TL;DR
After Salesforce introduced Agentforce IT in October, analysts called it a credible threat to ServiceNow’s ITSM business. ServiceNow executives say their workflow-first platform, reinforced by acquisitions and an AI Control Tower, positions them to deliver measurable AI-driven ROI.
What happened
In October Salesforce launched Agentforce IT, which analyst Charles Betz of Forrester described as the most credible threat ServiceNow has faced. ServiceNow executives, represented in comments by Heath Ramsey, downplayed the competitive risk, arguing the company’s strength lies in embedding workflow across an enterprise rather than competing on models alone. Ramsey said generative AI has accelerated customer interest in automation and that ServiceNow can quantify business value — cost savings and productivity gains — through tooling such as its AI Control Tower. Over the past year ServiceNow has expanded capabilities via several acquisitions, including Logik ai, Data.World and Veza, and spent $2.85 billion to buy Moveworks to add AI assistants and agentic reasoning. Bloomberg has reported ServiceNow is in talks to buy cybersecurity firm Armis for about $7 billion; ServiceNow declined to comment on those reports. Forrester has cautioned that integrating multiple acquisitions without reimplementing them on the Now platform could risk architectural drift.
Why it matters
- Direct competition in IT service management from Salesforce could pressure market share and product roadmaps.
- ServiceNow’s emphasis on cross-enterprise workflow and an AI Control Tower is presented as a route to measurable AI ROI for customers.
- A string of acquisitions aims to broaden ServiceNow’s platform capabilities but raises questions about architectural integration.
- Potential deals to add security visibility (Armis) would expand ServiceNow’s reach into the IT stack if completed.
Key facts
- Salesforce introduced Agentforce IT in October, positioning it against ServiceNow’s ITSM product.
- Forrester VP and principal analyst Charles Betz called Agentforce IT the ‘most credible threat’ ServiceNow has faced.
- Heath Ramsey, ServiceNow group VP for outbound project management for the AI platform, emphasized workflow and platform integration.
- ServiceNow highlights its AI Control Tower as a way to quantify ROI from AI through cost savings and productivity metrics.
- Recent ServiceNow acquisitions mentioned in the source include Logik ai, Data.World and Veza.
- ServiceNow paid $2.85 billion for Moveworks to bring AI assistants and agentic reasoning into its platform.
- Bloomberg reported talks that ServiceNow may buy cybersecurity firm Armis for roughly $7 billion; ServiceNow would not comment.
- ServiceNow describes its platform in three layers: data (bottom), workflow (middle) and user experience (top).
- Moveworks is characterized by ServiceNow as an experience-layer addition; Veza is positioned as identity security woven across the platform.
What to watch next
- Whether reported talks to acquire Armis progress to a confirmed deal — not confirmed in the source.
- How ServiceNow integrates recent acquisitions onto the Now platform versus maintaining legacy code bases, as Forrester warned.
- Salesforce’s rollout and customer uptake of Agentforce IT and whether it produces measurable displacement in ITSM contracts.
Quick glossary
- ITSM: IT Service Management; practices and tools for planning, delivering and managing IT services to meet business needs.
- Generative AI: A category of artificial intelligence models that produce content such as text, code or images from prompts.
- AI Control Tower: A centralized capability or dashboard intended to monitor, measure and govern AI-driven workflows and their business impact.
- Workflow automation: The design and automation of business processes to reduce manual work, improve consistency and boost productivity.
- Platform integration: The process of incorporating acquired or external technologies into a unified software platform to work seamlessly together.
Reader FAQ
Is ServiceNow worried about Salesforce’s Agentforce IT?
According to ServiceNow executives quoted in the source, the company is not worried and believes its workflow-first platform gives it an advantage.
Did ServiceNow confirm a deal to buy Armis?
Bloomberg reported talks about a potential $7 billion purchase of Armis, but ServiceNow would not comment; the acquisition is not confirmed in the source.
How does ServiceNow say it will show AI ROI?
ServiceNow points to its AI Control Tower and quantification of agent counts and work volumes to demonstrate cost savings and productivity gains.
Will ServiceNow keep acquired products as separate code bases?
Forrester raised concerns that maintaining legacy code bases could risk architectural drift; ServiceNow says it has historically integrated acquisitions into the Now platform but whether future reimplementations will occur is not confirmed in the source.
SAAS 2 ServiceNow unworried by Salesforce firing shots across its bow Believes it can translate workflow smarts into AI ROI O'Ryan Johnson Wed 17 Dec 2025 // 23:52 UTC In October, Salesforce debuted Agentforce…
Sources
- ServiceNow unworried by Salesforce firing shots across its bow
- ServiceNow unworried by Salesforce targeting its ITSM core
- What Does ServiceNow Want With Salesforce?
- 10 Salesforce Flow Mistakes That Break Automations
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