The IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a set of concepts and techniques for managing information technology (IT) infrastructure, development and operations. It was initially developed in the 1980s by the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) and is now published as a series of books by the UK Office of Government Commerce (OGC).
Each volume covers a specific IT management topic. ITIL describes various critical IT practices and provides comprehensive checklists, tasks and procedures that can be tailored to any organization. The latest version, ITIL v3, published in May 2007, comprises 5 key volumes:
1. Service Strategy
2. Service Design
3. Service Transition
4. Service Operation
5. Continual Service Improvement
Wikipedia offers an excellent overview of ITIL, with numerous links to further sources of information.
The Official ITIL web site is also worth checking, as is the OGC ITIL web site.
The IT Service Management Forum (itSMF) offers a useful Introductory Overview of ITIL.
Next: Benefits of ITIL
