I was speaking with some ITIL Experts last week and they asked me if there is any value in someone getting V3 certified since ITIL 4 releases in 2019. Here is my answer. Take a look and let me know your thoughts.

First off, great question. There is a lot of confusion over the ITIL 4 release as many of the details are still under wraps. From a 10,000 foot look we all know that we live in a world of updates and change does not happen overnight. Companies have infrastructures and processes and systems in place and they don’t throw them away when a new version is released. And most new versions include key elements of the current version, so the baby is not being thrown out with the bath water.

ITIL V3 Is Alive & Well

Right now, ITIL is V3.  V3 is alive and well and will be maintained until at least June 2020.  The ITIL 4 Foundation is being released Q1 2019 – or sometime in the next 4 months. The remainder of the ITIL 4 courses are scheduled to be released sometime June 2019 to December 2019.

Migration Game Plan

If I were new to ITIL and had funds for exams, I would get V3 Foundation and ITIL 4 Foundation Certified.  ITIL V3 Foundation is required for many positions and I don’t see that requirement going away for the next 12 months minimum. ITIL 4 Foundation is new and takes ITIL to the next level and if I wanted to be fully prepared to help my company transition from ITIL V3 to ITIL 4 or have certifications that helped me stand out, get promoted or get a new job, then I would get ITIL 4 Foundation Certified too. If I was already ITIL V3 Foundation Certified, I would get ITIL 4 Foundation Certified for the same reasons.

For the more advanced V3 certificate holders I would come up to speed on ITIL 4 by reading the book when it is released or taking a class. In my opinion there is no need for advanced certificate holders to get the ITIL 4 Foundation certificate. Advanced ITIL 3 Certificate holders (17 V3 credits or more) will be able to take the ITIL 4 Managing Professional transition course when it is released second half of 2019 and achieve the new ITIL 4 Managing Professional Certification.  This enables individuals with 17 or more ITIL V3 credits to take 1 course instead of 4 to become ITIL 4 Managing Professional Certified. If you are on your way to 17 credits in ITIL V3, keep going as it will allow you accelerated access to the ITIL 4 Managing Professional Certification.

I hope this article has been informative. If you have any questions, we are here to help.

There has been a lot of talk about ITIL V4. Questions surrounding ITIL V4 include how it will affect current ITIL Certificate holders, when it will be released and what it will cover. In this blog we will address each of these questions.

What is ITIL V4?

The ITIL V4 update will address how ITIL works and co-exists with other practices such as DevOps, Agile and Lean. The core elements of ITIL are expected to remain the same.

How Will V4 Affect Current Certificate Holders?

If you currently hold ITIL Certificates or plan on getting them this year, all is good. All current certifications will be recognized.

When Will ITIL V4 Be Released?

Axelos announced that the first release of ITIL Version 4 will take place Q1 2019 (January to March 2019).

What Will Be Released?

It is expected that the first release will be ITIL Foundation. AXELOS has stated that the core material will remain and new materials on the integration of ITIL with DevOps, Agile and Lean will be added.

Do I Need To Hold Off On My ITIL Training?

If your organization uses ITIL or you are looking to have the right certifications to get your next job, getting ITIL Certified (Foundation, Practitioner, Intermediate or MALC) now is fine. As noted above, AXELOS is planning to add information to the current framework to bring it into a world where it operates with other practices like DevOps, Agile and Lean. The core framework will remain the same so if you need to get certified, you can do it now.

We will continue to bring you updates as they occur. If you have any questions, you can reach us at 877.546.4446 or customerservice@gogotraining.com.