Question on MSP ServiceNow instance?

[Suggy]

1.

What exactly is MSP ServiceNow instance? Who owns it?

Is it like only if the instance is owned by Managed service provider and providing services to its customers is called MSP ServiceNow instance

or

Even if the instance is owned by the customer, but taking the services by MSP provider is also called as MSP ServiceNow instance

or can it be both the above to be called as 'MSP ServiceNow instance'?

2. What would be the cost of ITIL license if a customer buys the instance on their own vs purchasing ITIL license from a MSP provider (just ball park numbers)

[Kieran Anson]

This question depends on the lens. ServiceNow partner programme has a division for "MSPs" which you can think of as a single instance that is shared by different legal entities often to move away the requirement of administering the instance. 

You've also got the confusion of the business term of "MSP" which may provide outsourced services. Usually this will consist of the MSP having CSM and customers of the MSP using the CSM portal.

License wise - those sort of questions shouldn't be asked :). 

[Suggy]

Hi @Kieran Anson  I know what MSP means in IT world 🙂

I did even refer below link and I have clean understanding of what MSP is..

https://kanini.com/blog/servicenow/modernize-your-business-with-a-servicenow-msp-managed-service-pro...

In simple terms, MSP is an outsourced third-party company that provides services for another company (their customer)

but my question is in parlance to ServiceNow.

> If customer buys their own instance but just gets the IT work outsourced from an external company (MSP provider) - can this also be called as MSP ServiceNow MSP instance?

or

> An instance is called as MSP ServiceNow instance only if the external company (MSP provider) buys instance on their name and provides services to customer and then charge them for instance cost and services provided is called so?

If you think my understanding is still wrong, please do give your inputs, would be happy to learn.

PS - someone asked me if 'xxxxx.service-now.com' is an MSP instance or not? Few conversations happened between us and that is where I posted this question here to get some clarity.

Thanks for your time 🙂

[-O- · Accepted solution]

Since MSP is a meaningless marketing term that can mean anything and nothing specific at the same time, probably what the person asking the question wants to know are characteristics of the instance, such as:

- is it a single-tenant or a multi-tenant (a.k.a. domain separated) instance,

- is it hosted by ServiceNow or is it an on-prem instance,

- is it licensed through a reseller/MSP or is it licensed from ServiceNow directly, or,

- are the SLAs signed between the end customer and ServiceNow, or the end customer and a reseller/MSP?

I mean if any component described above is not supplied by ServiceNow the instance could be called an "MSP" instace, but it would still not reveal any details about which option of those components makes it an "MSP" instance, hence the meaninglessness of that term.

Later edit: the domain/host name of a instance (<something>.service-now.com) reveals nothing about any of those attributes of on instance - almost. At most it can reveal that it is hosted or not by ServiceNow. Both single-tenant and multi-tenant instances can have domain names by ServiceNow and vanity/branded domain names not by ServiceNow. E.g. acme.service-now.com and intranet.acme.com can both be ServiceNow instances. Both could be licensed/sold by ServiceNow or a reseller. Both can be supported by ServiceNow or the reseller.