This is the kind of question I often hear from ITIL V3 Experts who are following our ITIL 4 training. My answer is simple: the world as changed so much since the introduction of ITIL V3 (more than ten years ago) that this new ITIL version was actually overdue, to help organizations survive in such a fast-paced and complex environment. However ITIL 4 still uses elements from ITIL V3, so ITIL V3 Experts can still benefit from their investment in ITIL V3 training.

What has changed in ITIL 4?

There is another reason why I consider ITIL 4 a great improvement compared to ITIL V3: ITIL 4 puts service management in a strategic context. It looks at IT service management, Development, Operations, Business Relationships and Governance holistically and brings the different functions together.

The key elements of ITIL 4 are:

• The four dimensions (derived from the 4 Ps of Service Design in ITIL V3),
  • Organizations and people
  • Information and technology
  • Partners and suppliers
  • Value streams and processes
• The guiding principles (introduced in ITIL Practitioner training),
  • Focus on value
  • Start where you are
  • Progress iteratively with feedback
  • Collaborate and promote visibility
  • Think and work holistically
  • Keep it simple and practical
  • Optimize and automate
• The move from Processes to practices expands the ITIL V3 processes so that elements such as culture, technology, information management can be considered to get a holistic vision of the ways of working.
• The Service Value System is an integrated model for digital service management to describe how all the components of an organization work together to enable value creation.

Discontinuation ITIL V3

Due to the successful launch of ITIL 4, we were notified by Axelos (responsible for the ITIL best practice certifications) that Axelos/Peoplecert will discontinue ITIL V3, by the end of 2021. So for some of our customers it is advisable that they first gather enough points to qualify for the ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition Module (ITIL 4 MP).

The following is an overview of the dates and the discontinuation (for the exams in English):

• ITIL V3 foundation on the 1st of July 2021
• ITIL V3 Intermediates on the 1st of January 2022
• ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition on the 1st of July 2022

Would you like a non-binding advice about ITIL V3 or ITIL V4? (consultancy or training)

Then you can always contact D-ICT Solutions via info@dictsolutions.com or 020-2050324.

The author Gabriel Adam is not only an ITIL V3 expert but also complete certified is for ITIL 4. As a trainer, Gabriel Adam belongs to a select group of trainers worldwide who are accredited for the ITIL 4 Leader Digital and IT Strategy module, which also requires a practical exam.