A commercial service provider has a strategy to introduce cloud storage services that will be popular with a wide range of consumers in multiple markets. Features will include fast upload speeds and secure storage. Which should be included in the operating model for the new service?

An operating model describes the configuration of an organization's resources and activities required to create and deliver value. According to ITIL 4, this is often described using the four dimensions of service management. Option B directly addresses key components of these dimensions: 'infrastructure' (Information and Technology), 'skills' (Organizations and People), and 'processes' (Value Streams and Processes). These are the fundamental building blocks of the capability needed to deliver the new cloud storage service as defined by the strategy. The operating model is the 'how' of value delivery.

A. This describes a feature of the service's value proposition (what the customer gets), not the internal configuration (the operating model) required to deliver that feature.
C. This is another aspect of the service offering and its value proposition, detailing how users will interact with the service, rather than the underlying operational structure.
D. This describes the commercial or pricing model, which is part of the overall business model concerned with value capture, not the operating model which focuses on value creation and delivery.

1. AXELOS. (2020). ITIL® 4: Digital and IT Strategy. TSO (The Stationery Office).

Section 3.2.1, "The operating model": This section defines an operating model as "a conceptual representation of how the organization is configured to deliver value." It explicitly states that the ITIL four dimensions of service management provide a good structure for describing an operating model. Option B's components (infrastructure, skills, processes) are direct examples of elements within these dimensions (Information and technology, Organizations and people, Value streams and processes).

Section 3.2, "From strategy to execution": This section distinguishes the operating model from the business model. The business model includes the value proposition and revenue streams (pricing model, as in option D), while the operating model is the mechanism for delivering that value proposition. This clarifies why options A, C, and D are incorrect as they relate more to the business model and value proposition than the operating model itself.