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Abstract illustrated stacked data layers in blue and red representing the AI agent data layer foundation for ITSM trust

Before You Trust an AI Agent, Trust Your Data Layer

Salil Kulkarni, CSIO at Virima, argues that when an AI agent gets overridden, the issue is rarely the model. It’s a data layer that’s stale, incomplete, or missing the context a human would have caught. Drawing on decades leading technology at Caesars, Las Vegas Sands, and in hospitality revenue management, he sets out four conditions a data layer must meet before an AI agent can be trusted to act.
Illustrated figure standing at a crossroads between a stormy chaotic landscape and a calm structured one representing ESM adoption choices

Want Better ESM Adoption? Stop Suggesting ESM

Matt Beran’s advice is blunt: never suggest ESM. He argues that IT teams jump straight to the framework and the acronym before another department has finished describing its actual problem, and that this is what turns a useful idea into an initiative people resist. His case is to help departments examine their own work first, let them own the solution, and let ESM show up without ever needing the name.
Illustrated four-quadrant grid with whimsical characters representing the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for ITSM Platforms

The 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for IT Service Management Platforms: What Changed Between 2022 and 2026

Gartner brought back the Magic Quadrant for IT Service Management Platforms after retiring it in 2022, and the vendor map looks very different. Freshworks jumped from Challenger to Leader, displacing Ivanti to Niche Player, while Halo and TeamDynamix arrived as new Challengers. These magic quadrant moves say more about market momentum than product fit, and the 2026 report has plenty to offer.
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