Concurrency   A measure of the number of Users engaged in the same Operation at the same time. 
        
Confidentiality   (Service Design) A security principle that requires that data should only be accessed by authorized people. 
        
Configuration   (Service Transition) A generic term, used to describe a group of Configuration Items that work together to deliver an IT Service, or a recognizable part of an IT Service. Configuration is also used to describe the parameter settings for one or more CIs. 

        
Configuration Baseline   (Service Transition) A Baseline of a Configuration that has been formally agreed and is managed through the Change Management process. A Configuration Baseline is used as a basis for future Builds, Releases and Changes. 
        
Configuration Control   (Service Transition) The Activity responsible for ensuring that adding, modifying or removing a CI is properly managed, for example by submitting a Request for Change or Service Request. 
        
Configuration Identification   (Service Transition) The Activity responsible for collecting information about Configuration Items and their Relationships, and loading this information into the CMDB. Configuration Identification is also responsible for labeling the CIs themselves, so that the corresponding Configuration Records can be found. 
        
Configuration Item (CI)   (Service Transition) Any Component that needs to be managed in order to deliver an IT Service. Information about each CI is recorded in a Configuration Record within the Configuration Management System and is maintained throughout its Lifecycle by Configuration Management. CIs are under the control of Change Management. CIs typically include IT Services, hardware, software, buildings, people, and formal documentation such as Process documentation and SLAs. 
        

Configuration Management   (Service Transition) The Process responsible for maintaining information about Configuration Items required to deliver an IT Service, including their Relationships. This information is managed throughout the Lifecycle of the CI. Configuration Management is part of an overall Service Asset and Configuration Management Process. 
        
Configuration Management Database (CMDB)   (Service Transition) A database used to store Configuration Records throughout their Lifecycle. The Configuration Management System maintains one or more CMDBs, and each CMDB stores Attributes of CIs, and Relationships with other CIs. 
        
Configuration Management System (CMS)   (Service Transition) A set of tools and databases that are used to manage an IT Service Provider's Configuration data. The CMS also includes information about Incidents, Problems, Known Errors, Changes and Releases; and may contain data about employees, Suppliers, locations, Business Units, Customers and Users. The CMS includes tools for collecting, storing, managing, updating, and presenting data about all Configuration Items and their Relationships. The CMS is maintained by Configuration Management and is used by all IT Service Management Processes.

See Configuration Management Database, Service Knowledge Management System.
         
Configuration Record   (Service Transition) A Record containing the details of a Configuration Item. Each Configuration Record documents the Lifecycle of a single CI. Configuration Records are stored in a Configuration Management Database. 
        
Configuration Structure   (Service Transition) The hierarchy and other Relationships between all the Configuration Items that comprise a Configuration. 
        
Continual Service Improvement (CSI)   (Continual Service Improvement) A stage in the Lifecycle of an IT Service and the title of one of the Core ITIL publications.
Continual Service Improvement is responsible for managing improvements to IT Service Management Processes and IT Services. The Performance of the IT Service Provider is continually measured and improvements are made to Processes, IT Services and IT Infrastructure in order to increase Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Cost Effectiveness.

See Plan-Do-Check-Act.
         
Continuous Availability   (Service Design) An approach or design to achieve 100% Availability. A Continuously Available IT Service has no planned or unplanned Downtime. 
        
Continuous Operation   (Service Design) An approach or design to eliminate planned Downtime of an IT Service. Note that individual Configuration Items may be down even though the IT Service is Available. 
        
Contract   A legally binding Agreement between two or more parties. 
        
Contract Portfolio   (Service Strategy) A database or structured Document used to manage Service Contracts or Agreements between an IT Service Provider and their Customers. Each IT Service delivered to a Customer should have a Contract or other Agreement which is listed in the Contract Portfolio.

See Service Portfolio, Service Catalogue.
 
Control   A means of managing a Risk, ensuring that a Business Objective is achieved, or ensuring that a Process is followed. Example Controls include Policies, Procedures, Roles, RAID, door-locks etc. A control is sometimes called a Countermeasure or safeguard.
Control also means to manage the utilization or behavior of a Configuration Item, System or IT Service. 
        
Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT)   See COBIT. 
        
Control Perspective   (Service Strategy) An approach to the management of IT Services, Processes, Functions, Assets etc. There can be several different Control Perspectives on the same IT Service, Process etc., allowing different individuals or teams to focus on what is important and relevant to their specific Role. Example Control Perspectives include Reactive and Proactive management within IT Operations, or a Lifecycle view for an Application Project team. 
        

Control Processes   The ISO/IEC 20000 Process group that includes Change Management and Configuration Management. 
        
Core Service   (Service Strategy) An IT Service that delivers basic Outcomes desired by one or more Customers.

See Supporting Service, Core Service Package.
         
Core Service Package (CSP)   (Service Strategy) A detailed description of a Core Service that may be shared by two or more Service Level Packages.

See Service Package.
         
Cost   The amount of money spent on a specific Activity, IT Service, or Business Unit. Costs consist of real cost (money), notional cost such as people's time, and Depreciation. 
        
Cost Benefit Analysis   An Activity that analyses and compares the Costs and the benefits involved in one or more alternative courses of action.

See Business Case, Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, Return on Investment, Value on Investment. 
        
Cost Center   (Service Strategy) A Business Unit or Project to which Costs are assigned. A Cost Center does not charge for Services provided. An IT Service Provider can be run as a Cost Center or a Profit Center. 
        
Cost Effectiveness   A measure of the balance between the Effectiveness and Cost of a Service, Process or activity, A Cost Effective Process is one which achieves its Objectives at minimum Cost.

See KPI, Return on Investment, Value for Money. 
        
Cost Element   (Service Strategy) The middle level of category to which Costs are assigned in Budgeting and Accounting. The highest level category is Cost Type. For example a Cost Type of “people” could have cost elements of payroll, staff benefits, expenses, training, overtime etc. Cost Elements can be further broken down to give Cost Units. For example the Cost Element “expenses” could include Cost Units of Hotels, Transport, Meals etc. 
        
Cost Management   (Service Strategy) A general term that is used to refer to Budgeting and Accounting, sometimes used as a synonym for Financial Management 
        
Cost Type   (Service Strategy) The highest level of category to which Costs are assigned in Budgeting and Accounting. For example hardware, software, people, accommodation, external and Transfer.

See Cost Element, Cost Type.
         
Cost Unit   (Service Strategy) The lowest level of category to which Costs are assigned, Cost Units are usually things that can be easily counted (e.g. staff numbers, software licenses) or things easily measured (e.g. CPU usage, Electricity consumed). Cost Units are included within Cost Elements. For example a Cost Element of “expenses” could include Cost Units of Hotels, Transport, Meals etc.

See Cost Type.
         
COTS   Commercial off the Shelf 
        
Countermeasure   Can be used to refer to any type of Control. The term Countermeasure is most often used when referring to measures that increase Resilience, Fault Tolerance or Reliability of an IT Service. 
        
Course Corrections   Changes made to a Plan or Activity that has already started, to ensure that it will meet its Objectives. Course corrections are made as a result of Monitoring progress. 
        
CRAMM   A methodology and tool for analyzing and managing Risks. CRAMM was developed by the UK Government, but is now privately owned. Further information is available from http://www.cramm.com/ 
        
Crisis Management   The Process responsible for managing the wider implications of Business Continuity. A Crisis Management team is responsible for Strategic issues such as managing media relations and shareholder confidence, and decides when to invoke Business Continuity Plans. 
        
Critical Success Factor (CSF)   Something that must happen if a Process, Project, Plan, or IT Service is to succeed. KPIs are used to measure the achievement of each CSF. For example a CSF of "protect IT Services when making Changes" could be measured by KPIs such as "percentage reduction of unsuccessful Changes", "percentage reduction in Changes causing Incidents" etc. 
        
CSF   Critical Success Factor 
        
CSI   Continual Service Improvement 
        
CSIP   Continual Service Improvement Program 
        
CSP   Core Service Package 
        
CTI   Computer Telephony Integration 
        
Culture   A set of values that is shared by a group of people, including expectations about how people should behave, ideas, beliefs, and practices.

See Vision.
         

Customer   Someone who buys goods or Services. The Customer of an IT Service Provider is the person or group who defines and agrees the Service Level Targets. The term Customers is also sometimes informally used to mean Users, for example "this is a Customer focused Organization". 
        
Customer Portfolio   (Service Strategy) A database or structured Document used to record all Customers of the IT Service Provider. The Customer Portfolio is the Business Relationship Manager's view of the Customers who receive Services from the IT Service Provider.

See Contract Portfolio, Service Portfolio.