ITIL was originally created in the late 1980s by the British Government as a set of operational best practices. These best practices have evovled over time being released as later versions of the specifications. In a twist of irony the British Government partnered with a private firm to create a set of certifications. Individuals may get certified at various levels of the practice.

Effecitvely ITIL is a customer focused method of providing IT service management.