Incident management part of next ServiceNow launch

Other new features added, more in the works

By Scott Sherman

The next release of UIT’s service management tool will introduce a native incident management component, improving tracking and response for break/fix issues across the organization. The update — expected sometime in the next six weeks — also will include some added services.

"We’re focusing on improving voice services. The form to request a telephone move or change will be done through ServiceNow," said Josh Wall, UIT’s service manager. "We feel like that’s a win.

"We’re also working to do enhanced voice services such as call centers and all the features that come with call centers."

With the new incident management module, people will be able to report an incident or open a trouble ticket directly in ServiceNow, then track those and see their history online. The current trouble-ticket lookup will still be available while those issues are resolved.

People can access the new reporting tool from the "Get help" section of the UIT website or by clicking "View my history" at the top of any ServiceNow page.

Additional services have been added along the way, including domain change and domain removal. Future releases will add an infrastructure consultation, problem management and change, inventory management, and some level of automated provisioning and de-provisioning of access, Wall said.

Another module expected to come online is the project and portfolio management module, specifically for the IT Governance portfolios.

"We’re really focusing on the USS Portfolio, which has a large number of projects," Wall said. "That portfolio's members need a way to see which projects are being requested and what’s in progress. So we’re going to really make an effort to move everything into ServiceNow and use that as a mechanism for the USS Portfolio to prioritize projects."