ServiceNowGrows UK Datacenter Capacity and Native Chatbots
Jackson Shaw muses on ServiceNow, its transformative platform power, and ways it natively connects the enterprise
ServiceNow boosts datacenter capacity in Europe
This article recently caught my attention: ServiceNow boosts datacenter capacity. It may be due to “work from home”, Brexit, or just demand, but ServiceNow has invested in its datacenter capabilities by developing new datacenter facilities in Dublin, Ireland, and in Newport, Wales, UK. These new data centers will form part of ServiceNow’s Advanced High Availability Architecture and will continue to ensure the scalability of its cloud services. The new Dublin datacenter will be paired with the existing Amsterdam data center pair while the new Newport datacenter will be paired with existing London data center.
Why is this notable?
With ServiceNow growing so fast, one would simply expect that datacenter capacity is an ongoing issue and concern. Seeing the investment in new datacenters is awesome. Also, the new datacenters allow ServiceNow to better manage customer data in a post-Brexit world by pairing EU customers between Amsterdam and Dublin while pairing UK customers between Newport and London. Smart move, to be honest. There’s another article (paywall) where a ServiceNow executive specifically mentions “increased demand during the pandemic”. Not a surprising reason, but again, great to see the investment.
How to add a chatbot conversation with ServiceNow’s Virtual AgentDesigner
Okay, this is cool: Adding a chatbot conversation with Virtual Agent Designer. I’ve become a bit addicted to YouTube over the last couple of years. Pretty much everything I’ve needed to do, I have been able to find a video to help me. Whether it was changing the heater in my coffee roaster or figuring out how to write an Excel script, I could find something to help me on YouTube. I’ve subscribed to both the ServiceNow and ServiceNow Support channels on YouTube – something you should do, too! While I was scrolling through videos, I stumbled on this video about adding a chatbot conversation. A chatbot, in ServiceNow parlance, is pretty much the same thing we have been discussing in the identity world as “robotic process automation or RPA.” It is something that really interests me so I had to watch it. Imagine my surprise when I saw how easy it was to add a chatbot conversation using ServiceNow’s “Glide Virtual Agent”! The virtual agent designer seemed easy to use and build. There are a few identity-related use cases that I have thought about in the past, and using the Glide Virtual Agent would make realizing those use cases pretty easy.
Why is this notable?
There are a few reasons why I think this video and the Glide Virtual Agent are notable. First, multi-channel user experience (UX) is important to offer. Some people are used to e-mail, some people are used to using web forms, and some people like an interactive chatbot experience. Or, each channel has something to offer everyone. The fact that a virtual agent is available to ServiceNow customers as part of the Now Platform, is easy to use, and program, is notable. Leveraging the Now Platform is key for Clear Skye and our software. We don’t have to build a virtual agent because we can simply use the same agent on the Now Platform as you might already be using as part of your ServiceNow experience. This means that for your identity governance needs, you are using and building a virtual agent that you already have experience and familiarity with – you’re reusing your training and the platform you have invested in. Do you need to modify an agent that we might build? You already know how to do it! Providing a multi-channel experience to your employees, customers and partners is an important part of any company’s digital transformation. It’s great to have that capability as part of the platform, especially as it is so easy to use.
IGA + ServiceNow are better together
At Clear Skye, we believe everything is better when identity governance is built on and lives in ServiceNow. Read a recent Clear Skye blog article to learn more Why the NOW Platform Matters.
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I’m Jackson Shaw, ClearSkye Chief Strategy Officer. I write about Clear Skye, IGA trends, and recent developments related to ServiceNow and the Now Platform.
Clear Skye is a growing, independent software vendor (ISV) sleeping next to ServiceNow. This means we are affected by ServiceNow’s every twitch and grunt. Instead of tweeting every interesting news article or tidbit of information I come across, I thought it might be useful to recap some of these twitches and grunts to explain why we might all be affected or interested. (Yes,“we”, because if you are reading this, then you are potentially affected by ServiceNow’s movements too.)
Continue reading here for answers to questions like, Who is ServiceNow? How big are they?What resources are available to me? Where can I find help? What did ServiceNow do or release today, yesterday, last week, or last month that might affect me, my company, or our partners?
These are all questions I’ve been asking myself since I joined Clear Skye, so I’ll be writing more on why I think they are interesting — and hope you stay tuned. Have questions that you’d like answered too? Email me at jackson.shaw@clearskye.com.
