OGC and ITSMF International announced today a major consultation exercise to support update to ITIL.

Following the initial request for comments OGC and ITSMF-International now launched a formalized survey on the ITIL revision that should lead to ITIL3.

Also, the official exam organizations EXIN and ISEB will put an announcement on their respective websites, explaining how this will (not) effect the ITIL related examination in the near future. As OGC states in her FAQ list, the certifications will retain their value and status.

The reasons for this new survey were various, as pointed out by the initiators. The main reason refers to the market position of ITIL: its global acceptance and the support of ITIL in the British Standards Institution's formal standard (BS15000) and subsequently by Standards Australia International (AS8018).

The update will focus on easier implementation and improved business benefits from the use of ITIL and associated services. The results of the update will be expected by the end of 2006.

A remarkable change in policy is the fact that OGC now cooperates closely with the IPESC: the International Publication Executive Sub-Committee of itSMF-International. This emphasizes the role of the international coalition that has been built around separate itSMF chapters (now 30 and that number is growing fast). The IPESC is organized as a democratic and transparent organization, emphasizing the fact that – even though OGC retains formal ownership – ITIL is a global issue, to be managed by any country that is interested in the application and specification of ITIL. IPESC is chaired by Canada and co-chaired by the Netherlands. This can be seen as a milestone in the lifecycle of ITIL: for the first time in its history ITIL will be (co)managed by a truly international organization, and not by the UK alone. If anything will enhance the chances of ITIL in the international market on the long run, than this is it.

Detailed information on the survey can be found at the OGC and itSMF websites. The survey is not limited to itSMF members: anyone interested in getting involved in the ITIL3 project is invited to participate in the survey.

Press release OGC and itSMFI - January 21 2005 >>