ServiceNow: Work Is The New Killer App

IT service management game-changer ServiceNow is making a big bet on turning the workplace into a mobile-first environment in its latest platform update announced today, the company told CRN.

“Most people are on their mobile every day, multiple times per day, keeping in touch with friends or family or social networks, and when they get to the office, they are propelled backwards into the ‘80s,” Kevin Murray, vice president of product marketing for the San Francisco-based automation powerhouse told CRN. “It’s really about bridging the gap between consumer experiences and enterprise experiences.”

He said the new mobile experience capitalizes on what ServiceNow does best, which is digitizing workflows, and taking the repetitive, complicated processes that burden the enterprise and slow productivity away from employees. The release of “Madrid” makes the work environment mobile-friendly, giving employees the ability to route requests and fix issues on the go the swipe of a thumb on their phone, Murray said.

“The entire platform is about digitizing workflow and really making work easier for the average enterprise employee,” he said. “Those employees could be your everyday person trying to get something from IT as I mentioned, or, even IT themselves as they look to provide service to those folks who need help. So we’re doing that with native mobile capabilities.”

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With the mobile release, ServiceNow customers will be able to use the company’s ITSM tools and Field Service Management products on their mobile device.

“Everyday work is now the new killer app,” Murray said.

The “Madrid” update also includes a mobile studio that ServiceNow customers can use to craft their own applications, specific to their environment using the low-code, no-code, drag and drop capabilities on the platform, Murray said.

“We can continue to build native mobile apps on our side, but the most powerful capabilities that I think that we’re introducing is the ability for our customers to build their own apps fast,” he said. “They’re going to be native mobile apps as well. So we have this notion of the ServiceNow Mobile studio.”

This gives ServiceNow partners the ability to build apps for their customers, or their own business that make all workflows mobile first, and provide employees consumer-like experiences at work on their mobile device.

“It opens up a whole new world for partners as well,” Murray said. “The ability for partners to capitalize on mobile studio to build apps on the ServiceNow platform for their customers is a whole new exciting angle as well.”

The update lets IT operators quickly route requests for action. It also allows employees fix simple issues on the go with a swipe of the thumb, so they can focus on solving more complex problems anywhere in the work space, Murray said.

“The limitation in the past has been, I can use my mobile in the enterprise, but it’s limited to checking my email, texting colleagues and maybe seeing what the hours of the café are,” Murray said. “So what you really want to do is use your mobile for real work. If I’m on the IT side, I can approve something coming in. I can investigate an issue. I can look at the prioritized alerts on my system, all on my mobile, instead of having to be chained to my desk.”