MSP software takes a different turn in ServiceNow-LogicMonitor link
Managed service providers pursue a range of approaches when they deploy MSP software to automate their core functions.
Many companies follow a multi-vendor path, purchasing what they consider best-in-class systems for remote monitoring and management, professional services automation, remote control and other areas. But increasing consolidation in the MSP software market now makes integrated suites an option for service providers, with ConnectWise, Datto and Solarwinds MSP among the vendors integrating offerings.
Yet another automation possibility comes from the IT service management (ITSM) and performance monitoring platform arenas. Some MSPs are deploying a combination of ServiceNow’s ITSM product and LogicMonitor’s tool for monitoring on-premises and cloud resources.
Examples include Mindshift, NTT Com Managed Services and Virteva. In Virteva’s case, the Minneapolis MSP replaced four monitoring tools with LogicMonitor, which the company has integrated into ServiceNow.
Mark Banfield, chief revenue officer at LogicMonitor, noted the emergence of the ServiceNow-LogicMonitor combination, especially among larger MSPs. “As they grow, they need a more robust ITSM tool,” he said. “The larger MSPs are definitely adopting ServiceNow as their core ITSM tool.”
LogicMonitor, Banfield said, has offered integration with ServiceNow for a number of years. That linkage lets a LogicMonitor alert trigger the creation of a ticket in ServiceNow’s ITSM for resolution. In addition, customers have built custom integrations between LogicMonitor and ServiceNow’s configuration management database (CMDB).
A few months ago, LogicMonitor decided to build a native application integration between LogicMonitor and the ServiceNow CMDB. LogicMonitor in February 2019 announced the availability of the CMDB integration in the ServiceNow Store.
Banfield said the integration is significant since organizations struggle to maintain “strong hygiene” in the CMBD as they grow their IT assets.
The CMDB serves as the “system of record for an organization as to what they have in their IT estate,” he explained. But recording device and configuration data in the CMDB is often a manual task, which can lead to inaccurate or incomplete data. LogicMonitor’s integration, however, automatically populates the CMDB as it discovers devices on an organization’s network, he said.
“Most MSPs that are using ServiceNow have shown interest in this integration,” Banfield said. “Some have already deployed it and others are in the process of deploying it and reviewing it.”
For MSPs, automating the process of populating and updating the CMDB “allows them to offer a much higher quality of service,” he added.
From a broader perspective, the expanding ServiceNow-LogicMonitor integration gives MSPs another choice for covering two major MSP software components: service management and monitoring. Those are important bases to cover, according to Banfield.
“Their ability to provide the highest level of responsiveness from the monitoring standpoint and providing the best quality experience from the service management standpoint is what sets organizations apart,” he said.