Are Italy becoming a top tier rugby nation?

In the last 6 months the Italian Rugby Team have made significant improvements and become a force to be reckoned with. Their most recent 6 Nations Championship involved them nearly winning more matches than they lost, something that has never been done before. So, are Italy becoming a major rugby playing nation and what has led to this rise?
Italy have had improvements on both sides of the ball. Firstly in attack their set piece dominance and ability to win the 1st phase gainline battle has provided them with a stable base - something they have never had before. Adding this to the new attacking quality and talent within the team, means they have the ability to break most defences in the world down.
They have also improved in defence and are no longer seen as the whipping boys conceding 40-50 points a game. They have improved in 2 ways; their transition in defence and their outside press. Firstly their transition has been vital for them conceding less points, with their ability to prevent attacking opportunities turning into tries through work rate and effort. Matching this with their outside press defence to force errors has significantly reduced the number of points they concede each game.
Let me know what you think about the Italian Rugby Team's recent improvements and whether you think they should be classed as a top tier rugby nation.