ServiceNow vs. BMC Remedy - Which is the Best ITSM Platform?

ServiceNow and BMC Remedy are two of the biggest giants in the IT managed services industry, accounting for up to 50% market share. Both companies have earned their reputation owing to a long list of satisfied clientele, multiple awards and ground-breaking solutions to complex problems. 

ITSM solutions have a considerable impact in enhancing the efficiency of processes, people and systems in a company. Therefore, when it comes to choosing from ServiceNow ITSM, it can’t be made purely based on awards or client lists. It is ideal to perform a feature-based comparative analysis and make a decision depending upon the benefits/features most advantageous to the organization. 

Consolidation and Integration:

All of ServiceNow platforms are built on cloud and owned by Servicenow themselves. This enables companies to keep a single system of record while integrating new applications or tools. BMC is more comprehensive in nature but also more rigid in terms of delivery. It has partners such as Remedy OnDemand to offer on premise applications but since they’re not an on-cloud platform, they might require additional software or hardware to adopt and sustain.

Similarly, BMC does not allow any third party integrations whereas ServiceNow has been built keeping easy integrations in mind and actively encourages the same. 

Ease of Configuration changes

ServiceNow offers pre-made configuration tools that help companies alter the solution based on the company’s requirements. These changes are implemented immediately. BMC also allows on-demand configuration requests but these requests have to go through the BMC Change Advisory Board before the changes can take effect; thus adding some time to the process.

Installation and Upgrades: 

While both platforms have some learning curves, ServiceNow is known for its easy implementation and integration capabilities. It is extremely user-friendly and is ideal even for newbies with a basic knowledge of DevOps. Developed as a single-cloud platform, ServiceNow is known for its easy and automated upgrades. BMC also provides frequent updates on it’s website. But it’s up to the user to download and upgrade.

Community Talks:

Both ITSM platforms maintain a huge community of developers and users by offering them plenty of support resources on their community portals; ServiceNow Community and BMC Community. ServiceNow also has a ServiceNow Wiki page that offers product related information. 

The Wrap 

Besides the above, a few more key considerations in choosing one brand of IT managed service platform over the other would be customization and price. It is important to compare value to pricing and invest in a tool that will benefit the firm long-term. All you need to do is go ahead, opt for a trial run and see which one aligns best with your business goals.