The Evolution of ServiceNow Versions
Tags: servicenow, cloud, webdev, devops
Published: 2024-07-08 07:09:28

## Understanding the ServiceNow Versions 
ServiceNow often releases updates to its platform and applications, keeping its spot at the forefront of innovation and continuous value delivery. These ServiceNow versions usually include current product patches and new modules, apps, or additions. 

According to Forrester's Total Economic Impact Study, companies that prioritized frequent upgrades of ServiceNow versions were able to cut down on the time and effort needed for each upgrade by over 81℅. This shows that ServiceNow version upgrades improve your organization's performance and boost return on investment. 

Maintaining an updated ServiceNow environment allows you to reduce risk and avoids any consequences of using an unsupported product release. Furthermore, these upgrades also help businesses make the most of the platform and adjust to their evolving business requirements.

This article will give an extensive overview of every ServiceNow version, including the most current updates, prior releases, and upcoming releases. Keep up with ServiceNow's development and promote ongoing user improvement in your businesses.

## Exploring the History of ServiceNow Versions 
ServiceNow has been around for more than ten years. It was first released in 2007 under the name "Summer 2007" by the firm, which had just rebranded themselves from Glidesoft. A periodic release plan was then implemented, resulting in the annual release of up to three separate versions of ServiceNow. Between 2007 and 2011, ServiceNow versions were called by the seasons in which they were launched rather than following a city-based naming scheme. Among these releases were:

1. Summer 2007 
2. Fall 2007
3. Summer 2008
4. Winter 2009
5. Spring 2009
6. Fall 2009
7. Spring 2010
8. Winter 2011
9. Spring 2011

The naming scheme for ServiceNow versions was modified to adhere to a new pattern after these versions. The revised method assigns a city-based identification to each edition, which is then arranged alphabetically. 

## Comprehending Different ServiceNow Versions
Each of the revised ServiceNow versions has its own release time and features. A detailed breakdown of these versions is as follows:

### Aspen 
The first ServiceNow version, which had a city name, was Aspen. This update prioritized the robustness and scalability of the system. 

**Released on: December 2011**

**Key Features:**

- 1. It facilitates the automation of VMware installation and Amazon EC2 instances.
- 2. The Gantt chart import, support, and templates offer robust project management tools.
- 3. It excels at risk management.
- 4. It handles passwords well on Linux and Windows operating systems.
- 5. It facilitates provisioning for users.
- 6. It utilizes debugging assistance to enhance the workflow debugging experience. 

### Berlin 
This upgrade explicitly addressed user feedback from the Aspen-using community. With a focus on modern workplace requirements, this upgrade aims to align with agile approaches.

**Released on: July 2012. **

**Key Features:**

- Its regular data archiving feature helps to enhance performance.
- It has better inventory management.
- It is compatible with the agile technique used in many agile projects.
- It offers excellent asset management and auditing of software licenses.

### Calgary
This edition included fresh features and improvements beyond IT innovation or responsiveness. Its main goal was to promote company standardization.

**Released on: February 2013. **

**Key Features:**

- It boosts performance by utilizing many auxiliary databases.
- It is compatible with VMware and Amazon instance provisioning.
- It offers an excellent UI for iPad users.
- Report customization has been enhanced.
- Its enhanced workspace interface allows users to work with several workspaces and encourages effective cooperation.

### Dublin 
Calgary features the "Application Creator" tool, which is improved in this edition. This version aims to expand the scope of services to integrate other aspects of corporate administration, such as automating HR services or managing vendor information.

**Released on: October 2013. **

**Key Features:**

- It contains an alerting feature called ServiceNow Notify.
- The application creator is enhanced compared to the previous edition.
- Enhances the administration of resources, including expenses, activities, etc.
- Optimized HTML ensures excellent mobile functionality.

### Eureka

The goals of this release were enhancing the enterprise service model and significantly improving the user experience. Users and businesses can easily access and navigate services through a clear and user-friendly platform.

**Released on: May 2014. **

**Key Features:**

- Its Service Creator allows anyone without coding experience to create apps by dragging and dropping components.
- It facilitates the visual task board for task organization.
- It automates processes related to delivery, reporting, and requests.
- It maps timelines according to choices made across functions using the CIO roadmap.

### Fuji
The first major version upgrade for ServiceNow was regarded as the Fuji release. This version helped businesses prioritize customer focus, enhancing service to both internal and external clients.

**Released on: January 2015. **

**Key Features:**

#### Service Taxonomy

- It offers workbenches to aid in setting work priorities.
- It facilitates the creation and publication of various services.
- Improved configuration administration.

#### Service Assurance 

- Effective test management tools to raise the bar on quality.
- Risk-free and compliant.
- Workstation for organizing communications and making various project templates.

#### Customer Service Experience

- It provides useful knowledge bases for finding information centrally.
- It facilitates user access control.
- It offers effective teamwork instruments that enhance communication.

#### Service Analysis

- It can create models using data and assess expenses utilizing financial apps.
- It offers good data visualization-promoting reporting tools.
- It enhanced analytics for trend analysis and performance indicator improvement.

#### Service Delivery

- It encourages the integration of several software programs to enhance HR automation.
- It offers efficient workflow to enhance user experience and efficient workflow among tasks.

### Geneva

- This version aimed to streamline development, expand service management across organizations, and encourage businesses to manage IT like a company. Additionally, the platform introduced management applications for HR, facilities, security operations, and customer service.

**Released on: November 2015. **

**Key Features:**

- Its user interface has been enhanced for effortless access and navigation.
- It supports iOS applications on Apple devices.
- It has strong reporting qualities.
- It utilizes various procedures, interfaces, and integrations for effective HR administration.
- It has a productive work atmosphere that facilitates the creation of apps more quickly.

### Helsinki
With an emphasis on "consumerizing the service experience and accelerating time-to-value realization," ServiceNow's Helsinki edition included additional capabilities. The platform developed additional apps to make it even easier for businesses to satisfy client requests.

**Released on: April 2016. **

**Key Features:**

- Its CMDB Health Dashboard enhances compliance and accuracy.
- Dashboard creation is simple with the drag-and-drop tool.
- Enhanced teamwork through the use of remarks and alerts.
- To improve user experiences, it has a portal designer.

### Istanbul
This version aids businesses in enhancing continuous improvement, swiftly responding to security incidents, boosting business-to-consumer customer service, empowering HR teams, and accelerating application delivery. 

**Released on: November 2016. **

**Key Features:**

- Utilizing pattern technology to manage the system.
- Script Debugger is used to control various debugging sessions.
- ServiceNow Benchmarks are included for better service.
- It has a CAB Workbench for organizing, arranging, and running CAB sessions. 

### Jakarta
 
Jakarta release debuts its Intelligent Automation Engine, marking its entry into machine learning. This innovation transforms IT service delivery, offering anomaly detection, industry benchmarking, and performance forecasting.

**Released on: June 2017. 
**
**Key Features:**

- Improved data analysis through report design.
- Forecasting algorithms are used to compare historical trends and identify the most accurate ones.
- Security incident management with security dashboards.
- Mapping cloud services to bridge the gap between virtual and physical infrastructure.

### Kingston
Kingston's machine learning skills enhanced budget planning, IT incident response, and data analytics. These fascinating features provided insights into the efficacy of responses while lowering service interruptions, speeding up response times, and reducing human error. 

**Released on: November 2017. **

**Key Features:**

- It detects any phishing effort and resolves any security issues.
- Its text insights help consumers make sense of unstructured data.
- Its improved IntegrationHub facilitates greater ServiceNow integration with other apps.
- It offers no-code development so that many processes may be created.
- Agent intelligence is used to provide accessibility restrictions.

### London
Machine learning and on-demand knowledge of this version make employee service interfaces simple. It helps to focus on core tasks within the company and promptly address their needs through Virtual Agent Chatbots.

**Released on: July 2018. **

**Key Features:**

- It encouraged the use of agile development.
- Its Interaction Management feature helps users to communicate better via many channels, such as chat.
- Its ITSM Virtual Agent Chatbots are designed to address user problems.
- It has SAFe, which encourages agile practices in businesses.
- It creates automated bots with Virtual Agent to enhance user conversations.

### Madrid
Madrid included a lot of upgrades that let consumers work anywhere, at any time. Highlights of the update were mobile capabilities, easy setups, quick app creation, and out-of-the-box apps for FSM and ITSM. It allows users to create and publish native, highly secure, no-code iOS and Android mobile apps. 

**Released on: January 2019. **

**Key Features:**

- Its MetricBase feature facilitates data migration between several series and aids in data analysis.
- To assist users in using the application's functions, it provides a Guided Tour Designer.
- It has a Service Portal for catalogue and knowledge base management.
- Instance Security Center is used to obtain insights and other trackable events.
- Utilizing Parameterized Testing to Prevent Viruses.

### New York 
This version brings new advancements in business mobile, intelligence, and workspaces. Users may now receive seamless staff service and increased productivity.

**Released on: July 2019. **

**Key Features:**

- With the help of mobile onboarding, staff members may complete their assigned activities at multiple locations.
- It assists with application setup through the usage of Guided Application Creator.
- It translates documents using Dynamic Translation.
- Employees of the firm may access all of its resources using the Now Mobile App.

### Orlando
Orlando has introduced several benefits that help both consumers and staff. DevOps, manager insights, assistance systems, etc., are a few integrations.

**Released on: July 2019. **

**Key Features:**

- Utilize several scans to increase output.
- It facilitates mobile application branding.
- It supports access features with the use of Mobile Studio Feature Parity.
- Applications security is enhanced with the usage of Mobile Applications Management (MAM).
- It can track how often an application is used through Mobile Analytics Enablement. 


### Paris
A few of ServiceNow's most influential processes have been improved even more with the introduction of Paris. 

**Released on: July 2020. **

**Key Features:**

- Enhanced reporting.
- Time card usage.
- It is DevSecOps compliant.
- It makes use of analytics charts, such as pie and bar charts.

### Quebec
Quebec has expanded its native machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities and introduced a range of low-code app development tools.

**Released on: January 2021. **

**Key Features:**

- Enhanced analytics regarding performance.
- Use virtual agents to handle password management, security issue resolution, and other tasks
- It has reports that are personalized.
- It is DevOps-compatible.
- Configuration management is supported. 

### Rome
Hundreds of new features in the Rome release let businesses establish flexible work environments and provide engaging experiences to customers from anywhere, which drives creativity.

**Released on: July 2021. **

**Key Features:**

- Assist with other integrations, including Kronos, Workday, Oracle Cloud, etc.
- Portfolio administration.
- Reservation Capabilities.

### San Diego
San Diego aims to increase output by utilizing sleek, contemporary offices. It encourages the usage of low code, which facilitates the creation of apps. It is ServiceNow's most recent version. 

**Released on: February 2022.** 

**Key Features:**

- Developers may design application templates with App Engine Studio templates.
- The application includes untagged CIs due to its Dynamic Service Population.
- Staff members can utilize mobile devices with a navigation function that offers real-time directions to handle bookings by utilizing floor maps.
- Its scheduling and booking features guarantee that no reservations are made twice and simplify timetables.

### Tokyo
The ServiceNow Tokyo release focused on enhancing the employee experience through the Manager Hub and Admin Center. It also introduced features for managing ESG efforts, supplier lifecycles, cloud security, and corporate assets with ServiceNow EAM and SLM. Significant improvements were made for ServiceNow developers, particularly in Flow Designer, UI Builder, and App Engine.

**Released on: July 2022. **

**Key Features:**

- It improves App Engine Studio for simpler citizen developer app creation and a better understanding of development pipelines.
- CSM advances with Task Intelligence, a new level of AI.
- Ad hoc approvals enable HR agents to add approvals to HR service cases.
- Manager Hub offers leaders a tool for efficient team management and monitoring.
- APM's TRM enables architects to set and monitor software production standards and control unauthorized organizational software.
- It offers vital oversight to Policy and Compliance teams for DevOps activities.

### Utah
This release prioritized enhancing critical applications like ESM, CSM, ITSM, SecOps, ESG, and more. Developer productivity is also addressed through updates to various tools, including Flow Designer, Process Automation Designer, App Engine, Automation Engine, Next Experience UI Builder, and others.

**Released on: July 2022. **

**Key Features:**

- Using a theme builder simplifies the creating and maintaining branded themes that captivate users.
- The Virtual Agent program has offered helpful, simple-to-use user support.
- Using ServiceNow App Engine Studio, developers can easily create apps that instantly address the demands of your company.
- Enhanced Flow Designer experience.

### Vancouver
**Released on: September 2023. **

**Key Features:**

- You can change data pills instantly with the updated Flow Designer, avoiding unintentional data destruction.
- The "Application Manager" plugin has undergone a stylish redesign. 
- With Access Analyser, you may examine tables, UI pages, REST endpoints, and client-side scripts. 

### Washington, DC
With its efforts to leverage GenAI investments, Washington, D.C.-based ServiceNow hopes to boost the world economy by $4.4 trillion. This upgrade represents an important milestone in corporate service management with several improvements, including improved productivity tools and a better user experience.

**Released on: February 2024. **

**Key Features:**

- It allows you to access Flow Designer from Workflow Studio and automatically save flows while editing. Additionally, the undo/redo capabilities have been enhanced.
- Adaptable Workspace Assistance for increased test coverage  
- ServiceNow UI Builder enhanced with additional tools to expedite the development of improved user interfaces.

#### Some of the future Versions are:

1. Xanadu
2. Yokohama
3. Zurich

## Conclusion 
ServiceNow versions have substantially changed the way your businesses operate. You may help your organization accelerate its digital transformation journeys with new products and frequent upgrades to existing enterprise-wide solutions. Your organizations can adapt to shifting market demands and trends when they update their ServiceNow platform often and take advantage of the newest features and innovations.

## FAQ'S 
**Q1) What are ServiceNow versions?**
The "ServiceNow versions" describe various platform versions, including upgrades, additions, and changes.

**Q2) Why are ServiceNow versions important?**
ServiceNow versions are crucial to guarantee the user access to the newest features, enhancements, and security fixes. Additionally, they assist users in adhering to compatibility and support standards.


**Q3) How often are ServiceNow versions released?**
With frequent updates and patches to fix bugs and add new features, ServiceNow normally publishes new versions twice a year.


**Q4) How can I stay informed about ServiceNow versions?**
Official ServiceNow documentation, release notes, webinars, and announcements from the ServiceNow community are good sources of information regarding ServiceNow versions.

**Q5) Is updating to the most recent ServiceNow version required?**
While it's not required to upgrade, it guarantees access to the most recent features, enhancements, and security updates.


## References and sources:
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https://www.crn.com/news/channel-news/2024/servicenow-washington-dc-release-goes-deep-on-ai-genai

https://readwrite.com/servicenows-new-release-of-low-code-platform-with-generative-ai/

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