Foreword

At this new stage in the development of the IT industry, AXELOS is delighted to present ITIL 4, the latest step in the evolution of IT best practice. By building on our experience and bringing fresh and forward-looking thinking to the marketplace, ITIL 4 equips your business to deal with the challenges currently faced by the industry.

The adoption of ITIL as the most widely used guidance in the world on IT and service management will continue with ITIL 4. It ensures continuity with existing ways of working (where service management is already successful) by integrating modern and emerging practices with established and proven know-how. ITIL 4 also provides guidance on these new methods to help individuals and organizations to see their benefits and move towards using them with confidence, focus, and minimal disruption.

ITIL 4’s holistic approach raises the profile of service management in organizations and industries, setting it within a more strategic context. Its focus tends to be on end-to-end product and service management, from demand to value.

ITIL 4 is the result of a great deal of global research and development work across the IT and service management industries; this work has involved active practitioners, trainers, consultants, vendors, technicians, and business customers. The architect team has collaborated with the wider stakeholders and users of ITIL to ensure that the content meets the modern requirements of continuity, innovation, flexibility, and value.

ITIL training provides individuals with a structured approach for developing their competencies in the current and future workplace. The accompanying guidance also helps organizations to take advantage of the new and upcoming technologies, succeed in making their digital transformations, and create value as needed for themselves and their customers.

As demand for digital technology grows, practitioners are under increasing pressure to design, develop, run, and support digital systems and services. ITIL^® 4: High-velocity IT aims to help readers understand digital transformation and to guide them and their organizations towards a more integrated state between business and technology. By discussing organizational best practice and useful mental models from a practitioner’s perspective, it provides invaluable guidance in the practical application of high-velocity IT.

Welcome to the new generation of IT best practice!

Mark Basham

CEO, AXELOS Global Best Practice