| With every company getting more and more | | | | formal qualifications and an associated training |
| dependent on IT for their work, whether it is in the | | | | scheme. |
| manufacturing process or for their accounting, best | | | | ITIL was developed in the late 1980s and the rights |
| practices need to be an important part of the set-up. | | | | are still owned by the British government. The |
| Just as companies seek ISO certification, firms are | | | | government realized up-to-the-mark IT was needed |
| also looking to ensure their IT sections are up to the | | | | in areas like the tendering process. It was also |
| mark in an increasingly globalized world. | | | | acceptance that IT was propelling many organizations |
| Users of ITIL also report significant cost savings and | | | | to the extent they were dependent on it. Naturally, if |
| efficiency in development. Major users of ITIL include | | | | IT is not what it should be in a company, business |
| the biggies of the corporate world, such as Microsoft, | | | | can be lost if competition has to be kept pace with. |
| Hewlett Packard and Procter & Gamble, just a | | | | ITIL simply consists of seven books which provide |
| sampling of the hundreds of organizations worldwide | | | | guidance on planning, delivery and management of |
| who are finding ITIL to be indispensable. | | | | quality IT services, all catered to business needs. It is |
| As with something like agile project management, | | | | now the most widely-recognized approach to service |
| ITIL works toward a better understanding of the | | | | management in the world. The books cover an |
| customer, potential or otherwise. As a cost-saving | | | | introduction to ITIL, service delivery, service support, |
| technique, it has worked wonders and companies | | | | Information and Communications Technology (ICT) |
| who have adopted it are grateful, especially in the | | | | infrastructure management, security management, a |
| time of an economic crunch where belt-tightening is | | | | business perspective, application management and |
| the watchword. Communication between respective | | | | software asset management |
| IT departments and customers has also improved, | | | | It takes a comprehensive look at all aspects of IT. |
| meaning for transparency. | | | | For example, security management makes sure there |
| IT was always considered to be somewhat of a | | | | is no leakage of critical company or individual |
| mysterious sector particularly among those unfamiliar | | | | information to outsiders. This aspect would be |
| with it. However, ITIL has cleared the channels of | | | | important not just to banks and financial institutions, |
| communication allowing for more interactions with the | | | | but other companies as well. After all, losing the trust |
| customer.Failing to bring IT departments up to | | | | of the customer due to information being leaked out |
| standards also means the possibility of companies | | | | an be damaging for any company. |
| losing out on revenues. | | | | In a competitive era, even the smaller companies find |
| Developed in conjunction with both public and private | | | | the use of ITIL gives them an extra edge, even give |
| sector organizations worldwide, ITIL provides a | | | | them the confidence to take on bigger entities in the |
| comprehensive, consistent and coherent set of | | | | business world. |
| processes for IT management and is emphasized by | | | | |