What Is ITIL v5?
ITIL v5 is the most advanced service management framework that brings IT Service Management (ITSM) standards into the era of artificial intelligence (AIOps), machine learning, and full automation.
By evolving the ‘Service Value System’ of ITIL 4, it prioritizes speed, agility, and data-driven decision-making within digital ecosystems. Its primary objective is to transform IT support management processes from a reactive structure into a predictive, self-healing, and proactive model.
When Was ITIL v5 Released?
ITIL v5 Foundation certification launched on 12 February 2026, with advanced modules being released in phases throughout the year. The rollout schedule:
| Date | Module Released |
|---|---|
| 12 February 2026 | ITIL Foundation (Version 5) |
| 26 February 2026 | ITIL v5 Foundation Bridge |
| 12 March 2026 | ITIL Product · ITIL Service · ITIL Experience |
| 9 April 2026 | ITIL Strategy · ITIL Transformation |
| 14 May 2026 | ITIL Managing Professional (MP Transition) |
ITIL v5 vs ITIL 4 — Core Differences
ITIL v5 as containing 40% retained content from ITIL 4, 36% completely new material, and 24% changed or enhanced content. This is an evolution, not a replacement — your existing ITIL 4 knowledge remains fully valid.
| Dimension | ITIL 4 | ITIL v5 |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | IT service management framework | Digital product & service management framework |
| Primary Focus | Service management & operational efficiency | Product + service + experience management |
| AI Approach | Bolt-on (added afterward) | Built-in / AI-native (6C Model) |
| Lifecycle Model | Service Value Chain | Product & Service Lifecycle Model (PSLM) |
| Success Metrics | SLA (Service Level Agreements) | XLA (Experience Level Agreements) |
| Practice Groups | General · Service · Technical (3 groups) | General · Product & Service (2 groups) |
| Sustainability | Partial, optional | Mandatory component in every product design |
| Content Retention | — | 40% same · 36% new · 24% enhanced |
What Stayed the Same?
Core ITIL 4 components — the Guiding Principles, the Four Dimensions of Service Management, and all 34 management practices — are preserved in ITIL version 5. These practices represent proven, practical approaches that organizations worldwide have successfully implemented.
What Changed?
In ITIL v5, the Technical Management Practices group was removed entirely; those practices were repositioned under the Product and Service Management group.
The framework’s definition was also updated: ITIL is now described as “a framework and best practice guidance for digital product and service management.”
ITIL v5 Management Practices — All 34 Practices, 2 Groups
ITIL v5 organizes 34 management practices into two groups: 22 Product and Service Management Practices and 12 General Management Practices — compared to ITIL 4’s three groups of 17, 14, and 3 respectively.
| Practice | Definition | Change from ITIL 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Availability Management | Ensures services deliver agreed availability levels to meet customer and user needs | — |
| Business Analysis | Analyses business needs and recommends solutions that create stakeholder value | — |
| Capacity & Performance Mgmt | Ensures services achieve agreed performance levels, meeting current and future demand cost-effectively | — |
| Change Enablement | Maximizes successful changes by managing risks while minimizing negative impact | — |
| Deployment Management | Moves new or changed components to controlled environments | Moved ↑ |
| Incident Management | Minimizes incident impact by restoring normal service operation as quickly as possible | — |
| Information Security Mgmt | Governs the organization's approach to information security management | Moved ↑ |
| Infrastructure & Platform Mgmt | Oversees infrastructure and platforms, including third-party solutions | Moved ↑ |
| IT Asset Management | Plans and manages the full lifecycle of all IT assets | — |
| Monitoring & Event Mgmt | Systematically observes services and components, recording state changes as events | — |
| Problem Management | Reduces incident likelihood and impact by identifying root causes and managing workarounds | — |
| Release Management | Makes new and changed services and features available for use | — |
| Service Catalog Management | Provides a single consistent source of information on all services and offerings | — |
| Service Configuration Mgmt | Ensures accurate, reliable configuration information is available when and where needed | — |
| Service Continuity Mgmt | Maintains sufficient service availability and performance in disaster scenarios | — |
| Service Design | Designs products and services that are fit for purpose, fit for use, and deliverable | — |
| Service Desk | Provides the single point of contact between users and the service provider | — |
| Service Financial Mgmt | Ensures financial resources and investments are used effectively for service management | Moved ↑ |
| Service Level Management | Sets business-based service level targets and ensures delivery is assessed against them | — |
| Service Request Management | Handles all predefined, user-initiated service requests effectively and user-friendly | — |
| Service Validation & Testing | Ensures new or changed products and services meet defined requirements | — |
| Software Development & Mgmt | Ensures applications meet stakeholder needs in functionality, reliability, and compliance | Moved ↑ |
| Practice | Definition |
|---|---|
| Architecture Management | Provides understanding of all organizational elements and how they interrelate |
| Continual Improvement | Aligns practices and services with changing business needs through ongoing identification and improvement |
| Knowledge Management | Maintains and improves effective, efficient use of information and knowledge across the organization |
| Measurement & Reporting | Supports good decision-making and continual improvement by reducing uncertainty |
| Organizational Change Mgmt | Ensures organizational changes are implemented smoothly, achieving lasting benefits |
| Portfolio Management | Ensures the right mix of programs, projects, products, and services to execute strategy |
| Project Management | Ensures all organizational projects are successfully delivered |
| Relationship Management | Establishes and nurtures links between the organization and its stakeholders |
| Risk Management | Ensures the organization understands and effectively handles risks |
| Strategy Management | Formulates organizational goals and allocates resources to achieve them |
| Supplier Management | Ensures suppliers and their performance are managed to support quality service delivery |
| Workforce & Talent Mgmt | Ensures the organization has the right people, skills, and knowledge in the correct roles |
4 Key Innovations in ITIL v5
1. Product and Service Lifecycle Model (PSLM)
ITIL version 5 introduces a new Product and Service Lifecycle Model (PSLM) that replaces ITIL 4’s Service Value Chain.
Rather than a linear chain of activities, the PSLM treats every service as a living, learning system — data from the Support stage feeds back directly into the Discovery and Design stages, enabling continuous improvement at every level.
2. AI Governance Model — The 6C Framework
The Information and Technology dimension of ITIL version 5 introduces the ITIL AI Capability Model — the 6C model of creation, curation, clarification, cognition, communication, and coordination.
This provides organizations with a structured way to adopt AI responsibly, ethically, and at scale.
Managing how AI generates content and solutions that create measurable value
Ensuring the quality, accuracy and bias-free nature of data that feeds AI algorithms
Ensuring AI decisions are explainable, transparent and auditable
Understanding and governing how AI systems learn and make decisions
Effectively sharing AI outputs and insights with stakeholders
Ensuring AI systems operate in harmony with other processes and teams
3. XLA — Experience-Driven Success Metrics
Rather than focusing heavily on activity-based metrics such as ticket volume or utilization, ITIL v5 shifts attention toward outcomes — whether services are actually supporting business needs, not just whether work is being completed. Fortune Business Insights This shift from SLA to XLA reframes what “good IT” actually looks like.
4. Sustainability as a Design Requirement
Sustainability is woven into the fabric of ITIL v5. The framework promotes sustainable change management by aligning people, processes, and technology toward long-term goals, encouraging efficient resource use and ethical AI adoption.
ITIL v5 Certification Roadmap
The ITIL v5 Foundation exam consists of 40 multiple-choice questions, with a 65% pass mark, completed in 60 minutes. ITIL v5 certificates are issued with a three-year renewal date.
| Certification | Target Profile | Scope | Transition from ITIL 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation (v5) | All IT professionals | Core concepts, PSLM, AI principles | Bridge module available ✓ |
| Practice Manager | Operations specialists | MSF · PIC · CAI + Transformation | Transition path defined ✓ |
| Managing Professional | IT managers & directors | Product · Service · Experience modules | MP Transition module ✓ |
| Strategic Leader | CIO / CTO level | Strategy + AI Governance | Transition path defined ✓ |
| AI Governance (Extension) | Governance & Risk specialists | Ethical AI, bias management, transparency | — |
| Master (v5) | Top-level experts | Practice Manager + MP + Strategic Leader | — |
ITIL v5 and SPIDYA ITSM
Realizing the transformation ITIL v5 envisions requires the right technology foundation. Managing the framework’s core practices — particularly IT Asset Management, Service Configuration Management, and Incident Management — demands a platform built around ITIL principles from the ground up.
SPIDYA ITSM, powered by the Cheetah Low-Code Platform, supports end-to-end process management aligned with ITIL v5. Its low-code architecture gives business teams the autonomy to design and adapt workflows without sacrificing IT governance — exactly the balance ITIL v5 calls for.
