ISO 20000-1 IT Service Management Resources

What is ISO/IEC 20000-1?

ISO/IEC 20000-1 is the international standard for IT Service Management Systems (SMS). It specifies requirements for organisations to plan, establish, implement, operate, monitor, review, maintain, and improve a service management system. The standard ensures that IT services are delivered effectively, efficiently, and in alignment with business needs.

Originally published in 2005 and most recently updated in 2018, ISO/IEC 20000-1 is widely adopted by IT service providers, managed service providers, shared service centres, and any organisation that delivers IT-enabled services. Certification demonstrates that your service management practices meet international best practice and are subject to independent audit.

• Follows the Annex SL harmonised structure, enabling integration with ISO 27001, ISO 9001, and other management systems
• Covers the full service lifecycle: design, transition, delivery, and improvement
• Requires a defined service catalogue, SLAs, and documented service management plans
• Aligns with ITIL best practices while adding certifiable, auditable requirements
• Mandatory supplier and third-party management processes
• Applicable to internal IT departments, MSPs, cloud providers, and outsourcing organisations