Why Doesn’t ITIL 4 Kill ITIL V3?
For those of you who have individually or organizationally invested in the ITIL Framework via certifications and working in organizations that have adopted and adapted the ITIL Framework, you know ITIL is not something that gets adopted and adapted overnight nor is it something that gets updated overnight. If you run an IT organization that has adopted and adapted the IT Infrastructure framework, then you have trained your people, selected the practices from the framework that work for your group and integrated them into your organization with the end goal of delivering better, more efficient and higher quality services that enable the organization to be more effective and reduce costs.
Whenever an update is delivered, whether it be an operating system, language, standard or framework, it typically keeps the best of the current version and adds to it enhancements that bring new capabilities. Some things stay the same, some things are modified for improvement and there are always new features. In the case of ITIL 4, the goal, we are told, is to bring the ITIL framework into the digital age. An age where it co-exists with Agile and DevOps and Lean, to name a few.
How Will ITIL 4 Enhance ITIL V3?
The current V3 framework has 26 processes. If you have adopted and adapted some or all of them, they are in place and will remain in place. The focus of ITIL 4 is to integrate ITIL with other relevant best practices like DevOps, Agile and Lean. The core elements of ITIL V3 are expected to remain the same in ITIL 4.
ITIL V3 is alive and well. All ITIL V3 certifications are valid and well respected, AXELOS will continue V3 Certifications until at least June 2020. If your organization has adopted ITIL, then ITIL V3 courses, content and certifications are relevant. If you want to work for an organization that has adopted ITIL, then ITIL V3 courses, content and certifications are relevant.
– ITIL V3 is here to stay. ITIL 4 builds on ITIL V3.
ITIL 4 Release
The release program for the new ITIL 4 certification,
- Foundation was released Q1 2019; the first exam made available from 28th February 2019
- Managing Professional Transition will be releasing on 3rd October 2019
- The other advanced courses/certifications will begin releasing till end of 2020
Who Should Get ITIL 4 Foundation Certified?
If you hold an ITIL V3 Foundation Certificate and have not gone on to the advanced certifications, then you will want to prepare and sit the ITIL 4 Foundation exam given by PeopleCert. This will keep you on the cutting edge and in good stead in the job market. Individuals who have taken advanced ITIL V3 Certifications do not need to get ITIL 4 Foundation Certified as there is an advanced transition module for ITIL V3 Certificate holders with 17 or more credits. Now, it won’t hurt you to take the Foundation exam, just know it is not required.
Nothing Happens Overnight
Remember, nothing happens overnight. You didn’t get to the place you are now overnight, and you won’t adopt and adapt ITIL 4 overnight. Take all the time you need. Make good decisions. Make a plan. Adopt and adapt accordingly.
