ITIL® (Version 5) is out: Preparing for the Next Era of Digital Service Management
Exciting news for the IT service management community: ITIL Foundation (Version 5) is now officially available! Released by PeopleCert, the latest version reflects how organisations create value in a digital, product-driven, and increasingly automated world.
ITIL (Version 5) vs ITIL 4: What’s changed and Why it matters now
If you already hold an ITILv3 or ITIL 4 certification, you have experienced first-hand how the ITIL framework has evolved from process-driven IT service management toward value-oriented, business-focused practices. Since the earliest days of ITIL, Pink Elephant has been closely involved in shaping, applying, and advancing the framework. As contributors to previous ITIL publications and long-standing leaders in IT service management education, we have supported organisations worldwide in translating ITIL guidance into practical capability.
With the introduction of ITIL (Version 5), that evolution continues with a sharper focus on how modern organisations operate — more ambitious, more integrated, and more aligned with today’s digital reality. This latest evolution reflects how organisations now manage integrated digital products and services, operate in complex environments, and leverage automation and artificial intelligence to deliver value.
While ITIL 4 successfully modernised service management, ITIL (Version 5) goes further. It responds to the way organisations now operate, navigating complex and fast-changing environments and increasingly relying on automation and artificial intelligence to deliver value. For professionals and organisations alike, the question is no longer whether ITIL is relevant, but which version best prepares you for what’s next.
Why ITIL had to evolve and Why Version 5 matters
Since the release of ITIL 4, the digital landscape has changed significantly. Organisations are now expected to:
- deliver seamless digital experiences
- manage products and services as integrated value propositions
- adapt quickly in environments shaped by data, automation, and AI
- demonstrate measurable outcomes, not just operational efficiency
ITIL (Version 5) directly addresses these challenges. It expands the scope of ITIL from a service-centric framework into a holistic model for digital product and service management, while preserving the proven foundations of ITIL 4 such as value co-creation, guiding principles, and continual improvement.
This is not a cosmetic update; it is a deliberate step forward. It reflects how ITSM roles are evolving, from operational service delivery toward business-aligned, product-aware and outcome-driven responsibilities.
Why Learn ITIL (Version 5) with Pink Elephant
Pink Elephant’s long-standing involvement in ITIL is reflected in how we design and deliver our training. Our training courses are built around real-world scenarios, practical application, and proven implementation approaches, not just exam preparation.
For ITIL (Version 5), our experts have translated the new guidance into structured, outcome-focused learning that helps professionals understand how concepts apply in modern digital environments. This ensures participants leave with skills they can use immediately, build confidence, accelerate adoption, and deliver measurable value in their organisations.
ITIL (Version 5) vs. ITIL 4: At-a-Glance Comparison
| Dimension | ITIL 4 Foundation | ITIL (Version 5) Foundation |
| Primary focus | IT-enabled services | Integrated digital products and services |
| Core mindset | Service value and co-creation | End-to-end value across product & service lifecycles |
| Scope of guidance | Primarily ITSM | Organisation-wide: Strategy to Operations |
| Lifecycle model | Service Value System & Value Chain | Product & Service Lifecycle (discover → support) |
| Experience focus | Implicit | Explicit focus on digital experience (UX, CX) |
| Value streams | Introduced conceptually | Expanded: Mapping, Management, Complexity thinking |
| Technology context | Modern IT, DevOps-aware | AI-native, automation-aware, complexity-ready |
| Governance | Present | Expanded, including AI governance |
| Audience reach | IT and service management roles | IT, digital, product, leadership, transformation roles |
| Overall positioning | Modern ITSM framework | Framework for managing value in digital enterprises |
What’s new in ITIL (Version 5) and Why it adds real value
1. A decisive shift to products and services
ITIL (Version 5) reflects how value is created today through digital products, platforms, and services working together. It provides end-to-end lifecycle guidance aligned with real operating models, where applications, APIs, and services are no longer managed in isolation.
2. Experience becomes central, not assumed
User and customer experience (UX and CX) are now central to the framework. ITIL (Version 5) helps professionals understand how value is perceived, measured, and improved across the entire service journey, connecting operational performance with business outcomes.
3. Designed for complexity, automation, and AI
The framework introduces practical guidance on value streams, complexity thinking, and AI-enabled environments, including governance considerations. This supports informed decision-making in fast-changing contexts and aligns well with DevOps, Lean, and modern product operating models.
4. Broader relevance across the organisation
By connecting strategy, governance, product management, and service delivery, ITIL (Version 5) supports collaboration across IT, digital, and business teams, enabling leaders and practitioners to deliver measurable value.
What this means for different audiences
Professionals new to ITIL
ITIL (Version 5) provides a modern, future-focused foundation aligned with today’s digital operating models.
ITIL 4 certified professionals
Your existing knowledge remains valuable. ITIL (Version 5) builds on ITIL 4, extending its concepts to products, experience, and digital transformation. ITIL 4 Foundation remains a recognised prerequisite for advanced certifications.
Managers and leaders
The expanded scope supports stronger alignment between strategy, execution, governance, and measurable value in complex, fast-changing environments.
Why Training is critical with ITIL (Version 5)
With its broader scope and stronger focus on value, experience, and AI-enabled environments, ITIL (Version 5) benefits from structured, expert-led learning.
Pink Elephant is fully prepared to support this transition, combining decades of ITSM experience with training aligned to the new framework to help professionals adopt ITIL (Version 5) with confidence.
Register Now: Public ITIL (Version 5) Foundation Virtual Course
Pink Elephant will deliver its first public ITIL (Version 5) Foundation virtual training course on 26th-27th February 2026 with course run guarantee. This course is designed to help participants:
- understand what has changed and why it matters
- connect existing ITIL knowledge to the new framework
- apply ITIL (Version 5) concepts in modern digital environments
Exciting offer: To support early adopters, the first 10 participants to register will receive a 5% discount on our February course.
If February is not convenient, additional public sessions are already scheduled in our training calendar for April, June, September and November.
Coming very soon: ITIL (Version 5) Foundation E-learning
Pink Elephant’s ITIL (Version 5) Foundation E-learning training is also in its final stages of preparation and will be available very soon. This offering will provide flexible, high-quality learning designed by Pink Elephant experts for professionals who prefer self-paced study.
To mark the launch of our ITIL (Version 5) e-learning course, all bookings made during the first month of release will benefit from a 10% discount.
More details will be announced shortly so stay tuned!
Moving Forward with Confidence
ITIL (Version 5) represents a confident evolution of the framework, preserving what works while preparing professionals for modern digital product and service management.
For those investing in future-ready ITIL capability, ITIL (Version 5) is the clear next step.