By Dick Stark

Last week I set in on a webinar presented by ITpreneurs and AXELOS that described the ITIL 4 upcoming launch, and its new courseware and curriculum. AXELOS is the organization responsible for developing and enhancing the ITIL framework and methodology used by professionals primarily in the service management space. AXELOS is also the certification body for those of us that hold ITIL v3 foundation and other certificates.  ITpreneurs provides ITIL and other related courseware and trainers.

Almost exactly one year ago, at the Pink 18 kickoff Pink Elephant President, David Ratcliffe at proclaimed that ITIL alone is not enough, but went on to say that “ITIL is still the star of the show,” but it needs a new supporting cast.  He proudly announced that over three million people now have some type of ITIL certification, with Pink training at least 500,000 of them.  Have over three million ITIL certified people made a difference? After 10 years of ITIL v3, is ITIL still relevant?  Does ITIL matter? And will ITIL 4 help return ITIL to its glory years of yesterday?

Yes, except a lot has transpired in the last ten years especially around digital transformation, DevOps, and the cloud. What really matters is translating knowledge into results. Delivering knowledge, like taking an ITIL class (or any class) is only the first step. RightStar and others have seen ITIL / ITSM projects take years, not months which has opened the ITSM door to DevOps and why Gartner asserts that “DevOps is the bimodal bridge to Mode 2.” (Meaning DevOps/Mode 2 is focused on agility, while ITIL / Mode 1 is focused on stability.)

This is why some have referred to ITIL 4 as agile ITIL. But it is more than that. ITIL 4 stresses value for the organization, working holistically, keeping things simple, and six other guiding principles: design for experience, start where you are, progress iteratively, observe directly, be transparent and collaborate (similar to DevOps’ guiding principles). The service value system, above, facilitates integration and coordination of various organizational components and activities and provides a strong, unified, value-focused direction for the organization.

So, when is the launch? ITIL v4 training classes became available on February 11. These classes will be offered in “pro” to “premium” versions with new cases studies and games. There is even a new “going to Mars simulation game.” And the ITIL 4 exam will be available on February 28. Becoming an ITIL Expert is still a daunting task with 17 credits required. But the good news—most training is available in online versions, and a bridge course is available for current ITIL v3 Experts.

What’s exciting is that RightStar is hosting an ITpreneurs train the trainer ITIL v4 session on March 14-15. I look forward learning more about ITIL 4 and its path in our more agile IT world.