ITILs

ITILs refer to the Information Technology Infrastructure Library framework and its successive editions, a widely adopted set of practices for IT service management (ITSM). The term ITILs is often used to describe the collection of ITIL publications, editions, and associated practices rather than a single standard.

ITIL originated in the 1980s under the auspices of the UK government’s CCTA (later part of OGC), to standardize IT service delivery. It evolved through ITIL v2 and ITIL v3 (2007/2011) and was reimagined as ITIL 4, released in 2019 with updates thereafter. ITIL 4 emphasizes alignment of IT services with business value and integrates with other frameworks such as agile, DevOps, and Lean.

ITIL 4 centers on the Service Value System, which describes how components and activities co-create value through guiding principles, governance, practices (formerly processes), and continual improvement, supported by four dimensions: organizations and people, information and technology, partners and suppliers, and value streams and processes. ITIL 4 defines 34 practices covering areas like incident management, change control, service desk, problem management, and service-level management, among others. It remains non-prescriptive, offering a flexible, scalable approach.

Adoption of ITILs is common in IT service providers and large organizations seeking to improve service delivery and governance. Certification paths include ITIL Foundation and higher level tracks such as Managing Professional, Strategic Leader, and Master, offered by accredited bodies. Critics note that rigid implementation can be costly, but many organizations tailor ITIL practices to their context.