Service-now.com First to Deliver Cloud Management from the Cloud with SaaS for Runbook Automation

LAS VEGAS, Dec. 7, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Gartner Data Center Conference –Service-now.com, the creator of modern software-as-a-service (SaaS) for IT service management (ITSM), today announced it is the first to deliver cloud computing management from the cloud with the new, first-ever release of SaaS for runbook automation and IT process orchestration. In addition, Service-now.com is pleased to announce rapid customer success with new Service-now.com SaaS applications for software development lifecycle management, project management and IT cost management.

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The Fall 2010 release from Service-now.com was automatically delivered to customers on Oct. 1, 2010. This release was the third major release delivered to Service-now.com customers in 2010 and included the new software development lifecycle management and runbook automation applications as well as significant updates to IT cost management and project and portfolio management.

Service-now.com Runbook Automation extends the same graphical workflow engine that underpins the Service-now.com platform to automate tasks across all types of infrastructure elements such as applications, databases and hardware. This capability (also known as IT process orchestration) dramatically reduces the time to execute defined processes and helps deliver extremely fast and predictable IT service results.

The Fall 2010 release includes a process pack for VMware provisioning that integrates with the vCenter API. Additional process packs for task automation are planned for the Service-now.com Winter 2011 release. Service-now.com is unique in providing easy-to-use runbook automation, integrated with IT process management, for the delivery and management of external cloud and private cloud services.

Craig McDonogh, Service-now.com senior product marketing manager, said, "Service-now.com is the first IT management vendor to build all of these capabilities natively into a single platform and we are the only vendor to offer it as SaaS. Nothing is acquired and integration is fundamental. Imagine a software-related incident received by the service desk that spawns a problem management workflow, change management approvals and SDLC tasks. Once the new release is ready, it is automatically distributed using runbook automation workflow and the CMDB is updated. Only Service-now.com provides this level of automation and we'll continue to work toward providing our customers with simply powerful IT automation."

Service-now.com Software Development Lifecycle Management significantly extends release management capabilities to deliver high-quality software releases that meet customer needs and require less post-release support. This new application manages the complete software development process including enhancement request and defect prioritization, definition of release content and tasks, testing and release to production. It natively supports Waterfall and Scrum methodologies and can be customized to support other development methodologies.

A problem can now be tracked all the way through to the specific feature and release that resolves it using a single tool. With yet another industry first, Service-now.com helps every ounce of development effort to be traced back to a specific problem or enhancement request.

Arik Hill, FirstCare CIO, said, "We heavily utilize Scrum software development methodology and use the new Service-now.com applications to automate our release and change management processes. Because Service-now.com applications are integrated on a single platform we also use the new planning board and Gantt chart functionality to support our software development projects. These are fantastic additions and Service-now.com is helping us transform the way FirstCare IT works."

Service-now.com also updated its IT cost management application which now includes labor costs, in addition to CI costs, for true cost capture, show back or charge back, accurate IT budgeting and real-time access to service delivery costs.

Kevin Birch, Severn Trent Water IT service cost manager, said, "Most modern businesses today rely on internal or externally sourced IT infrastructure to deliver and support daily operations. These IT services hopefully provide value, but always cost money to deliver as IT isn't free. As an IT organization it is our job to demonstrate to the business the value we deliver as an integral component of the business.

"For example, we use Service-now.com to help us identify the costs associated with delivering each of our applications as well as IT services such as the service desk, data center and desktop support. These costs are then allocated to the appropriate internal business customers who are then able to evaluate these costs against the benefit received. At Severn Trent we continually strive to deliver the highest standards at the lowest cost and the Service-now.com toolset is a great enabler in that challenge."

A demonstration video of the Service-now.com Fall 2010 release, including the new SDLC and IT process orchestration applications, is now available. Alternatively, an open, no-registration-required instance of Service-now.com is always available at http://demo.service-now.com.

Licensing and availability

Service-now.com has delivered three major releases per year for the last five years. The Fall 2010 release was automatically delivered to customers, customizations were preserved and application availability was uninterrupted. Service-now.com offers a simple yet flexible subscription model.

Service-now.com Runbook Automation subscription licensing is based on the number of physical and virtual servers managed. An all-inclusive license for this component starts at US $9.00 per server, per month with a 500 server minimum. Volume discounts are available.

Join us at Gartner Data Center Conference

Service-now.com is sponsoring the Gartner Data Center Conference in Las Vegas this week. On Wednesday, Dec. 8 at 2:45 pm in Augustus 3, Intel and Pacific Life Insurance Company will discuss clean-slate IT and their approach to new cloud computing and IT management models. Visit Service-now.com in booth 18 on the expo show floor to learn more.

About Service-now.com

The Service-now.com enterprise IT service management platform combines ITIL process support and SaaS delivery to provide a flexible, intuitive and self-managing application in the cloud. Founded in 2004, Service-now.com is built on a customer-centric business model and agile application services to help transform IT. According to the 2010 Inc. 500 list, Service-now.com is the fastest-growing IT management software company. For more information, please visit http://www.service-now.com/ or http://blog.service-now.com.

SOURCE Service-now.com