What are the five phases of the ITIL service lifecycle?

The five phases of the ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) service lifecycle are recognized as Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation, and Continual Service Improvement. This structure is foundational to ITIL and provides a comprehensive framework for managing IT services effectively.

Service Strategy focuses on defining the objectives and governance of the service lifecycle, ensuring that IT services align with business goals. Service Design involves the planning and designing of IT services to meet business requirements, ensuring that the services are developed to be efficient and effective. Service Transition is about building and deploying the services, ensuring that they are delivered in a controlled manner and within the business's requirements. Service Operation is concerned with the day-to-day management of IT services, ensuring that they are delivered effectively and efficiently to users. Finally, Continual Service Improvement emphasizes the ongoing improvements and refinement of services based on feedback and performance metrics, enhancing service quality over time.

The correct answer encapsulates the holistic approach ITIL advocates for managing IT services, whereas the other options do not reflect the established ITIL framework as accurately.