We're thrilled to introduce xHype, a newsletter designed to keep you in the loop on the latest ServiceNow platform operations news and trends, all through the expert lens of xtype’s subject matter experts.

In each edition, xtype will break down the key developments within the ServiceNow ecosystem and share his unique insights on how they impact the way we approach ServiceNow instance management, operations, and delivery. Expect actionable takeaways, best practices, and commentary on emerging trends that will help you stay ahead in a fast-evolving space.

Let’s dive into the first edition of xHype—your go-to source for staying at the forefront of ServiceNow and DevOps!

ServiceNow, Coreweave and others to invest $8.2 billion in UK data centers to fuel AI growth

Bill McDermott, Chairman, President & CEO ServiceNow, speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 17th, 2024.

What’s the summary? Enterprise software giant ServiceNow and AI-focused startup CoreWeave announced plans to invest billions of dollars in the U.K., as new Prime Minister Keir Starmer looks to attract foreign investment. ServiceNow said it would invest $1.5 billion in the U.K. over the next five years, as it grows its U.K. business. The U.S.-based company plans to expand its U.K. presence with new office space and grow its staff base beyond the 1,000 people it currently employs. ServiceNow also said it would invest the cash into localizing the processing of data for its large language models (LLMs), artificial intelligence models that rely on vast quantities of training data to be able to understand and generate text like a human.

What’s xtype’s take? ServiceNow’s £1.15 billion investment in UK AI innovation signals a continued shift toward AI-driven automation, enabling more efficient workflows and intelligent solutions within its platform. This move aligns with European calls for “AI sovereignty,” ensuring that AI data is processed locally, reflecting a cultural and regulatory need similar to that of geo-local cloud-based data. This news also demonstrates ServiceNow’s revenue growth prowess.

ServiceNow updates Deployment Success Incentive Program for partners

What’s new? ServiceNow has updated several initiatives to support and empower partners in driving AI and Now Assist adoption, at the vendor’s partner forum, ahead of its World Forum in Melbourne. ServiceNow has extended its Deployment Success Incentive Program to include its generative AI solution Now Assist. With the recent updates, partners will be able to earn up to 150,000 credits by simply registering for the DSIP and deploying Now Assist deals with a lead-certified consultant, said ServiceNow vice president of global partner experience Jen Odess. To help partners, the vendor has launched an AI Navigator hub for updates and a single hub for enablement events, she said.

What’s xtype’s take? The inclusion of Now Assist in the updated Deployment Success Incentive Program means faster AI adoption and more incentives for partners to deploy generative AI solutions. This boosts the efficiency and capabilities of users leveraging these tools. Furthermore the update emphasizes the need for robust multi-instance management as AI deployments increase. Our role will be to support partners and users in managing these more complex environments, ensuring smooth operations and successful integration of AI solutions like Now Assist.

How the Oscar-winning VFX giant DNEG streamlined its DevOps processes

What’s the summary? London-headquartered VFX firm DNEG may have won seven Oscars, but that scale of success hasn't spared it from the challenges of legacy software, asset tracking, and platform shifting. In a conversation with The Stack, Victoria Adeyeri, Software Developer at DNEG discussed the biggest challenges to their pipeline – and fixes that worked.For the company supporting films including Dune: Part Two, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, its biggest backend challenges came from attempting to deploy new technology within the organization. "Much of our software stack had dependencies on various other older pieces of software," Adeyeri explained. These dependencies in turn made deployment "slow and complicated" on its VFX pipeline. For an animation and effects studio- its pipeline is the backbone of all processes and involves a series of interconnected and automated tools that allow artists and technicians to work together.

What’s xtype’s take? DNEG’s challenge of transitioning legacy systems and managing complex data with its DevOps pipelines illustrates the critical need for efficient, scalable processes. ServiceNow, with its robust workflow automation capabilities, can streamline such transitions by providing a unified platform for managing assets and ensuring smooth deployments. For a company like xtype, which specializes in multi-instance management, integrating with ServiceNow would help organizations like DNEG manage multiple DevOps environments more efficiently, automate processes, and reduce the complexity of deploying new technologies across their infrastructure.

AI Will Soon Automate DevSecOps Governance

What’s the summary? The role cybersecurity teams play in ensuring applications are secure is about to become a lot more proactive in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). During a panel convened at the OpenText DevSecOps Virtual Summit, Rob Aragao, chief security strategist for OpenText, told attendees that instead of searching for vulnerabilities after code has been written cybersecurity teams will soon be able to ensure best cybersecurity practices are followed as applications are built. In effect, cybersecurity teams will for the first time be able to leverage AI to embed some much-needed governance to the software development lifecycle (SDLC), he added. Rather than pumping the brakes by requiring developers to go back and fix a defect after an application is developed, the guidance will be provided directly within their integrated development environment (IDE) as code is being written, noted Aragao.

What’s xtype’s take? AI is poised to automate DevSecOps governance by embedding security practices directly into the development process, ensuring vulnerabilities are identified and resolved in real-time. This would significantly streamline governance and reduce the burden on cybersecurity teams. xtype, with its focus on multi-instance management, could play a critical role by integrating these AI-driven governance tools across various ServiceNow environments, ensuring consistent security compliance and process optimization for DevOps users managing complex, multi-instance deployments. This synergy would enhance both governance and efficiency in the DevOps pipeline.

Join xtype’s First Annual ServiceNow Operations Survey!

We’re excited to invite you to participate in xtype’s first annual ServiceNow Operations Survey. This quick, 3-minute survey will help democratize knowledge and share best practices across the ServiceNow community.

Why participate?

• First 15 participants receive a Starbucks voucher ☕️.
• For everyone else, we’ll plant a tree in your name 🌱.

The insights gathered will be made publicly available in early 2024. Don’t miss your chance to contribute—take the survey now!

Thank you for reading. For more visit our webpage here.