This publication is the specification of The Open Group IT4IT Standard, Version 3.0, a standard of The Open Group. It describes a reference architecture that can be used to manage the business of Information Technology (IT) and the associated end-to-end lifecycle management of Digital Products.

It is intended to provide a prescriptive Target Architecture and clear guidance for the transformation of existing technology management practices for a faster, scalable, automated, and practical approach to deploying product-based investment models and providing an unprecedented level of operational control and measurable value.

This foundational IT4IT Reference Architecture is independent of specific technologies, vendors, organization structures, process models, and methodologies. It can be mapped to any existing technology landscape. It is flexible enough to accommodate the continuing evolution of operational and management paradigms for technology. It addresses every Digital Product lifecycle phase from investment decision-making to end-of-life.

The IT4IT Standard addresses a critical gap in the Digital Transformation toolkit: the need for a unifying architectural model that describes and connects the capabilities, value streams, functions, and operational data needed to manage a Digital Product Portfolio at scale.

The IT4IT Standard provides an approach to making digital investment decisions and managing digital outcomes that is particularly useful for:

-C-level executives responsible for Digital Transformation, as a top-down view of digital value creation

-Product Managers and Product Marketing Managers whose portfolios include significant digital content, as a way to integrate marketing priorities with product delivery practices

-Governance, risk, and compliance practitioners, as a guide to controlling a modern digital landscape

-Enterprise and IT Architects, as a template for IT tool rationalization and for governing end-to-end technology management architectures

-Technology buyers, as the basis for Requests for Information (RFIs) and Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and as a template for evaluating product completeness

-Consultants and assessors, as a guide for evaluating current practice against a well-defined standard

-Technology vendors, as a guide for product design and customer integrations

-Technical support staff, as a guide for automating and scaling up support services to deal with modern technology deployment velocity