What is the purpose of Release Management in ITIL 4?

The purpose of Release Management in ITIL 4 is fundamentally centered around ensuring that new or changed services are delivered into the operating environment in a controlled manner. This involves meticulous planning, scheduling, and coordination of all activities related to the release of new service features or updates. By doing so, organizations can minimize disruption to services and ensure that all stakeholders are adequately prepared for the changes.

Release Management not only focuses on the technical aspects of deploying new functionality but also considers the impact on users and the overall service quality. By maintaining control over how and when changes are implemented, Release Management helps to reduce risks, enhance reliability, and ensure that necessary training and support mechanisms are in place, facilitating a smooth transition when new services or updates are launched.

The other choices do not align as closely with the specific purpose of Release Management. While rapid service creation and staff training are important aspects in the context of service delivery, they do not fully encompass the core responsibility of Release Management to ensure controlled deployment. Managing agreements for IT services is more related to Service Level Management and does not reflect the main goal of Release Management either.