Global survey shows that the launch of V3 is helping the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) to gain momentum, regardless of a lack of understanding.

Axios Systems, a leading international IT service management (ITSM) company, has revealed the results of a global survey showing that nearly two thirds of IT professionals (64 percent) believe following the best practice IT framework, ITIL, is key to improving IT's reputation, and more organizations are looking to adopt the framework following the launch of the latest version of ITIL, V3. The results also revealed that despite the apparent uptake of ITIL, many businesses still remain confused about the benefits of V3 and are unsure as to which version to use.

The study revealed that an overwhelming majority of organizations (87 percent) now follow the ITIL guidelines with one out of three organizations saying that they intend to adopt ITIL within a year, and another third (36 percent) say they are considering it. Axios believes the increase in adoption is due to the launch of ITIL V3 and recognition of the value it can bring to a business.

Over two thirds of respondents (70 percent) see ITIL as a catalyst for meeting and improving service level agreements (SLAs). Other benefits include a reduction in maintenance time and costs, improved first-line response, followed by better internal communication. The results reveal that ITIL is helping many organizations to meet their compliance requirements including ISO/IEC 20000, COBIT, and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

However, the research also shows there is still a lack of understanding in the market about the benefits of ITIL V3 with one third of respondents not planning to adopt the new version, citing not enough knowledge to consider implementation. Of those organizations without plans to adopt ITIL, almost one out of three (30 percent) see cost and time as the largest barriers to deployment, followed by using their own framework (23 percent) and ITIL not being seen as a priority (20 percent).

There has been a great deal of confusion in the market about the role of ITIL V3 as it addresses issues relating to service design and strategy, says Axios.

Tasos Symeonides, CEO, Axios Systems, said, "The uptake of ITIL over the past 18 months has been staggering. We are encouraged to see that ITIL is having real business value for a number of organizations moving from a process-focused model to service management to a lifecycle approach, and this is reflected in the survey results," he said. "While the benefits of ITIL are clear, many businesses are still sitting on the fence when it comes to deciding which version to use," said Symeonides. "With further education in the marketplace taking place, we are all looking forward to greater take-up in ITIL V3 adoption over the year."

In response to the confusion around ITIL V3, Axios Systems is hosting a series of Webinars to discuss each stage of the V3 Service Lifecycle Approach. Interested users may register for the live or on-demand Webinars at: http://www.axiossystems.com/six/en/best_practice/ITILseries.php

The information results came from Axios' surveying 255 IT professionals from global organizations at a series of service management events last year across the UK, Australia, and America, including ITSMF in the UK and ITIM 2007 in America.

About Axios Systems

Axios Systems is a leading provider of best practice based consolidated IT Service Management (ITSM) solutions. The company's customer-centric approach, combined with its award-winning enterprise solutions, enables customers worldwide to align their service and support organizations with the overall goals of the business.

Benefiting from nearly 20 years of development and investment around best practice principles, Axios Systems' core solution, assyst, intuitively steers users through all IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) processes. Axios Systems' Best Practice Division works with customers to ensure IT Service Management success. The division provides a wide range of consulting, project management, and training services to help maximize investment.

The company's commitment to Best Practice is further demonstrated through being first in the world to achieve BS15000 (now ISO/IEC 20000) certification, the international standard for ITSM.

Axios Systems is headquartered in the UK, with offices across the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Asia-Pacific.