Who uses Information Technology Infrastructure Library?

With every company getting more and more dependent on IT for their work, whether it is in the manufacturing process or for their accounting, best practices need to be an important part of the set-up. Just as companies seek ISO certification, firms are also looking to ensure their IT sections are up to the mark in an increasingly globalized world.

Users of ITIL also report significant cost savings and efficiency in development. Major users of ITIL include the biggies of the corporate world, such as Microsoft, Hewlett Packard and Procter & Gamble, just a sampling of the hundreds of organizations worldwide who are finding ITIL to be indispensable.

As with something like agile project management, ITIL works toward a better understanding of the customer, potential or otherwise. As a cost-saving technique, it has worked wonders and companies who have adopted it are grateful, especially in the time of an economic crunch where belt-tightening is the watchword. Communication between respective IT departments and customers has also improved, meaning for transparency.

IT was always considered to be somewhat of a mysterious sector particularly among those unfamiliar with it. However, ITIL has cleared the channels of communication allowing for more interactions with the customer. Failing to bring IT departments up to standards also means the possibility of companies losing out on revenues.

Developed in conjunction with both public and private sector organizations worldwide, ITIL provides a comprehensive, consistent and coherent set of processes for IT management and is emphasized by formal qualifications and an associated training scheme. ITIL was developed in the late 1980s and the rights are still owned by the British government. The government realized up-to-the-mark IT was needed in areas like the tendering process. It was also acceptance that IT was propelling many organizations to the extent they were dependent on it. Naturally, if IT is not what it should be in a company, business can be lost if competition has to be kept pace with.

ITIL simply consists of seven books which provide guidance on planning, delivery and management of quality IT services, all catered to business needs. It is now the most widely-recognized approach to service management in the world. The books cover an introduction to ITIL, service delivery, service support, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure management, security management, a business perspective, application management and software asset management.

It takes a comprehensive look at all aspects of IT. For example, security management makes sure there is no leakage of critical company or individual information to outsiders. This aspect would be important not just to banks and financial institutions, but other companies as well. After all, losing the trust of the customer due to information being leaked out an be damaging for any company.

In a competitive era, even the smaller companies find the use of ITIL gives them an extra edge, even give them the confidence to take on bigger entities in the business world.