Salesforce vs ServiceNow

May 26, 2023 | Author: Michael Stromann
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Salesforce
Most-popular CRM. Easy collaboration. Proven cloud platform. Salesforce.com offers everything you need to transform your business into a Social Enterprise, so you can connect to customers and employees like never before. With no software or hardware to install, you're up and running—and seeing a positive impact on your business—quickly.
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ServiceNow
ServiceNow offers a portfolio of robust cloud-based products that automate and manage IT service relationships across the enterprise. Our products have the advantage of being built on a single cloud platform that consists of one user interface, one code base and one data model, delivering easy, automated upgrades. ServiceNow provides an intuitive and approachable user experience complete with expert services to accelerate time-to-value.
Salesforce and ServiceNow are two prominent cloud-based platforms that offer robust solutions for various aspects of business operations. Salesforce is primarily recognized as a customer relationship management (CRM) platform, providing a comprehensive suite of tools for sales, marketing, and customer service. It enables organizations to manage customer interactions, track leads, automate sales processes, and drive marketing campaigns. ServiceNow, on the other hand, is a comprehensive IT service management (ITSM) platform that offers a wide range of ITSM capabilities such as incident management, problem management, change management, and asset management. It also includes additional modules for IT operations management, HR service delivery, and customer service management. ServiceNow focuses on streamlining and automating IT processes, improving service delivery, and enhancing overall operational efficiency. While Salesforce is more tailored towards customer-centric operations, ServiceNow is specifically designed to optimize IT service management and broader organizational processes.

See also: Top 10 IT Service Desk software
Salesforce vs ServiceNow in our news:

2023. ServiceNow dives deeper into task mining with latest acquisition



ServiceNow revealed its acquisition of UltimateSuite, a task mining company based in the Czech Republic, marking a strategic move to enhance its ability to capture and comprehend the flow of work within businesses. Task mining, a component of the expanding global market for process mining, aids companies in comprehending the workflow within an organization, identifying bottlenecks to enhance efficiency. The intention is to integrate UltimateSuite's capabilities into ServiceNow's existing process mining features. Recognizing that insights are valuable only when acted upon, the objective is to not only pinpoint areas that require improvement but also to offer an integrated platform for automating inefficiencies, thereby optimizing the entire end-to-end business process.


2023. Salesforce to acquire Airkit.ai, a low-code platform for building AI customer service agents



Salesforce is set to acquire Airkit.ai, a low-code platform designed to assist e-commerce enterprises in constructing AI-driven customer service agents. Initially conceived as a self-serve customer engagement platform, Airkit facilitated the integration of data silos and addressed various use cases like user onboarding. However, in a recent rebranding move, the company transformed into Airkit.ai and unveiled its inaugural integrated product, a GPT-4-powered platform enabling businesses like OpenTable and ShipBob to develop customized customer service chatbots capable of handling inquiries related to order status, refunds, product information, and more.


2023. Salesforce launches AI Cloud to bring models to the enterprise



Salesforce is introducing a new collection of products with the goal of strengthening its position in the highly competitive field of AI. This suite, known as AI Cloud, consists of tools that are designed to provide AI solutions that are suitable for enterprise use. It represents Salesforce's latest effort to enhance its product lineup with AI capabilities across different disciplines. The launch of AI Cloud builds upon the company's previous generative AI initiative, which was introduced in March, aiming to incorporate generative AI throughout the entire Salesforce platform. AI Cloud serves as a hosting and delivery platform for AI models, specifically those focused on generating text, from a variety of partners such as Amazon Web Services, Anthropic, Cohere, and OpenAI. Additionally, Salesforce's own AI research division offers first-party models that power features like code generation and business process automation. Customers also have the option to bring their own custom-trained models to the platform while storing their data on their own infrastructure.


2021. ServiceNow leaps into applications performance monitoring with Lightstep acquisition



ServiceNow has recently completed the acquisition of Lightstep, a startup specializing in applications performance monitoring. By incorporating Lightstep's capabilities, ServiceNow aims to enhance its IT operations offerings. With Lightstep on board, ServiceNow will empower its customers with advanced application performance monitoring capabilities, enabling them to proactively identify and address potential issues before they escalate into major problems that could disrupt websites or applications. In the competitive landscape of application performance monitoring, Lightstep joins the ranks of companies like Datadog, New Relic, and AppDynamics (acquired by Cisco in 2017). The strategic acquisition aligns with ServiceNow's commitment to providing comprehensive solutions for optimizing IT operations.


2021. ServiceNow acquired RPA startup Intellibot



IT service management vendor ServiceNow recently joined the growing trend of embracing robotic process automation (RPA) by acquiring Intellibot, a startup based in India that specializes in RPA solutions. This acquisition aligns with the current industry focus on automating workflows across organizations. RPA offers a means to automate legacy processes, particularly those involving repetitive and mundane tasks typically performed by humans. With this purchase, ServiceNow gains the capability to integrate RPA directly into its platform. Furthermore, the company remains flexible by allowing customers to leverage RPA bots from other vendors if desired.


2021. ServiceNow adds new no-code capabilities



ServiceNow recognizes that the concept of distributed work has propelled the notion of enabling every employee to engage in software building. In light of this, the company has introduced a new domain known as Creator Workflows, aimed at empowering workers to construct customized workflows tailored to their specific requirements. Within this domain, ServiceNow offers a primary development environment that facilitates a user-friendly experience, allowing individuals to intuitively drag and drop the necessary components for constructing workflows that align with their needs. Additionally, templates are available to further streamline the process, providing a framework for common tasks and enhancing ease of use.


2020. Salesforce announces new Service Cloud workforce planning tool



With a pandemic wreaking havoc in various parts of the globe, numerous companies are confronted with the challenge of managing dispersed customer service agents, leading to a complex workforce management situation. To address this issue, Salesforce is in the process of developing a new product called Service Cloud Workforce Engagement. Much like other Salesforce offerings, this solution comprises several crucial elements that work together to provide a comprehensive answer. Firstly, there is Service Forecast for Customer 360, a tool that utilizes AI to anticipate workforce requirements and intelligently allocate customer service requests. Furthermore, there is Omnichannel Capacity Planning, which aids managers in assigning customer service agents to channels like phone, messaging, or email based on the prevailing demand. Lastly, there is a training component designed to coach customer service agents on delivering accurate and appropriate responses tailored to specific situations.


2020. Salesforce applies AI to workflow with Einstein Automate



Salesforce has unveiled Einstein Automate, a new collection of workflow solutions powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Einstein serves as Salesforce's AI platform, encompassing all aspects of the company's product portfolio. It introduces automation to various tasks and simplifies the process of extracting valuable customer information, which often gets buried within vast amounts of data. Furthermore, Salesforce is incorporating MuleSoft, an integration company it acquired for $6.5 billion in 2018, into its offerings. This integration enables IT professionals to effortlessly build intricate connections between applications across the enterprise and the Salesforce suite of products, enhancing processes like mortgage approval workflows and more.


2020. ServiceNow is acquiring Element AI, startup building AI services for enterprises



ServiceNow, the prominent cloud-based IT services company, has made a significant acquisition as part of its long-term strategy to establish a dominant presence in the realms of automation and artificial intelligence for enterprises. The company has acquired Element AI, a startup specializing in AI-driven IT services for businesses. This move exemplifies ServiceNow's ongoing efforts to build a modern platform that aligns with the evolving needs of the digital era. Although ServiceNow was established in 2004 and is not considered a traditional legacy business, it strives to position itself as the leading provider of "digital transformation" solutions. This term has gained prominence in the enterprise IT services landscape as organizations urgently adapt to conducting more online, leveraging cloud technologies, and operating remotely in response to global health challenges and future uncertainties.


2020. ServiceNow updates its workflow automation platform



Today, ServiceNow unveiled the latest version of its workflow automation platform, showcasing a range of new solutions tailored for specific industries. Telcos and financial services organizations, in particular, are among the verticals receiving increased attention. This strategic emphasis on verticals represents a continuation of ServiceNow's ongoing expansion beyond its initial focus on core IT management functionalities, which defined the company in its early stages. Furthermore, ServiceNow has introduced additional features to enhance companies' resilience during challenging circumstances, along with the integration of new machine learning-based tools.

Author: Michael Stromann
Michael is an expert in IT Service Management, IT Security and software development. With his extensive experience as a software developer and active involvement in multiple ERP implementation projects, Michael brings a wealth of practical knowledge to his writings. Having previously worked at SAP, he has honed his expertise and gained a deep understanding of software development and implementation processes. Currently, as a freelance developer, Michael continues to contribute to the IT community by sharing his insights through guest articles published on several IT portals. You can contact Michael by email stromann@liventerprise.com