ITIL explained in a way that is easier to explain to others…
“While not critical, some sites have found benefit from adopting a standard set of industry practices. Any new product that is implemented into an IT portfolio not only requires business process changes but also IT process changes. In the IT industry at the moment most software application vendors are realizing that implementing a product is not just simply configuration, there are some change management that needs to be performed with the IT group. Luckily the industry has started to adopt some sort of standard framework that helps define an IT “business” and the processes necessary to run that business. This framework is called the IT Infrastructure Library.
IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a set of consistent and comprehensive documentation of best practice for IT Service Management. Used by many hundreds of organizations around the world, a whole ITIL philosophy has grown up around the guidance contained within the ITIL books and the supporting professional qualification scheme. ITIL consists of a series of books giving guidance on the provision of quality IT services, and on the accommodation and environmental facilities needed to support IT. ITIL has been developed in recognition of organizations’ growing dependency on IT and embodies best practices for IT Service Management.
The ethos behind the development of ITIL is the recognition that organizations are becoming increasingly dependent on IT in order to satisfy their corporate aims and meet their business needs. This leads to an increased requirement for high quality IT services. ITIL provides the foundation for quality IT Service Management. The widespread adoption of the ITIL guidance has encouraged organizations worldwide, both commercial and non-proprietary, to develop supporting products as part of a shared “ITIL Philosophy”. For more information about ITIL refer to http://www.itil.co.uk” — Best Practices in IT Operations for Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing/Enterprise Tax Management (p.19)