ServiceNow Otto for Enterprise Architecture (EA) release notes
Summarize
Summary of ServiceNow Otto for Enterprise Architecture (EA) Zurich Release Notes
ServiceNow Otto for Enterprise Architecture (EA) introduces generative AI capabilities within the Enterprise Architecture Workspace, enhancing productivity and decision-making. The Zurich release and its subsequent patches expand AI skills, improve security, and introduce new AI model provider options to optimize enterprise architecture workflows.
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Key Features
- Generative AI Skills Activated by Default: All Otto for EA AI skills are enabled automatically for relevant roles, streamlining access for new and upgrading customers.
- Diagram Change Analysis: Compare current and previous versions of Enterprise Modeling and Visualization diagrams (business application hierarchy, capability maps, process maps) with AI-generated summaries of changes.
- Refine Text Skill: Use AI to elaborate or shorten text in Description fields of business applications, capabilities, processes, value stream stages, and information objects, as well as Reasoning fields in Planned Disposition sections.
- Business Application Insights: Generate concise, actionable insights on business applications from source data, with configurable access and availability criteria.
- Architectural Decision Records (ADR) Query and Summarization: Query ADR artifact content directly and generate summaries to quickly extract relevant information.
- Security via Access Control Lists (ACLs): Secure AI agents and agentic workflows by enforcing ACLs and user identity controls, allowing dynamic or AI user execution.
- Support for Multiple AI Model Providers: In addition to Now LLM Service, AI skills can utilize Google Gemini, AWS Claude, and Azure OpenAI models.
- User Interface Enhancements: Added Compare Versions button and Now Assist icons in diagramming and form fields for easier access to AI assistance; improved configuration tabs in AI Admin Hub.
- Theme Enhancements: Introduction of the Coral theme with a dark mode option for web and mobile experiences to improve usability and reduce eye strain.
Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers
- Enhanced Productivity: Automate and accelerate analysis of architectural diagrams and documentation by leveraging AI-generated comparisons and text refinement.
- Improved Decision-Making: Access actionable business application insights and streamlined ADR content queries to support informed enterprise architecture decisions.
- Security and Compliance: Utilize ACL-configured AI agents to ensure secure, role-based access to sensitive AI-driven workflows and data.
- Seamless Integration and Activation: Automated activation of AI skills reduces administrative overhead while allowing role-based access control to maintain governance.
- Flexible AI Model Usage: Choose among multiple AI providers to optimize generative AI performance and compliance based on organizational preferences or requirements.
Activation and Access
All Now Assist features require activation of the ServiceNow Otto for Enterprise Architecture (EA) plugin. Role restrictions and access criteria can be configured in the AI Admin Hub console to control who can use specific AI skills and agentic workflows.
Additional Notes
- AI usage measurement has shifted to a 365-day burn-down model resetting at contract anniversaries, improving tracking accuracy.
- Role masking governs access to agentic workflows and AI agents, requiring configuration of security controls to include relevant roles.
- The release supports both new customers installing AI products and existing customers upgrading, with automatic activation for new AI skills if not previously configured.
The ServiceNow® ServiceNow Otto for Enterprise Architecture (EA) application introduces generative AI skills into the Enterprise Architecture Workspace. ServiceNow Otto for Enterprise Architecture (EA) was enhanced and updated in the Zurich release.
ServiceNow Otto for Enterprise Architecture (EA) highlights for the Zurich release
- Review changes to Now Assist usage measurement.
- All ServiceNow Otto for EA skills are activated by default.
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Use the Diagram change analysis Now Assist skill to compare an Enterprise Modeling and Visualization diagram with its previous version and generate a summary of the differences.
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Use the Refine text Now Assist skill to elaborate or shorten text in the Description field of the business application, business capability, business process, and information object records. Also, use this skill to generate, elaborate, or shorten text in the Reasoning field under the Planned Disposition section of the business application record.
- Additional role configuration is required for agentic workflows and AI agents included with Now Assist applications.
- Use the Business Application Insights Now Assist skill to generate insights into your business applications.
- Implement security in Now Assist AI agents with access control lists (ACLs).
- On the Architectural Decision Records page, use the field in the Architectural Decision Records menu to enter queries and derive the required information from the Architectural Decision Records (ADR) artifact content.
- Use the Business Application Insights Now Assist skill to generate insights into your business applications.
- Implement security in Now Assist AI agents with access control lists (ACLs).
- On the Architectural Decision Records page, use the field in the Architectural Decision Records menu to enter queries and derive the required information from the Architectural Decision Records (ADR) artifact content.
- Enhance your productivity by using the Now LLM Service or a supported third-party LLM with any ServiceNow Otto for Enterprise Architecture (EA) skill or AI agent.
- Enhance your user experience with Coral that is used as the default theme for new portal, web, and mobile experiences.
See Now Assist for Enterprise Architecture (EA) for more information.
ServiceNow Otto for Enterprise Architecture (EA) features
- Compare Enterprise Modeling and Visualization diagrams
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Learn the details of the changes in the Enterprise Modeling and Visualization diagrams by comparing a diagram with its previous version. You can compare business application hierarchy, business capability map, and business process map diagrams.
- Elaborate or shorten content in form fields
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Elaborate or shorten text in the Description field of the following records using the Refine text Now Assist skill:
- Business application
- Business capability
- Business process
- Value stream stages
- Information object
- Business Application Insights skill configuration changes
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For the Business application insights Now Assist skill, you can view the business application source fields based on which the business application insights are generated. Also, you can determine the availability of the skill by defining a specific criteria in the Define access tab of the Business application insights skill.
- Role restrictions for ServiceNow Otto for EA skills
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Role restriction is added to the default roles associated with the following skills:
- Diagram change analysis
- ADR Doc Summarization and Actions
- Business application insights
- Refine text
- Business Application Insights skill
- Learn the details of business applications and gather concise and actionable insights on business applications from the summary that is generated by ServiceNow Otto for Enterprise Architecture (EA). The business application insights help you to make informed decisions without manually reviewing large volumes of data.
- Implement access control lists for security in AI agents
- Enable security implementation to execute AI agents and agentic workflows through access control lists (ACLs) and user identities.
ACLs provide you with the capability to run AI agents and agentic workflow executions either as a dynamic user or an AI user.
To learn about ACLs for ServiceNow Otto for Enterprise Architecture (EA) agents and skills, see Configure Now Assist for Enterprise Architecture (EA) and Enterprise Architecture AI agent diagramming agentic workflow.
- Generate a summary of the Architectural Decision Records (ADR) document or get a particular information from the document
- On the Architectural Decision Records page, use the field option in the Now Assist menu to derive a particular information about the ADR content.
- New third-party AI model provider options available for all AI applications
- Google Gemini and AWS Claude are available for generative AI skills and AI agents, in addition to Now LLM Service and Azure OpenAI.
UI changes
- The Compare versions button is added to the diagram page in the Enterprise Modeling and Visualization.
- The Now Assist icon is added to the diagram page in the Enterprise Modeling and Visualization. You can use this icon to show or hide the Now Assist panel.
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The Now Assist icon
is displayed on selecting the description field of the business application, business capability, business process, value stream stages, and information objects.Also, the icon is displayed on selecting the Reasoning field in the Planned Disposition section of the business application record.
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Added Define availability and Define access tabs in the Business application insights Now Assist skill configuration page in the AI Admin Hub console.
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Added Role restrictions to skill section in the Define access tab of Now Assist skills in the AI Admin Hub console.
- The Generate insights button is added to the business application page in the Enterprise Architecture Workspace.
- Changes to the Architectural Decision Records page:
- The Now Assist drop-down menu is added.
- A field is added to the Now Assist drop-down menu to enter queries and get answers for Architectural Decision Records (ADR) artifact content.
- The Summarize button is moved to the Now Assist drop-down menu.
- In the context menu, the Now Assist button is changed to the Now Assist icon and placed as the first option of the context menu.
Changed in this release
- Zurich Patch 5
- Changes to Now Assist usage measurement
- Starting with Australia Early Access, AI usage measurement is transitioning from a 365-day look-back model to a 365-day burn-down model, with usage resetting at the contract anniversary date. For more information, refer to KB KB2704710: AI Usage - Overview & New Measurement Logic.
- Zurich Patch 4
- Role masking
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Agentic workflows and their AI agents use role masking to determine which users can access them. Ones installed with your applications have specific roles that come included with the application. If you select Users with specific roles for user access, you must configure the security controls to include these roles. For the instructions to change the security controls, see Define security controls for an agentic workflow.
- Some generative AI skills, AI agents, and agentic workflows are turned on by default
- The skills are automatically available to appropriate role users for the application, such as ITIL roles on incident forms or change forms. This change simply activates the skill and does not touch the roles that may be
needed to use the skill. The new default behavior works as follows:
- New customers: When you install an AI product, designated skills and agentic workflows are turned on automatically.
- Existing customers who are upgrading (starting with Australia Early Access): Any previously unconfigured skill, agent, or agentic workflow is turned on automatically (the AI asset was never configured and turned on, then turned off again). Previously configured skills and agentic workflows that were turned on, then off, remain inactive.
Activation information
Now Assist features are available with activation of the ServiceNow Otto for Enterprise Architecture (EA) plugin. For more information, see Install Now Assist plugins.
Accessibility information
- Dark theme
- The new Coral theme includes a dark theme option for web and mobile experiences. This option is commonly used to alleviate eye strain and improve readability.