IT Service Management (ITSM) is a critical framework that helps organizations design, deliver, manage, and improve the way their IT services are used. By using ITSM tools, companies can ensure their technology services are aligned with organizational needs and customer expectations—improving efficiency, boosting agility, reducing costs, and driving innovation. ITSM improves IT across the business, helping ensure that every service is fully in support of company objectives.
Given its widespread capabilities, it’s little wonder that the market for ITSM solutions has exploded in recent years. Businesses across essentially every industry are being inundated with options, and knowing which ITSM tools are the best fit for their needs can be difficult. Here, we take a look at two of the leading ITSM solutions: ServiceNow ITSM and BMC Helix ITSM:
ServiceNow is a cloud-based platform (Now Platform®) that specializes in automating and improving workflows across various business functions. Known for its extensive suite of solutions, ServiceNow empowers organizations to improve efficiency and collaboration through its scalable and flexible platform businesses unify and strengthen their operations through reliable data-driven decision making.
The Now Platform is designed to support enterprises of all sizes, offering comprehensive capabilities for large organizations with complex needs. Its focus on innovation and user experience helps companies transform their service delivery processes, enhance employee productivity, and improve customer satisfaction. With a global presence and a well-earned reputation for innovation and reliability, ServiceNow has established itself as the leader in the ITSM market.
When it comes to ITSM, both ServiceNow and Helix offer proven solutions designed to support organizations in managing their IT services. However, there are key differences in their features, scalability, and overall approach.
ServiceNow® ITSM is a comprehensive, cloud-based solution designed to automate workflows across multiple business functions. It includes features such as AI-powered incident management, predictive analytics, and Now Assist for ITSM—an AI-driven virtual agent that assists routine tasks and provides intelligent support. Additionally, ServiceNow ITSM offers extensive integration capabilities which allow it to function optimally across various tools and systems. This combination of advanced features and seamless integration helps organizations streamline their IT processes, enhance service delivery, and improve overall efficiency.
ServiceNow is widely celebrated for its scalability and flexibility, supporting the complex needs of even the largest enterprises. The Now Platform provides a unified approach to the full range services (IT, HR, security, customer service, etc.), enabling organizations to coordinate and streamline all their operations and increase productivity through total observability and intuitive predictive analytics. With its user-friendly interface and omnichannel self-service options, ServiceNow improves employee satisfaction and operational efficiency throughout the entire business. .
Helix supports comprehensive IT operations, including incident management, problem management, and change management. It is designed with usability firmly in mind, making it more suitable for organizations that may be willing to trade some capabilities for user friendliness. Since BMC has containerized their software, it is hosted in the public cloud (Azure, AWS) and also offered in a BMC managed datacenter in a multi-tenant instance, which may limit the freedom of some users to customize their instances.
- ServiceNow ITSM
ServiceNow offers advanced approval process control with automated workflows and customizable approval rules. It uses AI to streamline approval processes and help ensure compliance. - Helix
Helix does not feature approval process access controls, which may limit its effectiveness in managing complex approval workflows.
- ServiceNow ITSM
ServiceNow features a comprehensive Integration Hub with more than 200 spokes, for seamless, out-of-the-box integration with essential third-party applications (such as Microsoft Office 365, Salesforce, and Zoom). And, for those rare occasions when an integration is not included as a spoke, ServiceNow provides a no-code spoke generator. More specific integrations—such as ITOM Event Management Integrations and Service Graph Connectors—are also available, depending on the needs of the user. - Helix
Helix offers integration of approximately 60 options, but it typically requires additional configuration. Likewise, Helix offers fewer third-party support options.
- ServiceNow ITSM
ServiceNow’s scalability is tailored to meet the growing needs of businesses of all sizes, allowing them to expand their ITSM capabilities without significant reconfiguration. Its cloud-native architecture supports dynamic scaling and high performance. - Helix
Helix offers tiered scaling, which can provide easier cost management and a more straightforward selection process for smaller companies or those with less complex IT requirements. Organizations experiencing rapid growth or who otherwise require more personalized scaling options could find this tier systems limiting.
- ServiceNow ITSM
ServiceNow is known for its user-friendly interface tailored for ITSM, with intuitive dashboards, real-time analytics, and customizable views that enhance user experience and efficiency. The Now Platform features UI policies, Workflow Studio, and WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) capabilities that implement customization changes as they are made. These tools allow users to more easily tailor their digital workspace to meet specific needs and create a personalized experience. - Helix
Helix allows users to customize the ITSM service’s color scheme, icon, company logo, and background. More extensive customization options are available through the Helix Developer Studio.
- ServiceNow ITSM
ServiceNow offers a single cloud-native platform that integrates ITSM, IT operations management (ITOM), and IT asset management (ITAM), as well as other vital applications. This unified approach gives users access all their tools from a centralized location. Built on the Now Platform, these solutions allow for a comprehensive approach to managing and optimizing IT services. - Helix
Helix lacks a single, cloud-native platform encompassing ITSM and related tools. Instead, users may need to rely on separate tools and additional integration efforts to achieve full functionality.
- ServiceNow ITSM
ServiceNow’s extensive customization options allow organizations to tailor the entire platform to their specific needs, supporting a wide range of business processes beyond ITSM and allowing for the creation of bespoke workflows and processes that fully align with business objectives. - Helix
Helix also offers customization capabilities. These are most suitable for smaller businesses, but they may not be extensive enough to meet the needs of larger enterprises or organizations with highly specific and complex IT requirements. More advanced customization features are available through the Helix Developer Studio.
ServiceNow offers a comprehensive and versatile suite of features that integrate smoothly with a wide range of systems and tools. This makes it particularly well-suited for enterprises with intricate requirements. Key benefits of selecting ServiceNow include:
User experience
IServiceNow’s intuitive and user-friendly interface, which simplifies navigation and reduces the learning curve, eliminates many of the barriers that stand between new users and effective IT service management. The platform’s design focuses on providing a seamless user experience across different devices, ensuring that users can access and manage essential services efficiently from anywhere and at any time.
Ease of deployment
ServiceNow facilitates a smoother and faster implementation process. The Now Platform offers extensive documentation and support resources, enabling organizations to deploy solutions with minimal disruption. Additionally, ServiceNow’s fully cloud-native architecture simplifies the deployment process by eliminating the need for complex on-premises infrastructure.
Ease of integration using standard APIs and tools
ServiceNow excels in integrating with an array of third-party tools and systems, and its powerful API capabilities make it possible for organizations to easily bridge multiple systems, enhancing overall workflow efficiency.
IT knowledge management
ServiceNow’s knowledge management capabilities are highly regarded for their ability to capture, organize, and retrieve information efficiently. This feature is crucial for organizations who want to improve their service desk operations and support processes. ServiceNow likewise provides advanced tools for creating and managing a comprehensive knowledge base, allowing for quicker issue resolution and better information sharing across the organization.Quality of technical support
ServiceNow offers a variety of support options—including extensive online resources, community forums, and direct support channels—ensuring that users receive the help they need exactly when they need it. The company’s strong commitment to customer success and support excellence is a major factor in the brand’s popularity.
IT service management solutions offer significant potential value for any organization looking to enhance their IT operations, improve service delivery, and drive innovation. And while there are many effective tools and platforms capable of empowering some organizations with effective ITSM capabilities, ServiceNow takes things further.
ServiceNow offers comprehensive solutions that excel even in the most complex IT environments. Backed by AI-powered incident management, real-time performance analytics, and a unified cloud-native platform integrating ITSM, ITOM, ITAM, and more, ServiceNow helps organizations of all sizes boost productivity and enhance employee and customer satisfaction. Experience the difference yourself—demo ServiceNow today to see how to transform your IT service management into a clear competitive advantage.