Page 374 - Handbook of Modern Telecommunications

Network Management and Administration 3-165

As for the core sets of ITIL version 2, “Service Delivery” is focused on establishing quality IT services.
The “Service Delivery” set is discussed in terms of the following processes:
• Service-Level Management
• Financial Management for IT Services
• Capacity Management
• IT Service Continuity Management
• Availability Management
The “Service Support” set discusses the requirements, rules, and best practices of ongoing operations
and maintenance:
• Service Desk
• Incident Management
• Problem Management
• Configuration Management
• Change Management
• Release Management
ITIL version 3 takes a significantly different approach by structuring the above management topics
into the following:
• Service Strategy—containing the recommendations of building a long-term IT service evolution
• Service Design—the procedures of preparing to implement a concrete new service
• Service Transition—the delivery procedures of new services, including their incorporation into
the environment of existing production IT services
• Service Operation—discusses the efficient operation of existing services in terms of maximizing
customer experience and lowering service operational costs
• Continual Service Improvement—the procedures to follow technological changes and the con-
tinual realignment of the IT services to changing business needs

Somewhat independent from the structure of the documents, it may be more important to recognize
that there exists a simplified perception of the professional community, which mostly identifies ITIL
with a few easy-to-remember focus areas like:
• A conscious approach of having definite goals with respect to knowing what to do about, taking
control of, and continually optimizing IT services.
• Customer/user relationship is recognized as a key to successful and efficient services.
• Definition of Service-Level Agreements (SLAs, between customer and the provider) as part of
the Service Delivery process that describes the ways to monitor the quality of services provided.
SLAs also play a key role in the Services Support phase as a quantitative target for service quality
(Service-Level Management).
• Operating a credible and authoritative Configuration Management Database with Change
Management procedures in place for consistent updates.
• For running services, feedback is applied for continual service quality improvement.
• Operating a responsive and efficient service desk to respond issues (Change Requests and
Incidents) and gather feedback from users and customers.
3.6.10.1 Judging the Value of ITIL
On the plus side, ITIL has helped in forming the basic requirements or IT service management, and mak-
ing concepts like the Service Desk, Change and Configuration Management, Service-Level Assurance
well known, understood, and accepted by everyone in this field. This is a very significant achievement,
which should not be underestimated.