What’s New in Tokyo - key upcoming enhancements

Mark Edwards - 6th October 2022

So, it's time for yet another release from ServiceNow.  After the vast number of changes in the San Diego release (has it really been six months already?) we're now in the period of looking at the Tokyo release after its recent launch.  I guess the question on everyone's lips is how on earth could ServiceNow top the success that was San Diego?  I think the answer to that is by doubling-down on almost every aspect of the platform.

Looking at the upgrade kit for Tokyo, what is immediately apparent is that this release is all about simplification and providing a more streamlined experience.  It's been a criticism I've heard levelled at the platform for a long time now that, as it has grown in functionality and complexity, the ease at which it could be operated and maintained has been slowly eroded from those initial releases.

In an attempt to push back against this, the Tokyo release contains a host of new administrative and monitoring tools aimed squarely at surfacing the data necessary to allow better management of the platform.  Whether this be the new Admin Center - providing task-based insights into the health of your instance along with more guided setups for applications and components based upon business outcomes and needs, the App Engine Management Center - providing an at-a-glance view of app development lifecycles and status throughout the deployment process, or the new Platform Analytics Workspace - allowing the configuration of complex dashboards across the platform, and visibility of all your analytics data in one place.

And these just scratch the surface...

Throughout the platform there are enhancements to existing products to boost agent productivity, or to streamline workflows, such as the new agent sidebar - present in configurable workspaces for ITSM, CSM, FSM allowing agents to collaborate more effectively when working tickets, AI and Natural Language search enhancements see it being exposed to more areas of the platform, enhancements to mapping features (including the anticipated indoor mapping features), and a myriad other tweaks, enhancements and simplifications that will make life in the platform more streamlined.

In fact, there are so many features and enhancements it is difficult to pick out one that stands out above everything else (to give some idea, the upgrade kit deck runs to over 200 slides, and the release notes summary some ten pages of A4).

For me, I think the most exciting area is the continued improvement to the App and Automation Engines.  Almost every aspect of the App Engine's suite of tools has received updates allowing citizen and low-code developers to build richer app experiences in shorter timespans and with less effort.  Better governance and oversight of citizen development efforts is now possible through the new App Engine Management Center ensuring that application lifecycles are managed better, and that the right developers have the right access to the platform at any time.  The Automation Engine now has a new Management Console allowing you to manage your entire automation landscape from within your ServiceNow platform and monitor for new automation opportunities from the Process Optimisation tooling.

Coupling these with enhanced security via the new and enhanced security and encryption features helps to ensure the protection and robustness of your instances, protecting against supply chain attacks and enabling you to improve your overall security posture.

Of course, the best way to really get a view on both the new features in Tokyo and the existing capabilities of the platform, is to see them for yourself, so I would encourage you to get in touch with us to arrange a demo of any features you may be interested in and to see how the ServiceNow Tokyo release can help the way you work, work better.