The ITILv3 Chief Examiner and the ITIL Qualifications Board released their final guidance on the new ITILv3 qualification scheme in November 2007. Since then, some there have been some 26,000 people sit the ITILv3 Foundation Certificate exam, which is thought to be about a 100% improvement on the uptake of the ITILv2 qualification. We might be facing an economic downturn, but IT will be a critical contributor to the ability of companies to survive it – and ITIL training should, therefore, continue to be a key part of individual and organisational planning for the months ahead. ITILv2 qualifications continue to be valid but will obviously not be appropriate for organizations implementing ITILv3. Essentially, there are three levels of ITILv3 professional certification: • ITIL Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management • ITIL Service Management Expert • ITIL Advanced Level (still under development - Nov 07) ITIL Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management This is the entry level ITILv3 qualification. Its purpose is to certify that the candidate has gained knowledge of the ITIL terminology, structure and basic concepts and has understood the core principles of ITIL service management practices.
Candidates who wish to convert an ITILv2 to an ITILv3 qualification have two options:
4. Pass the ITILv3 Foundation Certificate, or 5. Pass a v2 - v3 ITIL Foundation Bridge exam
ITILv3 Foundation Bridge Courses Many people prefer to attend one of the mandatory ITILv3 Bridge Courses and then sit and pass the Bridge Exam than to go through the expense and time requirements of re-qualifying for the ITIL Foundation Certificate.
For those who wish to attend an ITILv3 Bridge Course, the trick is to find one that is close to home/office so that you can be sure of attending and passing. Organisations such as IT Governance (http://www.itgovernance.co.uk/itil_training.aspx) specialise in collecting details of the widest possible range of ITIL training in one place, in order to simplify the process of identifying, choosing and booking an ITIL training course.
For those who wish to pursue the full ITILv3 Foundation Certificate, there are two options: • Classroom training – and there is a very wide range of ITIL classroom courses available, and • Distance learning – this is usually available in both computer-based and web-based formats. In either case, the real advantage is of course that you can learn in your own time and pace, without having to take time out from work or from a money-earning contract in order to gain these essential skills. • Again, ITIL training aggregators like IT Governance (and there are others) can usually supply a wide range of accredited distance learning material as well as putting you in contact with appropriate classroom training courses – preferably in a town that suits you.
The real point, of course, is that if you’re in IT, and your organisation is serious about ensuring effective alignment between business objectives and IT delivery, then ITIL is widely considered today to be the most effective framework for organisations that want to succeed and prosper.
