History of ITIL
What is ITIL?
ITIL is the globally-recognised leader in IT service management.
It is a collection of best practices in IT service management that allows you to monitor, sculpt and improve your IT services. It is particularly useful in a customer-service-based management system as it allows you to manage risk, improve customer experience and enable business change.
It also enables you to lower your IT costs while delivering better services, by improving the way different teams interact and manage the IT infrastructure within your business. It incorporates a wide range of departments, from design to development.
The history of ITIL
ITIL was developed at the end of the 1980s, when the level of IT service provided to the British Government was deemed insufficient. The Office of Government Commerce (OGC), which was then called The Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA), had the task of developing an efficient IT framework with the use of IT resources within the British Government's private sector. The earliest version of ITIL, GITIM (Government Information Technology Infrastructure Management) was very different to the existing ITIL, but the concept was quite similar, with both focusing around service and delivery.
Development of the framework then continued...
What's different with ITIL 4?
The update from ITIL V3 to ITIL 4 took place at the beginning of 2019.
While still being based on proven best practices, ITIL 4 is more relevant to today's digital businesses. Its focus on the wider context of customer experience, value streams and digital transformation means it can help you to provide confidence and reassurance to your customers, while consistently delivering better services.
The framework is also an effective change agent, and can be used to upskill, motivate and retain your workforce - helping to improve your overall business performance.
ITIL 4 places a much greater emphasis on working holistically, when delivering products and services, and on the importance of working collaboratively. It reflects the fast-paced and complex environment we live in, opening ITIL up to a wider range of professionals working across the digital landscape.