ISO/IEC 20000 is an international standard for service management systems that originated from the British Standard 15000 in the 1990s, aiming to help organizations improve their IT service delivery through integrated process approaches. The standard includes requirements for establishing and maintaining an effective Service Management System (SMS) and consists of documents detailing specifications and practices for organizations seeking certification. It promotes continuous improvement and better alignment of IT services to meet business needs, offering benefits like enhanced customer satisfaction and competitive advantage.