ITOM/OT SU Licensing Bundle and Individual (ala carte) subscription

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of ITOM/OT SU Licensing Bundle and Individual (ala carte) subscription

    ServiceNow provides flexibility in purchasing subscriptions for ITOM (IT Operations Management) applications either individually (a la carte) or as part of a bundled package covering multiple ITOM applications. The ITOM/OT SU Licensing application tracks and displays subscription usage, distinguishing between individual and bundled subscriptions.

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    Subscription Deduction and Usage Calculation

    When an organization has both bundled and individual subscriptions for the same ITOM applications, the licensing system prioritizes deducting consumed subscriptions from the bundle first before using the individual (a la carte) subscriptions. This ensures optimal utilization of bundled subscriptions.

    If subscription usage exceeds allocations, the system flags the excess as overdrawn. Specifically:

    • If the combined usage of bundled and a la carte subscriptions exceeds the total allocation, the overdraw is attributed to the a la carte subscription.
    • If an application is covered only by a bundle and its usage surpasses the bundle allocation, the bundle itself is marked as overdrawn.

    Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers

    • Customers gain clear visibility into subscription consumption across bundled and individual licenses.
    • The licensing module’s deduction logic helps maximize use of bundled subscriptions before applying individual subscriptions, aiding cost efficiency.
    • The system’s overdrawn indicators help identify when usage exceeds purchased subscriptions, enabling proactive license management.

    By understanding this licensing behavior, ServiceNow customers can better manage their ITOM subscription investments, avoid unexpected overages, and optimize license allocation across their ITOM applications.

    You can purchase subscriptions for individual ITOM applications (a la carte) or as a bundle covering multiple ITOM applications.

    The ITOM/OT SU Licensing application calculates and displays the subscription usage for ITOM products. It displays the ITOM products individually or as part of a bundle, based on your subscription. In cases where your organization has purchased ITOM subscriptions both as a bundle and individually (a la carte), the licensing module deducts the consumed subscriptions from the bundle first, before deducting from the individually purchased subscriptions.

    If your organization surpasses the allocated number of subscription units, the Subscriptions window indicates the corresponding subscriptions as overdrawn. If the combined number of subscriptions from both bundle and a la carte options exceeds the allocation, the licensing module identifies the surplus as taken from the a la carte subscription. Furthermore, if the total subscriptions for an application covered solely by the bundle surpass the allocation, the Subscriptions window displays the bundle as overdrawn without listing the individual application separately.

    Subscription deduction process: Bundle usage and a la carte scenario

    If you purchased ITOM subscriptions as a bundle and also acquired a la carte subscriptions for an application included in the bundle, the licensing module deducts the consumed subscriptions from the bundle before subtracting from the separately purchased subscriptions.

    In the following example, an organization utilized all subscriptions allocated by the ITOM Pro bundle for ITOM AIOps. Subsequently, the licensing module deducted from the a la carte subscriptions for ITOM AIOps.
    Figure 1. Subscription consumption by bundles

    Subscriptions window showing subscriptions consumed within bundle.

    Subscription display: Application covered by bundle and a la carte subscriptions

    If your organization surpasses the total number of subscriptions in both the bundle and a la carte subscriptions, the licensing module regards it as overdrawn on the a la carte subscription. However, if your organization exceeds the subscriptions specifically for an application covered solely by the bundle, it is considered overdrawn on the bundle.
    Figure 2. Licensing module calculates bundle and a la carte subscriptions for the same ITOM applications

    The diagram shows how the licensing module calculates bundle and a la carte subscriptions for the same ITOM applications.

    Subscription calculation illustration: Bundle and a la carte allocation

    The diagram illustrates how the licensing module calculates subscriptions through bundle and a la carte methods for specific applications covered by the bundle.
    Figure 3. Overdrafts on the bundle and a la carte subscriptions

    Subscriptions window showing overdrafts on the bundle and a la carte subscriptions.

    In this scenario, the Subscriptions window indicates the a la carte subscriptions for this application as overdrawn. If your organization exceeds the total subscriptions for an application covered solely by the bundle, the Subscriptions window displays the bundle as overdrawn.

    In the provided figure, ITOM AIOps consumed 810 subscriptions, surpassing the subscriptions provided by the bundle (500) and a la carte (250). Consequently, the Subscriptions window indicates the ITOM AIOps a la carte subscription as overdrawn.

    For ITOM Visibility, which consumed 550 subscriptions, and with no a la carte subscriptions purchased, the ITOM Pro bundle covering ITOM Visibility appears as overdrawn.