ServiceNow Lends Support to Microsoft Cloud PC Initiative

ServiceNow has revealed it is extending the scope of its alliance to include integration with a Cloud PC service based on an instance of the virtual Window 365 operating system. Microsoft created the OS to make it simpler to access applications and files stored in the cloud.

Employing an integration jointly developed by the two companies, IT teams that have adopted the ServiceNow IT service management (ITSM) platform will now be able to provide support to users of Windows 365 via the Microsoft Teams collaboration service.

Windows 365 employs application virtualization to create what Microsoft is positioning as a Cloud PC that makes it easier for end users to work from anywhere. Windows 365 is being offered alongside an existing Azure Virtual Desktop service that Microsoft already provides. Application virtualization of virtual desktops is not a new idea, but Microsoft is trying to shift consumption of as many applications as possible into the cloud.

Enabling End Users Through Microsoft Teams 

Microsoft Teams, meanwhile, is emerging as another channel through which IT teams can provide support for end users wherever they are, says Manish Srivastava, vice president of product management for ITSM at ServiceNow. Microsoft is betting that in time Microsoft Teams will emerge as the dominant collaboration platform for end users that are increasingly working from anywhere (WFA).

Prior to the pandemic the overall percentage of end users that worked outside of an office regularly was relatively small. As the pandemic continues to subside many employees are returning to offices. However, it will be a lot more common for many of them to also work outside the office more often. That shift is putting a strain on IT teams that are being asked to support end users. The best way to reduce that stress is to enable end users to self-service as much of their IT needs as possible, says Srivastava.

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Empowering IT Teams with Web, Mobile Interfaces

Most IT teams were more than able up to the challenge of enabling the bulk of their workforce to work from home in the early days of the pandemic. However, it’s clear the IT teams are now being asked to up their proverbial game yet again. “The bar is now higher than ever before,” says Srivastava.

The ServiceNow platform makes it simpler to deliver IT services via Web or mobile interfaces or on platforms such as Microsoft Teams that are becoming the way end users and IT teams communicate with one another within many organizations.

In the meantime, IT professionals should ask themselves if they are being given the tools they require to support WFA initiatives. If they are not, chances are good the job at hand is about to generate a high-level of stress. Many of them will be casting about to see what organizations are really investing in WFA versus simply paying it lip service. The organizations that do live up that commitment are naturally going to be where the best IT talent migrates to in the months ahead. 

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