Anyone in the service management industry will be familiar with the IT Infrastructure Library, better known as ITIL. It’s the framework of best practice for IT support services. ITIL is not legislative, but outlines management procedures that help businesses save money and work more efficiently in IT operations.

ITIL has been around since the 1980s, yet its profit-making potential has been largely ignored by the IT channel.

Recently however, enquiries from firms wanting to become ITIL compliant have been on the rise. You would perhaps expect this in large enterprises which have the money and resources to ensure success, but it’s in SMEs that there's been growing awareness and resulting demand increase over recent months.

SMEs have been busily upgrading from legacy systems, which do not easily allow companies to implement ITIL standards.

Most recently, the need for improved IT support services has resulted in a new set of guidelines in the education sector. The Framework for ICT Technical Support (FITS), has been developed by the British Educational Communications Technology Agency.. Based on ITIL, it’s designed to help schools implement and use technology effectively, and encourage the use of IT in schools.

While resellers may associate the education sector with interactive whiteboards and other AV equipment, there’s a real opportunity here to anticipate an increasing demand for technology to help schools become FITS compliant.

There are margins to be made by getting involved now with the demand from SMEs and educational establishments for compliance with these best practice guidelines. Expectations of IT support levels are being raised, and it’s up to channel players to make the most of this opportunity. ITIL will make a difference to your company.