ITIL versions: What are the differences?
ITIL Version 4
ITIL v4 takes a new approach to service management. Leaving behind the service life cycle,
Version 4 focuses on the service value system (SVS) and how to transform the organization
to a digital organization.
The key elements of ITIL 4 are the four dimensions:
- Organizations and people
- Information and technology
- Partners and suppliers
- Value streams and processes
ITIL Version 3 (2011)
If you’re interested in ITIL v3, you may find the following information useful:
- An Introductory Overview of ITIL v3 (IT Service Management Forum)
- ITIL Version 3 Best Practices (Safari Books Online for Government)
- IT Managers Guide to ITIL v3(IBM)
- ITIL – The Future is Here (ITIL v3 project)
- ITIL v3 and the Service Lifecycle (Axios Systems)
- ITIL v3 Lifecycle Reference Card (ITSM Academy)
ITIL v3 life-cycle mindmaps:
ITIL Version 3
In May 2007, the British Office of Government and Commerce (OGC) completed a major update to the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). The update has become known as ITIL Version 3 (ITIL v3). The initial adoption of ITIL v3 was slow because the OGC and its partners were unable to provide the necessary support and ITIL v3 represented a major shift in the well-established methodologies of ITIL v2. While still process focused, it adopted a life-cycle approach to service management. It wasn’t until late 2009 that ITIL v3 and its associated certifications were officially rolled out.
One of the major differences between the two versions of ITIL is that ITIL v3 takes a life-cycle approach to service management. While ITIL v2 looked at service management processes as either tactical or operational (service delivery or service support), ITIL v3 looks at the service management life cycle and divides it into strategy, design, transition, and operational, each with a set of processes that support the life-cycle objectives. It also adds continual service improvement to the mix to ensure that life-cycle stages and processes are regularly evaluated and improvements made.
In October 2009, the OGC announced that it would discontinue production of ITIL v2 materials and the ITIL v2 certification exams as of June 30, 2010. All the ITIL v2 processes are included in the ITIL v3 model. In 2011, OGC released another update to unify the five core publications. This release is referred to as ITIL 2011.
In 2013, OGC entered into an agreement with Capita plc and formed a joint venture company called Axelos to oversee the further development of ITIL. In 2019, Axelos released the latest version known as ITIL v4.