If you work in IT, you would know everything about ITIL certification and training. However, if you are new to the industry, you might be wondering what ITIL is all about and whether you should take up the certification training or not. To know if the ITIL foundation certificate is right for you, you need to understand about ITIL and the importance of its credential for IT workers.  

ITIL or Information Technology Infrastructure Library was first established in the 1980s in the UK and it has been around ever since. To date, it is the industry standard practice and cornerstone framework to support, manage, and align IT service management. The framework has been deeply rooted in the industry for quite a while and is globally considered an essential component for the IT environment of today.  

How is ITIL used for improving business practices? 

ITIL is essentially a governing agent for Information technology. It provides a set of practices in details that ensure a flexible yet structured framework for effectively supporting IT service management and aligning IT services with business requirements. Nowadays, all companies need effective IT services for supporting their businesses while improving the service quality. With proper implementation and building processes in alignment with ITIL guidelines, organizations can: 

• Create a predictable and stable service level 
• Save money and reduce cost 
• Improve efficiency 
• Develop process consistency 
• Establish metrics to benchmark and improve continually 

• Improve risk management 

The service lifecycle of ITIL begins by identifying customer requirements and drivers of IT needs, designing and implementing the service, and eventually to continual improvement and monitoring of the services. So, once ITIL practices are adopted, they help organizations in continually improving business processes.  

For the employers, it is in their best interest that all their IT staff have undergone proper training and gained a good understanding of ITIL. IT professionals are required to have a good knowledge of IT service management and the ITIL framework. Not just that, getting the ITIL foundation certificate is a smart step for your career. With a better understanding of implementation and management of ITIL, your skillset improves, and you become an important asset for your organization. With an ITIL certification under your belt, you also become more confident about your abilities and knowledge. This surely helps to set you apart when you appear for job interviews.  

ITIL is a global certification and is independent of any company, being applicable across all industries. You must enroll in an internationally recognized ITIL service to get ITIL accreditation.  

Get online training for ITIL Foundation 

To get your ITIL certification, you are required to complete ITIL Foundation Training Online. You should enroll in an internationally recognized course. The Foundation credential is an entry-level certificate that familiarizes IT professionals with general elements, terminologies, and concepts used in the ITIL service lifecycle.  

During your online course, you will be introduced to the fundamentals of IT service management and ITIL. You will get access to all the information you require for preparing for the certification exam. Throughout the course, you will also gain valuable insights from expert instructors who have experience in managing IT operations.  

Who should go for the ITIL Foundation exam? 

You can acquire the ITIL Foundation certification through self-study, classroom training, or online. In the world of IT service management, ITIL foundation certificate serves the purpose of certifying that a candidate has gained an understanding of the ITIL structure, terminologies and the core principles of ITIL practices for service management. The certificate is mainly meant for: 

• Individuals who need a basic knowledge of the ITIL framework and want to improve IT service management in organizations.  

• IT professionals who are willing to adopt ITIL for making service improvements in organizations.  

The certification can also benefit IT Directors and Managers, IT service managers, CIO’s, Business Manager, Technical support engineers, Service support engineers, and Business Process Owners. Having said that, the foundation level certificate is open for everyone and anyone who has an interest in the subject can benefit from it. If you have qualifications from ITIL, it brings a credit value as well. When you complete the ITIL Foundation exam, you will be awarded 2 credits along with the certification.  

Factors to consider before taking up an ITIL Foundation course 

With the ITIL Foundation certificate, you can enter IT service management with the ITIL framework. Given the rising demand for IT and non-IT services across the globe, the certification is pretty sought after. The process of earning a certification is straightforward. You have different study options to get the certification, including online classrooms and self-study. However, when you choose a course, you should consider the following factors to make sure you get adequate preparation: 

• Accreditation: You must always get your course from an ATO (Accredited Training Organization). ATOs are recognized officially by the certification provider and their exam institutes. The course content of an ATO is evaluated regularly by the exam institutes to make sure that it conforms to examination requirements. 

• Practice: For your foundation level exam, you need to answer 26 out of 40 questions correctly to pass. Practice questions and simulated tests are extremely helpful in familiarizing yourself with the exam pattern. Make sure your course includes enough practice hours.  
• Course review: Make sure you read the course reviews and know about the experience of others who have undergone the course. The reviews also mention how to get the best out of the specific course 
• Language availability: If English is not your native language, you may want to take up the exam in your preferred language. If that is the case, you must check the language options available in the course. The ITIL foundation exam itself is available in 21 languages.  
• Availability of course content: If you don’t intend to take up the certification exam right after completing your course, you may want to know for how long you will be able to access the components of the course. Of course, you wouldn’t want to go through the whole course when you wish to take the exam.