ITSM Articles

Salesforce Moves Into ITSM

Salesforce Moves Into ITSM – Opportunity or Distraction?

Salesforce is starting to talk about ITSM. References to ITSM are now showing up in Service Cloud messaging and its “Agentforce” AI-building platform positioning. So far, it has been relatively low-key in my opinion: a Dreamforce announcement (that created a buzz), a few posts, a video, and a landing page that feels more like a placeholder than a full strategy. Is it less a bold announcement and more like a quick response to ServiceNow’s move into CRM? The big question is whether Salesforce’s entry into ITSM will have a real impact.
Why ITSM is Breaking People

Why ITSM is Breaking People (And What We Can Do)

We talk endlessly about processes, tools, and technology in ITSM. But here’s what we don’t talk about enough: the mental health of the people actually doing the work. The conversation is happening – there are posts about well-being, mental health awareness weeks, and workplace stress. But what about when it comes to the specific pressures of ITSM roles? Or the unique challenges teams face? This is where the conversation gets a bit thin. In this article, Sophie Danby explains what and how things need to change.
The State of AI in ITSM

The State of AI in ITSM (Mid-2025)

In Q2 2025, HCLSoftware and ITSM.tools ran an artificial intelligence (AI)-focused survey; this article presents some of the results from a report called The State of AI in ITSM 2025. The full report can be downloaded using the links in the article.
Shadow IT Subscription Auditing

Shadow IT Subscription Auditing: 5 Real-World Steps for IT Pros

Nobody’s raising a ticket five minutes before a client call. They’re pasting the VPN error into an AI tool and getting back to work. Problem solved for the user. Problem invisible to the service desk. Judin Joan Soundarya S looks at what shadow AI is doing to incident data, problem management, and the SIEM-to-ITSM chain, and how to get the visibility back without forcing people into a queue they were never going to use. to tackle it.
Controlling IBM License Costs

10 Tips for Controlling IBM License Costs

Maximizing the value of IBM license costs while avoiding unplanned and unbudgeted costs is a core concern for both ITAM and ITSM professionals. This article offers 10 tips for better controlling your IBM license costs.
ITSM Tool Churn in 2025

ITSM Tool Churn in 2025 – It’s Better News

Every couple of years, ITSM.tools runs a short poll to understand whether organizations are changing their ITSM tools and – importantly – why. This article shares the results of our 2025 ITSM tool churn poll.
The Future of IT Is Human - Global IT Experience Benchmark Findings

The Future of IT Is Human – What We Learned from 130+ Countries

The HappySignals Global IT Experience Benchmark Report 2025, based on 2.28 million employee feedback responses from over 130 countries, is a comprehensive snapshot of how employees experience IT services and how organizations are using that data to create better, more people-centric support. This article explains more.
ITSM Maturity: Why SMBs Struggle

ITSM Maturity: Why SMBs Struggle to Mature Their ITSM Practices and What to Do About It

According to the new State of SMB IT for 2026 report from EasyVista and OTRS Group, most SMBs remain stuck in the middle stages of ITSM maturity. Nearly 40% of respondents say their organizations still operate without consistent processes. Just 12% describe their ITSM approach as “mature and proactive.”  Read more here.
AI Agents in ITSM

AI Agents in ITSM – What You Need to Know

A recent AI in ITSM survey by ManageEngine examined the progress of AI adoption among a sample of 300 IT professionals and their organizations. It extended beyond the current use of AI to include the future impact of AI agents. This article presents some of the survey findings.
Shadow AI Risks

Shadow AI Risks – The Impact on IT Teams

A year ago, IT departments could easily dismiss GenAI tools as a “marketing experiment” because there were only a handful of AI writing tools that were gaining popularity. Today, every department is trying a new AI tool (cough, OpenAI wrapper, cough) that promises to double their productivity, increase their quality of work, and secure them a promotion. So how do we deal with this Shadow AI?
Defining the Scope of an IBM License Audit – A Guide for ITSM Professionals

Defining the Scope of an IBM License Audit – A Guide for ITSM Professionals

For organizations with mature ITAM and ITSM practices, proactive engagement in defining the scope of an IBM license audit can shift the balance. This article provides details on what your organization can do scopewise to help improve the results of an IBM license audit.
ITIL Capacity and Performance Management

ITIL Capacity and Performance Management: A Complete Guide for Reliable IT Services

Some ITSM practices are widely adopted and closely managed (often using ITIL best practices). However, others, like ITIL capacity and performance management practice, might receive far less attention (and love). But this doesn’t mean they aren’t essential. This article explains more.
IBM Licensing Resources

IBM Licensing Resources for ITSM Professionals

Navigating IBM’s licensing models, contractual obligations, and product lifecycle changes can be time-consuming and risky without access to the right information. To help, here’s a curated list of IBM licensing resources to help your organization manage its IBM licensing risk and reduce unnecessary costs.
How Agentic AI Is Replacing Level 1 ITSM Tasks

The Future of ITSM: Agentic AI and the Autonomous Service Desk

McKinsey’s latest modeling estimates that generative and agent-driven AI could inject $2.6 trillion to $4.4 trillion of new economic value every year – roughly equivalent to the GDP of the UK. Inside ITSM, that value materializes whenever autonomous software agents absorb the drudgery once handled by Level 1 IT support staff.
ITSM Tool Change

ITSM Tool Change – Is Anything Different in 2025?

ITSM.tools takes a snapshot of the ITSM tool market every couple of years. It’s a short poll about whether ITSM tool change or churn is still happening and what the primary drivers for the ITSM tool replacements are (or were). The 2025 poll is here and we would appreciate you taking one minute or less to complete it.