For students familiar with the ITIL V3, here’s what’s included in ITIL 2011
There’s no need to set off any alarms
The concepts, ideals, and philosophies in ITIL V3 are still represented in the 2011 edition, what’s changed is the inherent clarity of terminology as well as the manner in which it is delivered. This is not to say that those studying the 2011 edition will be inherently more informed than those individuals studying V3, as they both convey the same message, content-wise.
The main differences are simply organizational. But, there has been additional feedback collected from the ITIL user community since the release of V3, and many of their concerns and recommendations have been put into place. In fact, there are specific contributions noted from over 100 new reviewers. A more highly organized approach was apparently on the agenda at ITIL project team; and upon seeing that there were significant numbers of individuals finding their materials slightly inconvenient to navigate, they further refined the V3 and re-released it as the 2011 edition.
Please take note that there are a number of individuals claiming that ITIL V3 is “dead in the water”, and while it is now officially an outdated publication, the same concepts found in 2011 are found in V3. So, this statement isn’t necessarily true, V3 is still accurate in terms of the principles it divulges. The 2011 “refresh” does however include a stronger focus on strategy management for IT services, which is a most welcome addition.
This new edition covers some of the finer points of not only managing an IT infrastructure from a technological perspective, but also a financial one. The defined roles attributed to IT and business processes are becoming increasingly blurred; this is largely due to the rising prominence of technology.
In today’s business landscape, it is common for business management to confer with IT management in order to utilize new ideas (or combine them). In other words, IT managers have to learn to think from business perspectives, and vice-versa. This is because technology is no longer simply helping businesses to operate internally, but it is often the way customers interface with / utilize the organization and its’ resources.
Is ITIL 2011 preferable over the V3? The simple answer would be yes. Why is that? ITIL 2011 is just a continuation or ongoing refinement of the practices and processes inherently related (and specific) to IT service and management. Through the addition of new data and a complete revamping of the navigation system used, the 2011 version represents the most up-to-date (certified) information you can get.
The simple fact of the matter is that only those with an understanding of what’s actually inside ITIL 2011 will be completely prepared for any relevant certification procedures required. Of course it also follows logic that employers will be more understandably impressed with job candidates that have demonstrated intimate knowledge of the more up-to-date methods and practices.
However, if you’ve already completed the V3 or are close to doing so, all is not lost. You are still studying what is considered to be the most powerful resource for IT professionals, and the 2011 edition (as previously stated), isn’t a new release so much as it is an update. The direction and meaning behind the materials hasn’t really changed either. So in other words, you should be fine either way; whether you decide to reapply yourself toward the 2011 edition, or stick with the V3 edition.
