How AI Will Break the 1–3x ITSM Implementation Cost Rule
The rule of thumb in ITSM has long been that implementation costs one to three times the software license. Richard Mendis of Bytemethod.ai makes the case that agentic AI finally breaks this calculation, by taking on the configuration, documentation, and maintenance work that consumes the bulk of an implementation budget. The article explains where the savings show up first.
AI Help Desk Software: How LLMs, AI Agents & Chatbots Are Transforming IT Support
AI help desks powered by LLMs and AI agents are being rolled out to automate IT support, reduce Tier 1 tickets, cut operational costs, and scale support operations without adding headcount. Jeff Hume looks at where these systems are already delivering, what the current limitations look like, and how to think about them if you’re evaluating options for your own service desk.
The Genealogy of AI Slop: Generative AI Didn’t Invent It – It Learned It
There is a growing chorus complaining about “AI slop” in IT service management (ITSM). This article by Ian Clayton looks at how we had “slop” before we had “AI slop” and the connectivity between the two.
ITIL (Version 5) Changes Explained: 20 Important Changes from ITIL 4
The release of the ITIL (Version 5) Foundation publication has brought new interest in what changed from ITIL 4. This article walks through 20 changes in ITIL (Version 5) compared to ITIL 4, including updates to the Value System, the new certification paths, AI governance, and how the framework now handles the practices practitioners already know.
The Hidden Cost of IT “Papercuts”: Why ITSM Automation Is a Business Continuity Strategy
It’s the small issues that eat away at your team’s capacity: password resets, access tweaks, profile changes, and “just a quick question” tickets that never make a headline but never stop arriving either. Lauren Okruch explains why the compounded impact of these papercuts is a real business continuity risk, and how ITSM automation delivers more upside on this class of work than the flashier use cases.
AI in ITSM: How AI Is Transforming IT Service Management
AI is changing IT service management, from automation and predictive incidents to smarter knowledge management and better end-user experiences. Daniel Burley walks through where the technology fits in an ITSM setup today, what it does well, what it still gets wrong, and how to think about where to invest first if you’re at the early end of the adoption curve.
What the State of FinOps 2026 Means for ITSM
The FinOps Foundation has released its sixth annual State of FinOps survey, and ITSM is explicitly named as one of the key disciplines with which FinOps teams are now collaborating. If you work in ITSM and you haven’t been paying attention to FinOps, now’s the time to start.
ITIL 4 and ITIL 5 Service Value Systems (SVSs) Explained: Guiding Principles, Practices, and Service Value Chain
Much changed in ITIL 4, and there’s a lot to get your head around. This article explains what the ITIL 4 service value system is and what it contains: the guiding principles, governance, service value chain, management practices, and continual improvement. It also covers how the SVS evolves in ITIL (Version 5) and what practitioners should watch for.
ITIL (Version 5) Explained: What’s New, What’s Changed, and Why It Matters
ITIL (Version 5) is here, and the questions from practitioners have started. This article works through the most common ones: what has changed, what has stayed the same, and what the key differences from ITIL 4 are. Roman Jouravlev, editor of ITIL and creator of the Conversations with Giants series, walks through the practical implications for anyone already running ITIL 4.
AI Survey 2026: The Rise of Agentic AI Adoption in ITSM
We’re running a second 2026 AI survey just four months after our previous one. It repeats a similar AI survey from early 2025. This time, however, there’s a far greater focus on where the ITSM community is with Agentic AI rather than AI per se.
2026 ITSM Trends: What the Community Actually Wants Help With
Every year we ask the ITSM community what topics they want help with, and the 2026 results are in. This article covers what the community is asking for, how priorities have changed over six years, and what it all means. Spoiler: GenAI has fallen off a cliff and nobody wants to talk about people anymore.
The MSP Agentic AI Execution Gap in Service Delivery
70% of MSPs say they’re using agentic AI. Only 10% are primarily using it where it counts. And according to new Omdia poll data, MSP’s customers are already further ahead. The report digs into the execution gap, the cost of hesitation, and why investors are increasingly factoring AI maturity into MSP valuations.
Sovereignty-First ITSM: How Geopolitical Risk Is Reshaping Service Management in 2026
Sovereignty-first ITSM might be a new term in your service management vocabulary, but geopolitical risk is reshaping IT service management. Learn how it protects your organization’s data, helps ensure resilience, and preserves ITIL alignment.
ITIL (Version 5): What’s Known about ITIL Version 5
An impartial early look at ITIL (Version 5): why it exists, what’s changed, the new certification paths, AI governance, and how practitioners have reacted so far. More detail will follow as PeopleCert releases the full publication, but this is the easy-to-read snapshot of what’s known now and what still needs pinning down.
ITIL Version 5 Management Practices Explained: Complete List and Definitions
This article shares all 34 of the ITIL Version 5 management practices with their glossary definitions. Five of them have moved between ITIL 4 and ITIL (Version 5), now sitting in the product and service management practices grouping. The article walks through what moved, what it means, and how the shift affects practitioners working across the framework.