ITIL

ITIL, which used to be called the Information Technology Infrastructure Library, is a set of guidelines for managing technology services in businesses. It helps companies make sure their computer and IT systems work well and meet the needs of their customers or employees.

ITIL provides best practices, like steps and checklists, that any company can use no matter what kind of technology they have. It helps organizations set a good standard and track how they are improving over time.

Unlike some other frameworks, ITIL does not have a way for whole companies to prove they follow its rules. Only people can get certified in ITIL, not the organizations themselves. Since 2021, the trademark for ITIL has been owned by a company called PeopleCert.

History

In the 1980s, the UK government created a set of guidelines to help manage IT better. These guidelines were based on ideas from a famous thinker and his methods for continuous improvement.

In 1989, ITIL was introduced. It became a collection of 30 books offering the best ways to handle IT to meet customer and business needs. Over the years, ITIL grew and changed. In 2001, a new version called ITIL version 2 came out. Then, in May 2007, ITIL version 3 was released, organizing its ideas into five main areas. In July 2011, ITIL 2011 was introduced. In February 2019, ITIL 4 was launched, focusing more on overall service management and working better with modern approaches like Agile and DevOps. In January 2026, PeopleCert announced plans for ITIL 5.

Guiding principles

ITIL 4 has seven important ideas to guide how we use it:

• Focus on value
• Start where you are
• Progress iteratively with feedback
• Collaborate and promote visibility
• Think and work holistically
• Keep it simple and practical
• Optimize and automate

Framework content

ITIL 4 has 34 practices that are grouped into three main areas. These practices help businesses manage their computer and technology work better.

The three categories are:

• General management practices: These include things like planning, managing collections of projects, designing systems, and handling possible problems.
• Service management practices: These help make sure services run well, are available when needed, and can handle enough work.
• Technical management practices: These cover putting systems into place, looking after computer setups, and managing how software is made and updated.

Certification

ITIL 4 certification helps different people in IT management improve their skills. It starts with the ITIL 4 Foundation, and then you can choose one of two paths to continue.

One path is for people who manage day-to-day IT work. This includes four options:

• ITIL 4 Specialist: Create, Deliver & Support (CDS)
• ITIL 4 Specialist: Drive Stakeholder Value (DSV)
• ITIL 4 Specialist: High Velocity IT (HVIT)
• ITIL 4 Specialist: Monitor, Support, and Fulfil (MSF)

The other path is for leaders who make big plans for IT. This includes two options:

• ITIL 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan & Improve (DPI)
• ITIL 4: Digital & IT Strategy (DITS)