Every enterprise software company is working to bring more workflow automation and AI to the platform. service now has been on this journey for a while now, constructing refined models given the kind of data it collects about interactions on its platform.
Some of the shift to AI is going on internally through constructing, some through acquisitions, and a few through broad partnerships, says Philip Kirk, SVP of corporate business development. But regardless of the source, it's all about constructing a stronger platform, he says.
“Right now, determining whether to construct, buy or partner is form of a three-dimensional chess game. “I believe an important thing we value is how we will make decisions which can be in the most effective interest of our customers over the long run and that differentiates us from what we’re world-class at, which is enterprise automation, our platform,” said Kirk told TechCrunch.
According to Lara Greden, an analyst at IDC who covers ServiceNow, going beyond constructing is a vital a part of any company's strategy relating to AI. “Acquisitions and strategic partnerships are an important element of corporate strategy within the AI age,” Greden told TechCrunch.
“As with other major technology innovation waves, breakthrough capabilities in generative AI are coming from firms focused on the technology itself, in other words, start-ups. ServiceNow’s acquisition strategy aligned with our expectations to be a frontrunner in accelerating value creation through generative AI.”
ServiceNow has built on this in its latest versions called Washington DC. “The company has adopted generative AI in a way that is smart within the context of the knowledge the platform monitors and collects,” says Jeremy Barnes, vp of AI products at ServiceNow, who joined the corporate when it launched its previous product , Element AI, acquired , in late 2020. That means providing the sorts of capabilities for patrons who wish to use generative AI in a customer support context without having to develop them themselves.
“So for those who have a look at what's within the Washington release, we're providing every kind of features that firms wouldn't have really developed or the individuals who wish to develop AI projects wouldn't have been in a position to provide evidence of “Developing the concept and us constructing it into the platform for them just makes perfect sense,” he said.
Keith Kirkpatrick, an analyst at Futurum Group, says ServiceNow makes it easier for individuals with domain knowledge to construct things like intelligent workflows without having to usher in a developer or workflow expert.
“ServiceNow’s focus has been on integrating generative AI to enhance entire workflows, not only individual processes or tasks. This is a key point of differentiation for them because it enables intelligent automation of multi-step processes that previously required significant effort and switching between applications to finish,” said Kirkpatrick.
Virtual agents, or AI agents, are also a spotlight on this release, which might make sense given ServiceNow's capabilities to assist answer customer questions and complete tasks. And just as ServiceNow builds AI capabilities for its customers, the corporate works with partners where it is smart and is outside their area of expertise, Greden said
“The company's deal with Virtual Agent's conversational capabilities is vital because the proper implementation of generative conversational AI offers significant ROI potential for end customers. However, it’s demanding to get it right,” she said. “This is certainly one of the the explanation why platform providers are strategic partners of selection for firms within the AI era, because they will do the information science work to get the technology up and running and functioning well. They also play a vital role in guiding customers with best practices around data management and control.”
The Washington version might be available to all ServiceNow customers starting Wednesday.
