In ITIL lifecycle management, which is the first stage for developing a new application intended for deployment on a private cloud?

• A. Initiation
• B. Service Strategy
• C. Design and development
• D. Transition

Answer: (C)

In ITIL, the work of turning a new requirement into a deployable service sits in the Design and Development phase within Service Design. This is where you create the actual application and its surrounding design—architecture, interfaces, data flows, security controls, and service level requirements—and build and validate the components before they’re prepared for release. Starting here ensures the solution is aligned with business needs and quality criteria before it moves into the transition and deployment steps.

Choosing Initiation or Strategy would be about deciding whether to undertake the project or defining the business case, not about building the application itself. Transition comes after design and development, focusing on planning and executing the move into production.