ServiceNow boosts AI capabilities with Now Platform Xanadu

ServiceNow has unveiled hundreds of new artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities as part of its latest release, Now Platform Xanadu.

This release introduces extensive enhancements including ServiceNow AI Agents, which aim to deliver round-the-clock productivity across various departments such as IT, customer service, HR, and procurement.

According to Jon Sigler, Senior Vice President for Platform and AI at ServiceNow, the push for more advanced AI deployment comes from customer demand for greater productivity and value. "Our customers are hungry to put AI to work now and they want more from their GenAI deployments—more productivity, more personalisation, more value," Sigler said. "That's why we are laser-focused on delivering a complete, end-to-end platform experience for our customers."

ServiceNow AI Agents are designed to operate on a massive scale. These agents will integrate with the ServiceNow platform to redefine collaboration between AI and human workers across several domains. Initial deployments for Customer Service Management (CSM) AI Agents and IT Service Management (ITSM) AI Agents are scheduled for release in November and are expected to improve mean-time-to-resolution and boost live agents' productivity.

The organisation's focus on addressing critical needs is evident with the introduction of Now Assist for Security Operations (SecOps). This functionality aims to enhance response times to security threats by providing AI-driven incident summarisation and interactive Q&A to prioritise and address each security event more effectively. ServiceNow is also extending Now Assist to Finance and Supply Chain Workflows, initially targeting Sourcing and Procurement Operations to streamline the procurement process.

To support customer agility and productivity, the Now Assist Skill Kit allows for the development and deployment of custom GenAI skills. Tools such as data visualisation generation and LLM-based proactive prompts are designed to enhance internal collaboration and streamline work processes. The Skill Kit is especially beneficial for those requiring a pro-code experience to create custom AI skills tailored to specific business needs.

ServiceNow is extending the possibilities of Now Assist through expanded partnerships, such as the integration with Copilot for Microsoft 365, which is now generally available. This collaboration aims to boost employee productivity and provide more connected experiences.

The Xanadu release also incorporates new AI capabilities to various industries. Notably, there are new solutions for the telecommunications, media, technology, financial services, and public sectors. Additionally, ServiceNow is deepening its retail sector engagement with the launch of Retail Operations and Retail Service Management to unify the retailer's ecosystem and enhance customer support both in-store and online.

To further foster innovation, the Xanadu release includes platform-wide enhancements designed to accelerate development and strengthen operational resiliency. These include an integrated development environment (IDE) to speed up application creation and modification, and expanded Enterprise Architecture capabilities to align IT operations with business objectives.

In the domain of IT Operations Management (ITOM), new AIOps features help IT teams group and escalate alerts and better understand impact through mapped visualisation. Service Reliability Management for ITOM aims to enhance application issue resolutions by providing clear visibility into performance metrics.

For day-to-day operations, Guided Self-Service in Employee Center provides employees with a new interactive method to get help across multiple departments, such as IT and HR, thereby improving efficiency.

ServiceNow has also introduced RaptorDB Pro, a high-performance database that promises up to 53% faster transaction times and significantly improved report pulling and transactional throughput, enabling organisations to support more users and workflows.

Significant support for the new capabilities comes from ServiceNow's customers and partners. Sunil Tulyani from Eaton highlighted the potential of generative AI to drive productivity and efficiency. Arlen Shenkman of Boomi echoed similar sentiments regarding the simplification and acceleration of customer support processes. At BT Group, Hena Jalil noted the positive impact of the Now Assist pilots in enhancing agent productivity.

Most of the generative AI features in the Xanadu release are now available, with additional functionalities expected through 2025. The integration of AI capabilities across various industries and daily operations underscores ServiceNow's commitment to advancing business productivity through innovative technology solutions.