A Complete Guide to Integration in ServiceNow

Table of Contents

Introduction

ServiceNow is recognized as an impeccable platform that expands beyond the IT infrastructure landscape, which includes security, customer service, HR, and other business apps. The intelligent automation engine embedded in ServiceNow has the potential to detect anomalies, work as a predictive model, forecast performance, and benchmark peers.

ServiceNow integration connects siloed functional areas to extend the productivity and functionality of your IT infrastructure. You can easily integrate Saas, Iaas, PaaS, ERP systems, on-premise applications, legacy systems, and databases with ServiceNow.

Skip to :-
Top Ten Preferred Integration in ServiceNow

What is Integration in ServiceNow?

A ServiceNow integration is a holistic communication between the ServiceNow platform and other business systems or functions. By integrating ServiceNow with other systems and third-party applications, businesses can enforce digital workflows to provide a seamless customer and employee experience. Being a cloud-based SaaS (Software as a Service), it is scalable and customizable to meet business-specific needs using unique ServiceNow integration capability.

ServiceNow integration supports three key use-cases,

Integrating Processes

Integrating different processes with ServiceNow makes data movement between processes seamless. For example, BI tools process and analyze data received from the Now platform.

Integrating UI

‘Now’ integration with UI helps display essential information in the web domain within the ServiceNow platform. For example, an employee working in an office can get the weather forecast for the day within the Now platform without switching the applications.

Integrating Data

This specific integration in ServiceNow helps share data across departments or employees within the ServiceNow platform. For example, an Onboarding HR Manager can view demographic data of the selected candidate, like his location, title, salary, etc., inside the Now platform.

Methods Used for ServiceNow Integration

ServiceNow supports all significant and standard integration technologies like LDAP, REST, JDBC connections, Excel, CSV, e-mail, web services, and many more. However, for integration in ServiceNow, you do not have to write a single line of code, or you do not need IT assistance.

Here are some of the primary methods used for ServiceNow integration with third-party applications or with external systems,

• The ServiceNow Integration Store allows integration in ServiceNow with other business systems or third-party apps by providing a customized integration pathway. Usually, the seller does the implementation and offers ongoing support.
• ServiceNow Integration Hub is another method used by many for outbound integrations. It has multiple pre-built integration spokes that offer seamless connection with the system or app of your choice and also provides automation potential in a single platform.
• Custom Integrations is the third method for business-specific use cases and needs to be developed from scratch. Remember, this has to be the last resort for integration in ServiceNow.

Types of Integration in ServiceNow

You can easily integrate different Security Operation applications like Threat Intelligence, Incident Response, and Vulnerability Response with ServiceNow applications to enhance the functionality and productivity of those applications.

Here are some common types of integration in ServiceNow,

Event Management Integration

This type of integration enhances the potential of the Event Management application so it can seamlessly support the Security Incident Response. A support plugin imports the events from monitoring tools for creating security incidents grounded on customizable alert rules.

Import Set API Integration

You get an Import Set API provided by the Incident Response application that creates security events directly from SIEM tools. The Import Set API supports synchronous transfer and mirrors the existing SOAP interface so your systems can directly interact with import set tables.

Lookup Source Integration

This type of integration offers the flexibility to send data to third-party data or lookup sources to determine if the data is harmful or threatening. Usually, the data sent to the external lookup sources is either a URL, file, or file hash.

Threat Source Integration

When you want to pull in and analyze data from threat intelligence repositories outside the organization, you can think of this type of integration. The data thus pulled is then loaded into subsequent measures of reconciliation tables. This type of integration in ServiceNow natively supports TAXII and simple blocklists.

Scanner Invocation Integration

It represents an entry point for the lightweight integration for invoking the vulnerability scanner. Its backup puts forth vulnerability scans from the rule-based instance. The asynchronous integration in ServiceNow calls a third-party vulnerability scanner to schedule a scan of configurable items or IP Addresses.

Data Integration

This integration typically collects vulnerability data from vulnerability systems. Vulnerable entries and vulnerable items are the primary output of this integration in ServiceNow. In this integration, third-party vulnerability scanners can function independently with a motive to work and track the exposure within the instance.

Top Ten Preferred Integration in ServiceNow

ServiceNow came into existence as a ticketing platform that handles IT requests efficiently. It evolved over the years and became somewhat unique and capable of communicating over desperate functional areas, offering a single visibility window to monitor all of them.

1. Azure

Integrating Microsoft Azure with ServiceNow allows businesses to optimize their IT operations to the cloud. It empowers enterprises to manage end-to-end Microsoft cloud services and resources. ServiceNow Azure integration offers a single system of record to standardize cloud management processes across public and private cloud infrastructure.

2. Slack

The efficiency of IT service management is enhanced by many folds after integrating Slack with ServiceNow. It helps resolve issues faster, seeking faster assistance and streamlining record tracking. This Servicenow Slack Integration enables the employees to access the ServiceNow service catalog within slack and customize incident workflows.

3. JIRA

ServiceNow Jira integration allows users to sync almost everything, including Issues, Sprints, Incidents, Problems, Change Requests, Customer Cases, and more. The integration helps increase the visibility of IT workflows and understand the condition and progress of service tickets. It makes IT teams more productive and organized and enhances communication.

4. GitHub

Servicenow github integration gives developers and project managers an efficient source code management system. It allows teams to share code easily, control workflows, automate processes, manage version control, and store their work in a central repository without opening GitHub, logging manually, or updating issues.

5. LDAP ( Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)

If you want to carry on using your existing LDAP server as the master source of user data, then LDAP integration servicenow is the best option. LDAP integration streamlines client login methods and executes a single sign-on approach. To a large extent, LDAP and ServiceNow integration facilitate streamlining login processes and admin tasks besides allowing Active Directory Integration.

Want to configure and integrate the platform seamlessly with industry leading applications?
Hire ServiceNow Developers from us to Integrate ServiceNow with third-party applications and data sources

6. SAP

ServiceNow SAP integration offers benefits for both worlds. The Change Request Management or ChaRM in SAP is ITIL-compliant, which makes monitoring, executing, documenting, and managing changes made to the IT system easier for enterprises. The integration simplifies viewing all these changes in a single window. Additionally, it helps auto-ticket generation in ServiceNow as a response to triggered alerts in Solution Manager. The integration results in mapping and attaching all the applicable business, and IT metrics to the incident created from SAP to the configured fields in the Now platform.

7. McAfee

Integrating McAfee with ServiceNow makes detecting and responding to security threats easier and more efficient. It revolutionizes the entire concept of protecting, detecting, and responding to lifecycles. This ServiceNow McAfee integration empowers SOC professionals to detect critical threats and undertake remedial actions by automating the creation and resolution tracking of security incidents.

8. Oracle

ServiceNow supports Oracle cloud infrastructure so enterprises can access and manage different Oracle resources within the ServiceNow portal and ITOM visibility application. ServiceNow Oracle integration makes it easier to manage public cloud resources from Oracle and other cloud service providers from a single dashboard. It allows users to assess inventory and analyze cloud resource usage within their Oracle tenancy. Besides, combining CMDB content with ServiceNow AIOps solution empowers users to monitor Oracle deployed workloads and offers services in context with the tag-based service mapping.

9. SalesForce

Salesforce servicenow integration removes the communication barriers between customer-facing teams. The integration prioritizes customers, enhances communication with them, and minimizes the time required to resolve customer issues. Besides, it offers the support and sales team the flexibility to get real-time visibility into each other’s tasks.

You May Also Like to Read: NetSuite Salesforce Integration: A Forward-Thinking Solution

10. Splunk

Splunk ServiceNow integration automates incident transfer, alerts, CMDB CIs, and other vital data. It offers real-time incident response functionality and detailed ticket tracking for immediate incident management. Splunk and ServiceNow centralize data monitoring and incident schedules, enhancing IT infrastructure visibility and making agile work possible.

Useful ServiceNow Integration Resources

Due to integrated and secure offerings, ServiceNow has gained a lot of traction in minimum time. The vast capability of ServiceNow integration to connect and interact with versatile software technologies and tools, ensure uniformity, efficiency, and productivity of your IT operations.

If you want to integrate any of your existing solutions, apps, systems, or software with ServiceNow, access the list of possible ServiceNow integration below,

Source: A List of Servicenow Integrations

Three Benefits of Leveraging Integration in ServiceNow

Enterprises leveraging Now integration have upgraded their business operations to offer an exceptional experience to their customers and employees. Connecting your business-critical operations and integrating ServiceNow with third-party applications using the ServiceNow integration hub is easy.

Here are some benefits of using integration in ServiceNow,

Unprecedented Scalability

ServiceNow is a subtle option that addresses the scalability issue. It is highly flexible to accommodate all sizes of businesses and scalable to include all system networks. ServiceNow comes with pre-built applications for ITSM, CSM, HRSM, and more to provide additional functionalities at scale and at low costs. Integration in ServiceNow ensures all systems within an enterprise are tied together and work uniformly under a single workflow.

Enhanced Productivity

Integration in ServiceNow solves the majority of complex problems for businesses. Employees no longer have to wait for responses and approvals; the Now platform automates the workflows and alerts the right person in the correct department to perform the task before any disruption occurs. Besides, all the processes and systems are visible in a single window improving visibility and accountability. ServiceNow integration results in improved efficiency of operations and enhanced productivity of the employees.

Higher ROI

Seamless integration in ServiceNow allows enterprises to save on costs they would otherwise spend on training new employees, transferring data, and implementing new programs. ServiceNow is a robust enterprise-grade no-code platform that syncs disparate data sources, connects versatile apps, and configures workflows. According to a research report by Forrester, ServiceNow customers enjoyed 22.9% ROI along with $4.3 million in infrastructure savings.

Conclusion

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I determine if I need Integration in ServiceNow?

Defining your goals is the primary step in determining whether you need ServiceNow Integration or not. Here are a few considerations that will help you,

• Determine the business outcome you intend to achieve with ServiceNow Integration and understand if it will deliver value meeting your expectations.
• Understand the costs involved in maintaining the integration for extended periods and analyze if it is worth the investment.
• Understand the workflows you expect integration in ServiceNow will deliver and determine if you could achieve the same without integration.
• Please note pain points that will be resolved with this specific ServiceNow integration and analyze its impact on existing processes.
• Think about the data that needs to be exchanged across systems to achieve the end goals.

If I go for ServiceNow integration, who do I need to involve?

To ensure the success of your ServiceNow integration project, you need to involve administrators of both – the ServiceNow platform and the third-party systems. Additionally, keeping enterprise architecture representatives and the implementation team throughout the project tenure will yield better results.

Sometimes, it is advisable to initially involve the process owners, platform owners, and stakeholders. However, getting data architects, security teams, and SMEs for each system involved in the integration is more beneficial for achieving the desired outcome and meeting your goals.

Is it time-consuming to carry out the integration in ServiceNow?

Depending on your requirements, methods opted, and technologies available for integration, it would take anywhere from one day to months to complete the integration in ServiceNow.

Opting for custom integration takes more time, as it is a complicated process that needs proper development from scratch. The majority of time is consumed for a trial and error approach. Therefore, it is advisable to hire ServiceNow developers that are well experienced and highly skilled to perform ServiceNow Integration of any kind.

What is ServiceNow Integration Hub?

ServiceNow Integration Hub is an application provided by the Now Platform for process automation and integration using standard protocols like APIs, JDBC, PowerShell, or standard line scripting language. These protocols usually interact with the external platforms to carry out seamless integration.

If necessary, the ServiceNow integration hub gives process owners and developers the liberty to use IH for building reusable spokes integration actions for executing demands against an external system.

You can use ServiceNow Integration Hub for,

• Using prebuilt spokes for third-party system integration in ServiceNow
• Packaging reusable spokes into reusable actions and using standard protocols for use in Flow Designer for developing custom interactions.

How many types of integrations are available in ServiceNow?

Different types of integration are available in ServiceNow, like inbound, outbound, scripted web services, etc. Depending on your requirements and availability of technologies, the integration in ServiceNow can be unidirectional or bidirectional.

For more information on types of ServiceNow integration, refer to our blog, or get in touch with us.