

Benefits can include increased productivity, higher levels of customer satisfaction, reduced costs, improved communications between the IT function and its customers, improved morale of service delivery staff, lower costs of training, and better asset utilisation. 

Savings in total costs of ownership of 48% have been reported in case studies.  P&G has attributed savings of 10% of their total IT costs to adoption of ITIL.

The start point for anyone interested in ITIL is the Foundation Certificate.  This demonstrates your basic understanding of the core ITIL processes.  It is usually achieved through a 3 day training course with an accredited provider - and will include the multiple choice exam.

Distance learning is an option though note that you will need to attend an accredited examination centre to sit the exam, and pass rates tend to be lower.

The ITIL Practitioner qualifications build on the Foundation but focus on a specialist area such as Service Desk or Change Management.

The ITIL Manager qualification requires greater demonstration of practical understanding and experience; it is obtained through training and exams in both Service Delivery and Service Support

The most popular UK examination board at present is ISEB though it is also available from EXIN and now APMG.  It is a one hour, closed book, multiple choice exam containing 40 questions.  The pass mark is 26/40.

The Foundation exam is normally taken on the final day of a three day course but it is also available independently of training via Thomson Prometric, or through quarterly central exam events organised by the ISEB. ISEB pass rates over the past two years have averaged 87%.

The format of the Practitioner exams can vary and delegates should refer carefully to the course outline associated with a specific course and contact Focus if there is any ambiguity.  Not all trainers include the exam (and associated fees) within the course.  The most typical format is a one hour, closed book, multiple choice exam (with questions based on a case study) accounting for 50% total marks; the remainder is accounted for by an in course assignment. The pass mark is 65% overall with a minimum of 50% in each of the exam and couse assignment.  The exam is also available through quarterly central exam events organised by the ISEB.

ISEB candidates are required to sit separate exams in Service Support and Service Delivery.  These are held quarterly and feature a case study which is provided 2 weeks prior to the exams (60% of questions relate to the case study).  The exams are closed book and are conducted on two consecutive days (both papers must be taken by first time candidates).  Each paper has 5 questions worth 20 marks each. The pass mark is 50% which must be achieved in both papers; a distinction is awarded to delegates achieving 65% in both papers at one sitting.

No pre-reading is required but delegates attending the Foundation course will benefit from the itSMF Introductory Overview.  Contact Focus for a free copy.

Anyone interested in this qualification must first hold the Foundation Certificate.  In addition, you must be able to demonstrate at least 5 years' general IT experience and 2 years' experience at a management/supervisory level.

The higher level qualifications to be available under ITIL version 3 are being refined.

The current Practitioner and Managers' Certificates will be replaced by a new modular intermediate level.  The ITIL Diploma will demonstrate a breadth of knowledge and training at this intermediate level. A higher, Advanced Service Management Professional Diploma, is also envisaged.