What is ITIL v3?

ITIL® stands for the IT Infrastructure Library.  It emerged during the 1980’s in the UK as a set of high level processes for providing consistent, low risk IT service and IT service management to an organisation.  The copyright is owned by the Office of Government Commerce [OGC (formerly known as CCTA)] and is covered in several publications from the British Standards Institution (BSI).

ITIL v2 was completely updated and released as ITIL v3 during May/June, 2007.  Based on ITIL v2 Service Support and Service Delivery publications, ITIL v3 now comprises the following 5 publications: 

ITIL v3 Service Strategy

ITIL v3 Service Design

ITIL v3 Service Transition

ITIL v3 Service Operation

ITIL v3 Continual Service Improvement

All the above publications are available as a set of books and on CD. The latter may be purchased for stand alone or networked use.  To purchase these books or CD sets, go to our  bookshop and use the Amazon search box found in the right hand side; use the search criteria “books” and “ITIL Lifecycle”.

Additionally, you can view our free ITIL v3 YouTube video or test your ITIL v3 knowledge by trying your hand at our free ITIL v3 Quiz - just click the website link below.

ITIL v3 is designed around the concept of the Service Lifecycle – 5 phases - from Service Strategy through to Service Design, Transition and Operations with Continual Service Improvement ‘plugging into’ each of the main phases.  All the original ITIL v2 processes remain within ITIL v3, however there are some minor changes.  For example, Incident Management is now responsible for Major Incidents instead of Problem Management.

Naturally, new certification schemes have arisen to allow individuals to take examinations in ITIL v3.  One may qualify at Foundation, Practitioner or Service Diploma levels.  Those already qualified as ITIL v2 Service Managers (“Red Badge”) may take the ITIL Managers Bridging examination to become ITIL v3 Diploma certified.

ITIL v3 Take Up

At the time of writing – late 2008 – very few organisations are making to leap to implement or upgrade to ITIL v3.  There are many reasons for this:

The current economic crisis (lack of finances available)
Lack of appetite
Lack of current process maturity (ITIL v2)
Internal politics (culture)
Lack of ability/expertise in the market.

© www.bestpracticehelp.com 2008.

Visit http://www.bestpracticehelp.com for totally free ITIL forum, articles, jobs, market rates, online quizzes, downloads, video presentations and more about ITIL v2, ITIL v3, COBIT, TOGAF, PRINCE2, MSP, Six Sigma, MOF and much more.  No sign up or registration required.

Fast Track to IT Success

ITIL training underpins the world's most successful framework for IT Service Management. Pulling together the best practice methods from public and private sectors ITIL is pivotal in ensuring efficient service delivery and in meeting IT Governance objectives.

Re-launched in 2007 in the form of Version 3, ITIL now includes a host of new training courses and qualifications, including various bridging courses which are now available. For those with existing ITIL certifications a bridging course will allow you to upgrade your knowledge and fast track your Version 3 qualifications. This article explains who these courses will benefit and how they work.

1. ITIL Version 3 - What Makes it Different?

The latest version of ITIL builds on its existing well established approaches but interprets them in the context of service lifecycle. It recognizes the shift that has occurred over the last few years as IT and IS operations have become integral to all modern organisations, rather than existing as a bolt on function.

The earlier editions of ITIL were defined by a number of key processes and for the most part, these remain important within the new structure. The new aspects of ITIL V3 reflect a change in the role of IT within modern organisations:

• Service strategy as the central driver

• Emphasis on service rather than process

• Dynamic service portfolio rather than linear service catalogue

• Integration (not just alignment) of IT with the rest of the organisation

• The cycle of 'Continuous Service Improvement'

2. The ITIL Qualification Structure

There are four levels within the new ITIL scheme comprising:

• Foundation

• Intermediate (Service Lifecycle & Service Capability)

• ITIL Expert

• Advanced Service Management Professional

The improved ITIL qualifications scheme introduces a new credit system. For example, to achieve the ITIL Expert qualification, candidates must achieve at least 22 credits, two of which can be gained at Foundation level. Credits are awarded for both ITIL V2 and V3 ITIL training courses.

Those people with an existing ITIL certification can undertake a bridging course which brings you up to date with the new aspects of ITIL.

3. ITIL Foundation Bridge

The ITIL Foundation Bridge course is for anyone who holds an earlier version ITIL Foundation certificate and who wants to obtain Version 3 certification. It provides an intensive overview of the new and modified topics in ITIL Version 3. Firstly, the Service Management Lifestyle is introduced (Strategy, Design, Transition, Operation and Continual Improvement), followed by the contribution of ITIL processes to each of the 5 elements.

The course assumes a level of knowledge of the basic ITIL concepts and processes. If this is not the case then a 3 day ITIL Foundation V3 course should be selected.

Acquiring the Version 3 Foundation via this route (or by taking the full Foundation exam again) is mandatory for those seeking the new Intermediate and ITIL Expert qualifications. It is not necessary for those eligible to bridge via the Practitioner or Manager Bridge routes (as explained below).

The exam is a 20 question, closed book multiple choice paper which takes 30 minutes to complete. The pass mark is 65% and successful candidates are awarded 0.5 credits under the ITIL qualification scheme bringing their foundation credits to 2.0 (1.5 credits are given for the Version 1 or 2 certificate).

4. ITIL Manager's Bridge

The ITIL Manager's Bridge training course is for those who hold an earlier version ITIL Manager's certificate and who wish to pursue the Version 3 ITIL Expert certificate.

This course also covers the new and modified topics in ITIL Version 3 and explores the new elements under the following headings:

• Service Management as a Practice

• The Service Lifecycle

• Generic Concepts & Definitions

• Key principles and Models

• Processes

• Functions

• Roles & Organisation

• Technology & Architecture

• Implementation Considerations

• Complementary Industry Guidance (other frameworks)

The course lasts between 4 and 5 days with the exam taken on the final day. The exam itself comprises a 20 question closed book, scenario based, complex multiple choice paper. It takes 90 minutes and the pass mark is 80%.

It isn't necessary to upgrade your Foundation certificate before following this route. Successful candidates achieve ITIL Expert certification without the need for further study under the Version 3 scheme.

5. ITIL Practitioner Bridge

If you already have substantial certification under the ITIL Practitioner certificate level there is a third bridging route. The pre-requisite is that you hold a minimum of 12 credits from Version 1 or 2 certificates in non duplicated areas (3.5 credits for 'clustered' practitioner certificates and 2 credits for 'single' practitioner certificates).

Candidates following this route first complete the Manager's Bridge course through an accredited training provider then undertake the new 'Managing through the Lifecycle' course.

Focus on Training specializes in the provision of best practice training for the Project Management and IT Service Management sectors. Focus is an active member of the IT Service Management Forum which plays a central role in updating and disseminating the ITIL framework through its international network of 6000 organisations and 70,000 IT professionals.

ITIL certification is for individuals and it signifies different levels of awareness and capability with regard to ITIL

ITIL training is undertaken in the UK by over 30 specialist training companies- All accredited on behalf of the OGC. They use approved course materials based on the official ITIL manuals – and they prepare delegates for exams which are usually included in the training course.ITIL Qualification Structure

There are 4 levels within the ITIL Version 3 qualification structure, providing a systematic route from Foundation through to higher level management qualifications

- Foundation
- Intermediate
- ITIL Expert
- ITIL Master

The new ITIL qualifications scheme recognises the value of existing v2 qualifications and introduces a system that gives credits for both ITIL v2 and v3 courses.

To achieve the ITIL Expert qualification, candidates must achieve at least 22 credits, two of which can be gained at Foundation level. (Full details of the credits system, examinations and pre-requisites can be found via the

www.best-management-practice.com website.)

ITIL Foundation

This is the first step on the ITIL v3 education programme. The course explains the basics of ITIL, its terminology and common processes. It also travels through the Service Lifecycle, defining the roles and responsibilities involved.

Who should attend: Anyone involved in IT or the business

Duration: 3 days

Exam: 40 Questions multi choice – pass mark 26

Credits: 2

ITIL Intermediate

At the intermediate level there are 9 modular courses from which students will typically need to acquire 15 credits in order to move on to the “cap-stone” Managing Across the Lifecycle Course and achieve the ITIL Expert qualification

The courses are grouped into 2 streams. It will be possible to “pick and mix” from these various modules to suit the requirements of you and your organisation. There are some constraints to ensure a good mix of topics is covered.

The Service Lifecycle courses (each worth 3 credits) align to each of the 5 core ITIL manuals.

Service Strategy
Service Design
Service Transition
Service Operation
Continual Service ImprovementThe Service Capability courses (each worth 4 credits) focus on ITIL processes:Planning, Protection and Optimisation
Service Offerings and Agreement
Release, Control & Validation
Operational Support & Analysis

Who should attend: IT professionals interested to develop specific ITSM skill sets and those who seek to achieve ITIL Expert status

Duration:Service Lifecycle – 21 hrs minimum (3 or 4 day course), Service Capability – 30 hrs minimum (4 or 5 day course)

Exam:90 minute graduated multiple choice with scenario based questions. Pass mark 65% (75% for a Distinction)

Credits:Service Lifecycle – 3, Service Capability – 4ITIL Expert

The ITIL Expert will replace the current ITIL Manager certification which distinguishes experienced IT service leaders who have studied the application of ITIL in depth.

The version 3 ITIL Expert qualification is obtained upon achievement of 17 or more credits from the Foundation, Intermediate, Bridge or v2 Courses - followed by the broad and high level course - "Managing Across the Lifecycle".

Managing Across the Lifecycle

The purpose of this module is to consolidate and test the content of the 5 core guidance ITIL manuals. The focus is on business, management and supervisory aspects, with attention given to the interactions between the different ITIL processes.Who should attend:

CIOs, IT Managers, IT Professionals

Duration:

5 days

Exam:

8 multiple choice, scenario based, gradient scored questions.

Pass Mark

28 marks (70%)

In addition, candidates must be able to demonstrate at least 5 years of IT experience and have at least 2 years of experience in an IT service Management environment in a supervisory, managerial or consultancy role.

 ITIL Master

Candidates for this level will be required to have achieved the ITIL Expert certification and to have demonstrated practical application and experience. They will be assessed on the broader issues of ITSM implementations including: 

Managing cultural and organisational change  Responding to industry change  Continual improvement of ITSM capability  Preparing organisations for audit and certification 

This qualification will not be associated with an accredited course. 

ITIL Bridging CoursesAn interim set of Bridging Courses has been introduced for those who have already undertaken training under earlier versions of ITIL and who wish to update their knowledge to reflect the latest release.Foundation Bridge

Who should attend:

Existing holders of the Foundation Certificate. Active members of Service Management teams.

Duration

: 1 day

Content

: An overview of the lifecycle approach to ITIL – highlighting key changes and explaining the benefits

Exam

: 30 minute multiple choice paper with 20 questions – 65% pass mark

Credits

: 0.5 (which can be added to the 1.5 earned from version 1 or version 2 foundation certificates)

Manager Bridge

Who should attend:

Existing holders of the Manager’s Certificate who wish to upgrade to the new ITIL Expert qualification. It is not necessary to have taken the Foundation Bridge. CIOs, IT Managers, IT Professionals

Duration

: 4 or 5 days

Content

: In depth coverage of the lifecycle approach to ITIL – highlighting key changes and explaining the benefits

Exam

: 90 minute multiple choice paper with 20 questions – 80% pass mark

Credits

: 5 (which when added to the 17 earned from version 1 or version 2 Service Manager certificates result in the 22 credits required to qualify as an ITIL Expert)

 Practitioner Bridge

Those with at least 12 credits from v2 Practitioner courses but who do not hold the Manager’s Certificate may achieve ITIL Expert status by:  First completing the Manager’s Bridge course and exam  Then completing the Managing across the Lifecycle Course and Exam 

This enables part qualified individuals to obtain ITIL Expert certification without the need to study at the new Intermediate level.

Benefits of ITIL

Investments in information services have frequently been characterised by over spend, under delivery, and a lack of transparency.  ITIL provides a maturity path for IT which is not technology based – providing practical management tools which are accessible to a wider audience.

Benefits of adopting ITIL 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
- Better asset utilisationSavings 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.

Total Cost of Ownership studies by Axios and others suggest 75% of your IT costs are associated with Service Management rather than acquisition and commissioning.  ITIL training and certification can help you understand and optimise the effectiveness of this spend.

 ITIL Training and ISO20000

ITIL embodies the methodologies which underpin the ISO/IEC20000 quality accreditation for organisations with respect to their information systems. This is displacing BS15000 in the UK and is rapidly being adopted as the definitive international standard for IT Service Management.

ISO/IEC20000 is an auditable standard which specifies five key service management processes: 

Service Delivery Processes  Relationship Processes  Resolution Processes  Control Processes  Release Process

What is ITIL?

ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is a set of best practices that allow IT groups to offer the highest possible level of service to their customers. The ITIL framework identifies best practices related to core aspects of IT such as Service Desk, Change Management, and Service Level Agreements (SLA’s).

Where is ITIL Used?

Currently, ITIL is the most widely accepted approach to IT service management in the world. The ITIL framework was developed in England and is widely adopted in Europe. Over the last few years ITIL has become increasingly popular in the US.

What are the features and benefits of ITIL?

ITIL is a great tool for a management team to use in the constant effort to offer higher levels of services to their customers. ITIL outlines an extensive set of management procedures that are intended to support businesses in achieving both quality and value for money in IT operations. The service support component of ITIL focuses on improving day-to-day support activities such as problem management. The service delivery component of ITIL focuses on improving strategic activities such as capacity planning.

Why should IT departments implement ITIL?

Most people feel that after implementing ITIL their customer service, both internally and externally, is greatly improved. Most IT departments are reactive and always feel that they are running behind. This is stressful and costly. When implementing ITIL you’ll review your current processes and think about how you can make them more efficient. By implementing new processes you’ll save time and money.

ITIL helps IT departments make better technology choices, manage IT more effectively and drive greater business value for all IT investments.

Lorenzo Balsamo

Lorenzo graduated in 1988 from Bentley College with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems. In 1992 he completed his Master's degree at U-Mass Boston in English Literature and Technical Writing. Since then he has worked the last 15 years in the IT industry in the roles of Systems Engineer, Network Manager, and Trainer. As a Senior Engineer, he helped design and build a 3,000 node global LAN/WAN for a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, MA. As a Network Manager, he led a team of 12 Analysts and Engineers primarily responsible for desktops, servers, OS patches, software distribution, antivirus software, and backups. In his current role as a Technical Instructor, he focuses on core engineering courses such as Cisco/CCNA and Microsoft/MCSE. He also teaches courses related to IT best practices such as ITIL (InformationTechnology Infrastructure Library).

About New Horizons Computer Learning Centers of Boston

New Horizons Computer Learning Centers of Boston provides learning solutions that help organizations achieve business results, such as increasing productivity and efficiencies, driving revenue, and reducing costs. New Horizons provides customer-focused training choices in multiple formats and delivery methods, offering organizations and individuals top-quality training that can be tailored to meet individual learning styles and specific needs.

Whether you are in search of a solution for the complex training needs of a large, multi-location business, or you are an individual seeking the skills to excel in a new or blossoming career path, New Horizons is your integrated learning solution. New Horizons of Boston offers Desktop Applications Training, Technical Training, Certification Programs, Business Productivity Solutions, Professional Services and Enterprise Learning Solutions.

www.nhboston.com

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is an industry-leading set of IT Service Management best practices. These best practices for the support and delivery of IT services can help a company document IT processes.

ITIL is part of the foundation of the COBIT model, which defines control objectives for IT in support of business processes.

ITIL is about providing guidelines as to what should be done and steps to trying to get best practices in place and COBIT is more about "proving and establishing a set of objectives to show control. It's more of an audit and measurement tool to determine if things were done right.

The ITIL process documentation and COBIT control objectives are a powerful combination that can accelerate Sarbanes Oxley and BASEL II compliance as well.

ITIL is strong on delivery and support processes. It describes how to structure operational processes but is weak on security controls and processes.

COBIT is focused on controls and metrics. It also lacks a security component but provides a more global view of IT processes at the IT organization management principles than ITIL.

COBIT and ISO also provide guidance, key indicators, and controls for the definition of service-level agreements, capacity planning, availability management, and business continuity, which complement ITIL service delivery processes.

IT organizations are under more pressure to meet the business goals. ITIL and COBIT can enable organizations:

1.Manage IT from a business perspective and achieve business goals. 2.Put in place clear process goals, based on the organization's business goals 3.Ensure effective IT governance and control at the process level, and enable IT to demonstrate that it meets or exceeds the requirements.

COBIT processes are focused on business requirements, and provide guidance in determining what is sufficient to meet these requirements. ITIL defines best practice processes for ITSM and shows how to get there. It focuses on method and defines a more comprehensive set of processes than COBIT, providing a roadmap for building processes. With the combination of ITIL and COBIT, IT can meet business objectives and thus delivering higher quality business services at lower costs.

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CBT is the most cost effective and flexible way to gain your ITIL v3 foundation certification. Our ITIL foundation CBT allows you to apply your company information and policies integrated with the training. Don't be a faceless person in the crowd of training. Integrate who you are with ITIL training and make a difference in your world.

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What is ITIL v2?

ITIL® stands for the IT Infrastructure Library.  It emerged  during the 1980’s in the UK as a set of high level processes for providing consistent, low risk IT service management to an organisation.  The copyright is owned by the Office of Government Commerce [OGC (formerly known as CCTA)] and is covered in several publications from the British Standards Institution (BSI).

The core ITIL v2 (IT Infrastructure Library) components are contained within two main publications - ITIL Service Support & ITIL Service Delivery.  Additional OGC publications include: 

Planning to Implement Service Management

Service Support  

Service Delivery  

The Business Perspective

Applications Management

ICT Infrastructure Management

Security Management

All the above ITIL v2 material is available as a set of books and on CD. The latter may be purchased for stand alone or networked use.  To purchase these books or CD sets, go to our bookshop and use the search function.

The British Standards Institute (BSI) published the Code of Practice for IT Service Management in 1998 (PD0005) and subsequently the British Standard (BS15000) was launched in November 2000. Both publications are based entirely on the ITIL guidelines, particularly focusing on Service Support & Delivery. BS15000 as at 2007 was replaced by ISO 20000 - The international Standard for IT Service Management.  Publications from both the BSI and OGC are complementary sets.

The 11 core ITIL v.2 components (functions and process areas) are:

Service Support –

Service Desk Customer-facing and focused on its main objectives which are to drive and improve service to and on behalf of the business. Operationally, its objective is to provide a single point of contact (SPOC) providing advice, guidance and the rapid restoration of normal services to its Customers and Users.

IITIL Incident Management An incident is defined as ‘any event which is not part of the standard operation of a service and which causes, or may

cause, an interruption to, or a reduction in, the quality of that service’.   The aim of the Incident Management Process is to restore normal service operation as quickly as possible and minimise the adverse impact on business operations, thus ensuring that the best possible levels of service quality and availability are maintained. 

ITIL Problem Management Meant to be both reactive and proactive.  It’s goal is to minimise the adverse impact of Incidents and Problems (that require root cause analysis) on the business that are caused by errors within the IT infrastructure and, to prevent recurrence of these errors.

ITIL Configuration Management Provides a logical model of the infrastructure or a service by identifying, controlling, maintaining and verifying the versions of Configuration Items (CIs) in existence e.g., desktop PCs, Printers, Servers.

ITIL Change Management The purpose of CM is to ensure that standardised methods and procedures are used for efficient and prompt handling of all changes, in order to minimise the impact of change-related Incidents on service quality.  Risk Management.

ITIL Release Management Plans and oversees the successful rollout of software and related hardware.

Service Delivery –

ITIL Service Level Management The name given to the process of planning, co-ordinating, agreeing, monitoring and reporting on SLAs - internally with the business or externally with 3rd party providers.  Additionally, the on-going review of service achievements ensuring the required service quality is maintained and gradually improved.  SLAs provide the basis for managing the relationship with the Customer.

ITIL Financial Management for IT Services Incorporates budgeting, IT Accounting and Charging.  Enables the organisation to fully account for the spend on IT services and to attribute these costs to the services delivered to the organisation’s Customers. To assist management decisions on IT investment by providing detailed business cases for changes to IT services.

ITIL Capacity Management Is the focal point for all IT performance and capacity issues.  Though other technicians may do most of the work, overall responsibility lies with the Capacity Management process (both operational and developmental).  Including; all hardware, all networking equipment, all peripherals, all software and personnel.

ITIL IT Service Continuity Management Supports the overall Business Continuity Management process by ensuring that the required IT technical and services facilities - including computer systems, networks, applications, telecommunications, technical support and Service Desk - can be recovered within required, and agreed, business timescales.

ITIL Availability Management The main goal is to optimise the capability of the IT Infrastructure, services and supporting organisation to deliver a cost effective and sustained level of availability that enables the business to satisfy business objectives.

© www.bestpracticehelp.com 2008.

Visit http://www.bestpracticehelp.com for totally free ITIL forum, articles, jobs, market rates, online quizzes, downloads, video presentations and more about ITIL v2, ITIL v3, COBIT, TOGAF, PRINCE2, MSP, Six Sigma, MOF and much more.  No sign up or registration required.

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