Final answer:
A business service can be an Asset and CI, a CI only, or an Asset Only. Assets are items of value a firm owns, and CIs are managed components of an IT service. Not all assets are CIs, but those critical to IT service delivery are typically considered CIs.
Step-by-step explanation:
A business service is an offering that primarily delivers value to organizations without the production of tangible goods. Within this context, there are a few options when identifying the nature of a business service in terms of assets and Configuration Items (CIs). Given these options, a business service can be:
- An Asset and CI. An asset brings value to a company, while a CI is part of an IT service that needs to be managed to deliver this service. Although not all assets are CIs, within the realm of IT service management, important assets typically are also considered CIs because they play a role in delivering the IT service.
- A CI only. A CI, or Configuration Item, refers specifically to components that are part of an IT service. CIs often require management through the service lifecycle to ensure they are delivering value and are accounted for in a service configuration management database (CMDB).
- An Asset Only. Assets refer to items of value a firm owns. While they can be part of a service, not all assets are considered CIs if they don't require direct management within the IT service framework or aren't critical to service delivery.
While not all assets are CIs, all relevant assets within an IT-enabled service delivery framework are considered CIs due to their role in supporting service management and delivery.