Debunking the Myth: How ServiceNow Continues to Innovate and Thrive in the Modern IT Landscape

[Marc Mouries]

A customer sent us a list of questions which I found to be coming from this article 

https://servicenowthink.wordpress.com/2019/09/10/how-servicenow-is-updating-its-tech-stack-and-using...

Here are my answers to the questions:

1. Is ServiceNow outdated?
1. ServiceNow is not outdated. While it has been around for several years, the company continually invests heavily in research and development to improve and expand its offerings.
2. One of the biggest complaints ServiceNow receives is that it is running on old technology.
1. The feedback we hear from customers is that they actually appreciate the rate of innovations we bring to the ServiceNow platform while keeping Service instances reliable.
2. While it is true that some of ServiceNow's underlying technologies, such as Java, Jelly, and AngularJS, have been around for a while, ServiceNow regularly updates and optimizes its platform. For example, ServiceNow is improving the performance of its database and created its own UI framework to have more control over technologies like AngularJS and protect customers from technologies that become deprecated.
3. It is essential to remember that the age of a technology does not necessarily dictate its effectiveness, and ServiceNow's continued growth and success are evidence of its ability to adapt to the changing IT landscape.
3. Is it true that most of ServiceNow is running on Java, Jelly, AngularJS, which comes with poor performance?
1. It’s important to distinguish between all these technologies. Most of the enterprise softwares run on Java which has proven to be a robust, reliable, and highly scalable language for server-side applications.
2. Jelly, on the other hand, is an XML-based scripting language used primarily for creating custom user interfaces within ServiceNow. While Jelly might not be as widely adopted as other modern web frameworks, it serves a specific purpose in the ServiceNow ecosystem and has been optimized for this platform. It's important to remember that Jelly is just one part of the ServiceNow architecture, and its use is generally limited to specific customization scenarios of the legacy user interface.
3. AngularJS, an older version of Angular, is a popular open-source JavaScript framework used for building dynamic web applications. AngularJS still remains a viable option in ServiceNow for certain use cases. For several years, ServiceNow has been working on transitioning to more modern frameworks, like its own react-like user interface framework.

Additionally, it's essential to highlight that since the Rome release (Q3 – 2021), ServiceNow's out-of-the-box applications and custom applications built using the App Engine have been utilizing the platform's updated user interface framework. This contemporary approach delivers a sleek and user-friendly experience, ensuring smooth navigation and seamless interactions. By embracing cutting-edge advancements in user interface design and technology, these applications offer heightened performance, enhanced usability, and increased adaptability to evolving requirements. Consequently, customers can trust that the ServiceNow platform will meet their demands in terms of both functionality and user experience, keeping them at the forefront of innovation and enabling them to adapt to the dynamic demands of the modern era.