As a cloud computing platform for managing IT service desks, ServiceNow gives IT organizations a lot of flexibility, especially in terms of letting end users self-service their requests for IT support.
Now, ServiceNow wants to extend those capabilities. First is in the form of HTML5 support, which makes ServiceNow accessible from a variety of mobile computing devices. According to Craig McDonogh, senior director of product marketing for ServiceNow, the primary motivation for adding HTML5 support is two-fold. It allows IT support personnel that are away from the help desk to see the status of their next job. It also allows end users to ask for support using mobile computing devices.
The notion of a physical help desk has become somewhat antiquated. Most IT people spend their time moving from task to task. Mobile computing devices should allow them to figure out what their next assignment is without having to physically check into an actual help desk.
In addition, ServiceNow is also extending the reach of where its workflow engine can be applied. McDonogh says many IT organizations use ServiceNow to build workflow applications that extend beyond the internal IT department. To facilitate that, ServiceNow is unveiling ServiceNow HR Service Automation, an implementation of ServiceNow that automates case management for the human resources department.
McDonogh notes that IT organizations routinely get called upon to deploy workflow applications for various departments within the enterprise. ServiceNow has always provided Web service integration tools to support that activity. Now, it is making an instance of ServiceNow available that allows IT organizations to address HR workflow issues without having to do much custom application development. Over time, McDonogh says that organizations should expect to see ServiceNow apply a similar approach to other departmental applications.
With more reliance on the cloud for IT management, IT departments are finding that they are less often tied to a desk; they can manage their tasks from almost anywhere. But perhaps more importantly, they are also discovering that the cloud allows them to take credit for automating any number of departmental workflow applications without having to spend an inordinate amount of time on app development.