Why it’s called “ITIL 4” Instead of “ITIL v4”
Why drop the ‘v’ from the name? Two reasons:
Enough with the Versions Already
Axelos, the organization that manages the ITIL framework, made an intentional decision to get away from rolling out a new version name each time the books are updated. Prior to ITIL 4, the framework was updated about once a decade. It’s a huge endeavor to release a wholly new version of the core books (and I would know, as I co-wrote and edited one of them: DITS). Huge endeavor or not, that once-a-decade release cadence is less than ideal, as the books run the very real risk of falling behind current ways of working if not updated more frequently. This is why “ITIL v4” isn’t a thing. With the start of the ITIL 4 project, Axelos took a more agile approach and, going forward, will provide frequent updates to the content without updating the version number. The name “ITIL 4” is here to stay.
The 4th Industrial Revolution
The second reason for the change is the designation of this new era in technology as the 4th industrial revolution. Here’s how Axelos describes it:
ITIL 4 will help businesses navigate the new technological era, commonly known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The speed of current breakthroughs is disrupting almost every industry on a global scale. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is marked by emerging technology in fields including robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, quantum computing, biotechnology, the Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, autonomous vehicles and much more.
If you’re curious about what each of the industrial revolutions have been up to this point, this article on the 4 Industrial Revolutions does a nice job of providing a brief overview. And to avoid some amount of hate mail, please note that I didn’t come up with this reason, and yes, I know there’s a lot of controversy around how many industrial revolutions we’ve actually had as a civilization and that we might actually be entering a 5th industrial revolution. So, there’s that.
Switching gears a bit, here are some answers to other frequently asked questions related to ITIL.
What does ITIL stand for?
The other interesting bit of ITIL 4 news is that “ITIL” is no longer an acronym. Prior to the ITIL 4 release, it stood for:
Information Technology Infrastructure Library
The key word in the acronym, at least in my opinion, was “library”. ITIL is a set of books that provide an overview of ideas, techniques, recommendations, etc. that technology-focused organizations around the world have found to be helpful – essentially, it’s one of the largest collections of lessons learned assembled around how to serve customers by designing, delivering, and supporting effective technology-enabled products and services.
That part of ITIL hasn’t changed. In fact, it’s only gotten more comprehensive, and in ITIL 4, it’s been updated to reflect how modern organizations work. It also includes some good information around Agile, Lean, DevOps, and emerging technologies like the internet and email (just kidding), machine learning, artificial intelligence, robotic process automation, and the like. None of these emerging technologies or frameworks were explicitly discussed as part of ITIL v3.
All of that is to say that the I-T-I-L in ITIL 4 no longer stands for anything; it’s just “ITIL”. The reason for the change is that the other words in the acronym (IT Infrastructure) were often distracting and created a bit of a misconception around what ITIL is. A lot of folks fixated on the word “infrastructure” and immediately assumed it was only helpful for people involved in infrastructure or IT operations, which isn’t the case.
Quite the opposite, really. ITIL 4 includes information on several new practices that have nothing to do with infrastructure or operations and move outside of the bounds of traditional IT (Organizational Change Management and Talent and Workforce Management, for example).
ITIL is now a brand that used to be an acronym joining the ranks of NASA and KFC, both important organizations here in the United States and around the world. Fun fact: In 2017, KFC launched a chicken sandwich into space. So, there’s that. #ZingerSpaceTweet.
How do you pronounce ITIL?
This question comes up frequently from students when I teach ITIL classes. I used to tell people that since it was an acronym it didn’t really matter (and still doesn’t, really). I personally pronounce it “EYE-til” (as do most of the ITIL nerds I know), but I’ve heard people pronounce it as “IH-til” or just spell it out as “I-T-I-L”. How you pronounce it is really up to you (and I, for one, will still invite you to parties whatever you decide).
How is ITIL 4 different from ITIL v3 and other versions?
Here is a quick summary of three key differences between ITIL 4 and previous versions. For a more comprehensive overview of ITIL 4, check out our Deep Dive into ITIL 4.
1. Customer-focused mindset
There’s a lot more emphasis on the customer perspective in ITIL 4. This theme has always been a part of the ITIL books (even back in ITIL v2, for us old-timers who remember that version, there was the concept of taking on a marketing mindset in IT). However, there’s much more of a singular focus on the importance of truly understanding our customer needs and delivering results that matter to them in this iteration.
There are many new concepts in ITIL 4 that talk about this customer-focused mindset, from the concept of the overarching Service Value System to ITIL’s Guiding Principles that are discussed as part of a 2-day ITIL 4 Foundation course, to things like customer journeys, personas, and Experience Level Agreements (XLAs) discussed in the DSV book and course. The theme of our customers being at the center of everything we do is pervasive throughout ITIL 4.
2. Processes are now called “Practices”
This is a seemingly small but important change in ITIL 4. Here’s an article on Why ITIL 4 is shifting its focus away from processes that talks about its importance in how we approach ITIL. There are also a lot more practices in ITIL 4, thirty-four in fact (there were twenty-six processes in ITIL v3), and they cover a much wider range of topics.
3. A focus beyond IT
ITIL 4 also has a lot less of a focus on things like “How do I structure a particular IT process?” (don’t worry, that information still exists, it’s just not covered in detail in an ITIL 4 course). Instead, ITIL 4 focuses on higher level questions like, “What kind of mindset or approach should our organization have if we’re going to be successful with this ITIL stuff?”. As a result, ITIL 4 is useful and approachable to non-IT folks as well as those leading teams and organizations.
If I’m ITIL v3 certified, do I need to take ITIL 4?
If we met on the street, got talking about ITIL (please note – It’s extremely unlikely that I would randomly bring that topic up in conversation), and you told me that you were version 3 certified but not yet ITIL 4 certified, I might silently judge you. It’s certainly still new, and not a huge percentage of ITIL v3 people have taken ITIL 4. However, that’s changing; I’m starting to see more and more government RFPs ask for it (for those of you that bid on government work in the US). Also, on day 1 of an ITIL 4 Foundation class, there is so much new material that even if you’re already v3 certified, it’s worth broadening your knowledge and skills by taking an ITIL 4 Foundation course. Plus, for those of you that need continuing credits (and specifically my PMP colleagues that need PDUs), the course gives you sixteen. Now you know: If you see a training provider that calls it “ITIL v4 Foundation”, there’s may be a better option out there.