ServiceNow's Five-Year Low-Code Leadership in the Gartner Magic Quadrant

In this episode of Syncing with ServiceNow, hosts Eddie McDonald and Mike Sabia dive into ServiceNow's recent recognition as a leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Low-Code Application Platforms. 

For the fifth consecutive year, ServiceNow has been acknowledged for empowering organizations with low-code tools designed to meet today’s dynamic business needs. Eddie and Mike explore the significance of this achievement, the growing role of low-code and no-code capabilities, and how these tools bring efficiency and accessibility to developers and non-developers alike. They also discuss ServiceNow’s App Engine, Creator Studio, and the exciting potential of generative AI with Now Assist for Creator. 

Whether you're a seasoned developer or a business user, this episode sheds light on the ways ServiceNow’s low-code solutions can optimize workflows, reduce costs, and empower innovation across industries.

Transcript

Edward McDonald   1:34

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 42 of syncing with service now.
My name is Eddie MC Donald.
I am here with Mike Sabia. Hello, Mike.
Did you just wave at me on podcast?

Mike Sabia   1:57
I I think I just held my hand up kinda like big High 5.

Edward McDonald   2:00
All right, that's awesome. OK.
So this is an audio podcast.
So Mike, just high fived me in the video.
So hello everyone.
Let me get the commercial out of the way.
We are zentegra your ServiceNow partner for all things. Licensing, resales and implementation services.
We consider ourselves one of the most mature young partners in ecosystem with a very tenured architect and development team. So if you need any professional services or help with your renewals or additional modules, we are the folks need to talk to. So with that.
Today we are talking about a blog from Jennifax Kerr. If I'm no, I'm butchering his name.
But the name of his blog is celebrating 5 consecutive years as a low code leader.
They've got a little grid here, a magic quadrant from Gartner, and it shows ServiceNow. And obviously in the top right, the leaders categ.
Ory, surrounded by a couple other systems that are not that don't do what ServiceNow does, but today.
We're going to talk about the years as a low code leader.
Mike, anything to add before we jump in?

Mike Sabia   3:17
No, I mean service now has been building towards this for a number of years, as you said, five years.
We'll touch on a couple things and be a quick nice review.

Edward McDonald   3:28
So. So his kind of his got a couple paragraphs here, kind of introduced the blog.
He says.
I'm thrilled to announce the servicenow's been recognized as leader in the 2024 Gardner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Low code application platforms for the 5th consecutive year.
We believe this recognition is acknowledgment of our unwavering commitment to empower organizations with the low code tools they need to thrive in today's business environment. As a world continues to evolve, so do the needs of organizations across industries.
Our mission has always been to stay updated on the changes and help ensure our customers have the most advanced toolbox at their fingertips. For us being named a leader acknowledges our position in the dynamic load code landscape and reinforces our dedication to our customers.
So the first segment here is powering enterprise transformation and then you talk about the low code space as the app engine.
Mike, give me your thoughts on Servicenow's app engine.

Mike Sabia   4:28
I think it's really fantastic.
I mean, you know, stepping back from App Engine a little bit source now is built on on workflows and it's been fantastic and you know back in the day you could customize ServiceNow however you wanted to, which was fantastic.
But as ServiceNow evolved, it needed to be able to protect applications from each other and the application development capabilities started having these.
Application scopes where you can develop a tool that is distinct that has its protections.
That other portion ServiceNow cannot access. It's has its own licensing into the word of building things. And you can build, you know, beyond what ServiceNow was originally intending. It's fantastic.

Edward McDonald   5:12
Pretty good, yes.
And you're right.
I mean, at its core, it's about, you know, for those of you who don't know, ServiceNow has an update twice a year, typically, historically twice a year. And during these upgrades, you'll get what's called a skip report and these skip reports are usually because you've changed something along.
The way and that change is not going to embrace whatever new functionality is included in the update.
So what Mike was speaking to, making sure that all the applications talk to each other.
From my understanding and Mike is far more technical than I am. From my understanding, using this low code and no code letting the platform build the code for you makes your future upgrades and your future code seemingly bulletproof.
Is that a fair statement?

Mike Sabia   6:04
Yeah. I mean, there's always nuances, but but yes, source now has a lot of capabilities to make life easier and that even for a full time developer there are tools to facilitate what they want to do.
But there are other capabilities which allow for non developers or or people who play with things are fun or people who need to help out. You know, the larger development team to get their stuff done. The report a layout.
All those things are available for people who are not full time paramourers to to.
Configure the system to their needs.

Edward McDonald   6:39
Gotcha. So as with every blog over the last 12 months, they step into generative AI.
And low code. No code is obviously having AI assist with that is a big deal. Now. They call out now assist for creator and yeah, I haven't played around with this a lot in the platform, but what I do know about it is it's really kind of cool.
You know you've got an AI chat bot that says we walk you through some questions.
What is it you're trying to build?
And it will try to filter down and as you go in you can start to create playbooks and workflows and all of this through natural language. Mike, have you got to experiment with analysis for creator much?

Mike Sabia   7:28
I have a little bit for sure.
For those people who've been using AI over the last year and and Eddie's right, you know, ServiceNow is pushing AI and AI and AI. The idea is rather than having to start a scratch, let ServiceNow start with the foundation, ask you the question. Hey, you.
Know what tables do you want?
What do you want to accomplish? And it can build that initial framework, which you can then adjust your own needs.

Edward McDonald   7:55
Gotcha. So and then it goes into, you know, tools for developers of all skills, the App engine suite of tools just to all skill levels by providing access to development tool set most appropriate for each individual, which is pretty cool you know, so you depending on who you.
Are in your role within an organization.
You'll have access to different elements that you can build on, and then it it. It talks specifically about the business. Users can use Creator studio.
So talk a little bit about the creator studio for those folks who don't have much.
Exposure to it.

Mike Sabia   8:28
Well, right, I mean I I spoke a moment ago about the fact that you can create these own application scopes or own application and the Creator studio is around that to be able to define you know what you're what you need the tables, the definitions and EU.
Around that permissions for one scope to read another.

Edward McDonald   8:49
Got it, got it.

Mike Sabia   8:50
No, it used to be a lot of hands on stuff, but the the studio facilitates that creation.
In the you know in low code no code is not just about, you know non developers who are developing it also is tools to make your life easier to facilitate that effort without having to, you know, pull out that that that coding hat and work on that.

Edward McDonald   8:56
I am.
Right. And there will be a point where the no code low code runs into a wall and if if the work flows are creating are complex then you might have to like you said put on your coding hat and finish something like that.
But either way, either an experienced developer or somebody, just as a business user can start their process using this and then the advanced developer can finish up with code. If it is complex.

Mike Sabia   9:40
Absolutely. And it helps us, the regular developer as well.
It's just to kick start what they're doing, but as with all AI, you need to verify.
You can't simply say, hey, do this looks good. Turn it on.
No, you're not gonna go to production until you have a true developer. Look at that, at least in many cases.

Edward McDonald   9:55
Right. And and again it's been it's been a minute since I've had my hands on keyboards, but I think the big take away from a development perspective is it removes almost 100% of the syntax errors.
It's going to write it right out-of-the-box.
You're not gonna have to go proofread your own code.

Mike Sabia   10:17
In many factors, yes.
Mm hmm.

Edward McDonald   10:18
Yeah. So there's a big, big screen right here in the middle of this.
Blog it says whether you're addressing the challenges of manufacturing, financial services, telecommunications, the global public sector, or any other major industry app engine let's anyone automate company specific manual processes, which is really cool because that's ServiceNow in a bucket across the platform as well. We are not indust.
Specific I've done work with.
Multi unit fast food organizations, global communications.
Japanese I did a a franchise car wash company.
There's really depending if you meet the minimums of what is necessary to utilize ServiceNow, there's really not an industry that I can think of that can't benefit.
Let me qualify that there is one.
There was AI was working on a deal out of Texas.
A very, very large, well known chicken company.
It doesn't name doesn't matter.
They had 11,000 employees.
They had two people in it.
That was it.
It had.
It was.
It was just a Chicken Ranch, so there are some industries that don't benefit even if they've got the people, but generally speaking.
Across the work that you know across the workspace, you can benefit from utilizing ServiceNow.

Mike Sabia   11:43
Sure.

Edward McDonald   11:43
So versatile platform, broad application, and ServiceNow, our customers are at the heart of everything we do.
Their success stories inspire us continuously innovate and push the boundaries of what's possible with the NOW platform.
I think these next two sections are a little bit of a thank you to the customers and kind of.
Just a little bit of let me see closely listening to our customers, we continue to grow.
Yeah, a little bit about who we are and how we're growing.
Not much more around the low code and no code in this blog.
Anything you want to share to kind of wrap up, Mike?

Mike Sabia   12:20
I mean, I think this article's good, but there's so much to talk about that, you know, you need to choose, talk about everything or talk about the highlights and this article kind of talks about the highlights.
But I just want to emphasize that in addition, having you know your app studio and your applications, there's a lot of other things that service now has been doing in order to facilitate developing and extending services, including the process automation designer where you say, hey, I want to.
Do this this and this. I need my people to follow.
Steps. You can use a process automation designer which is again logo to define those facilitate the users.
So there's a lot of use cases and you might be thinking today and listening to this that this means this, but it also means so much more.
And that's where Xentegra could come and speak with you and help you understand how you can extend and benefit from the full product suite.

Edward McDonald   13:12
Yeah. Yeah, that's. I'm kind of thinking through this.
You know, I've never really given it a lot of deep thought about the low code.
No code in the business impact other than just the convenience of not having to filter everything through it.
But if you think about it from a cost perspective, your IT folks might be a more expensive resource and they might have a backlog.
So you as a business user needs an application to be built that is relatively low or no code.
You could do it yourself within your own department.
You're gonna get the results faster.
You're gonna save it.
Sqa, little bit and.
The the cost of building that because it's kept within your department and not in I TS Group will be far lower as well.
So it's good for the business having low code across the spectrum is just it's good, good dollars and cents.
On top of that, it also brings more people onto the platform.
So now you're just not a ticket creator. You're actively involved in building out your business.

Mike Sabia   14:13
Now, that's not to say you're going to say, oh, let's low code, no code.
We need less ServiceNow developers the service now.
Developers absolutely have a place they absolutely need to be, that oversight. But in a particularly in a large organization, we have so many different asks, and as Eddie was alluding to very, very busy, the ability to start it and then vet it or, you know, keep on some.
Constraints about what they could add and get them excited about utilizing the product for their own needs.
It's it's pretty exciting for everybody.

Edward McDonald   14:42
Yeah, they I tried to figure out a way to say this diplomatically to somebody once, but they try to do a self implementation for a net new implementation of the ServiceNow platform.
And it's almost like having yourself as an attorney, you know, it's just it's just there's too many moving parts.
There's a lot that goes into it.
There's process discussions.
You know we're not impacted by politics or squeaky wheels.
We're always going to tell you the truth and what we know from our experience, so.
To your point, Mike, there's always a point where a good outside developer is necessary to make sure that your platform stays healthy.
OK.
So with that, Mike Sabia, thank you very much for those who don't know. Mike is a certified master architect.

Mike Sabia   15:26
Thank you, Eddie.

Edward McDonald   15:27
He is a rock star in the ecosystem, so we love having Mike join us on these calls.
So thank you, Mike, for that.
With that, we will wrap up again.
This is syncing with service now and we look forward to hearing from you if you have any ServiceNow needs you can reach out to Integra and we're happy to help you guys have a great day. Bye.