The advantages of Information Technology Infrastructure Library in business processes<br /><br />Introduction <br />The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is the most widely accepted approach to IT service management in the world. ITIL is a best practice framework that has been drawn from both the public and private sectors internationally. It describes how IT resources should be organized to deliver business value documenting the processes, functions and roles of IT Service Management (ITSM). <br />ITIL History <br />The need for ITIL emerged in the 1980s, when the British government determined that the level Of IT service quality provided to them was not sufficient. Many large companies and Particularly government agencies in Europe very quickly adopted The framework during the early 1990s. In the year 2000, The CCTA became a part of the newly formed Office of Government Commerce (OGC) .In 2001, version 2 of ITIL was released. The Service Support and Service Delivery books were redeveloped into more concise usable volumes and consequently became the core focus of ITIL. In May 2007 version 3 of ITIL was published. This adopted more of a lifecycle approach to service management, with greater emphasis on IT business integration.<br />ITIL Benefits <br />ITIL advocates that IT services must be aligned to the needs of the business and underpin the Core business processes. It provides guidance to organisations on how to use IT as a tool to Facilitate business change, transformation and growth. The ITIL best practices are currently detailed within five core publications which provide a Systematic and professional approach to the management of IT services, enabling organisations To deliver appropriate services and continually ensure they are meeting business goals and Delivering benefits .The five core guides map the entire ITIL Service Lifecycle, beginning with the identification of customer needs and drivers of IT requirements, through to the design and implementation of the service into operation and finally, on to the monitoring and improvement phase of the service.<br />Conclusion <br />ITIL has many benefits to offer all organisations which acquire IT services from third party suppliers. However, to take full advantage of the benefits offered by ITIL organisations need to ensure that their IT services agreements contain provisions which enable appropriate implementation of the ITIL service management processes. The use in IT services agreements of defined terms from the ITIL glossary will assist with minimising the risk of costly disputes arising between organisations and their suppliers in relation to the supply of IT services.