This is a competitive review of software products and vendors who offer integrations to other technologies and data sources.
Products reviewed:
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Integrations 2013 Best in Class

BDNA. It is a concept so simple but offers so much value, especially in an IT Service Management environment.
Of the other products reviewed, these areas were of particular note:
- Specialized Service Management Suites – Best in Class for Integrations: ServiceNow As well as offering a range of connectors and detailed integration guidance, they provide workbooks to help focus pre-deployment across the board, so not just physical users but categories and the additional functions that go to build up a service management platform. Other tools assessed: – Cherwell, Easy Vista and ManageEngine
- Systems Management Toolsets – Best in Class for Integrations – Absolute Software Their comprehensive approach to a full range of endpoint management with a subtle interface makes it a powerful suite in its market area. Other tools assessed: LANDesk and Matrix42
- ITSM Value Added Tools – Best in Class for Integrations – BDNA It is a concept so simple but offers so much value, especially in an IT Service Management environment. Other tools assessed: Bomgar, Nexthink
Introduction
It is all too easy, when looking at ITSM tools, to focus on perhaps the bread and butter functionality that we have all come to know, love and sometimes stumble over in implementation.
Sometimes it seems a secondary concern as to how the information gets there in the first place. As easy as it sounds, and to be honest as easy as it is for the more straightforward commercial engagement, my experiences with some managed service implementations were a different story.
Rigid, unyielding client security policies matched with equally rigid developed methods to load the data, it made the whole affair at times uncomfortable for all. There had to be easier ways.
Of course there are, and not only that but as products sets integrate with more and more third parties, as well as looking for ways themselves to innovate and manoeuvre in the market place, so we find ourselves looking across the wide base of integrations into and out of ITSM tools.
Where once it seemed to be the playground of development teams to come up with imaginative ways to squirt records from one system to another, again especially in large and complex projects, the use of real-time web services makes it easy for tools be less the “king of the castle” and more the glue that holds everything together.
What is perhaps more liberating, for want of a better word, is the range of products that presented themselves for this review.
From niche products that offer very succinct areas of integration to complement the service management function to the more established tool bases that recognise that increasingly they are becoming but one cog in an IT service chain – we take a look at an extensive range of tools and their integration points within IT Service Management.
Market Positioning
For the purposes of this review, vendors were classified based on their primary market focus, and product capabilities.
|
Specialist ITSM Functions |
Discovery |
Event Management & Monitoring |
Web Services |
Niche |
Absolute Software |
Y |
Own/Integration |
Own |
Y |
N |
BDNA |
N |
Integration |
N |
N |
Data as a Service |
Bomgar |
N |
N |
N |
N |
Secure remote support |
Cherwell |
Y |
Own/Integration |
Integration |
Y |
N |
EasyVista |
Y |
Own/Integration |
None demonstrated/Listed |
Y |
N |
LANDesk |
Y |
Own/Integration |
Own/Integration |
y |
N |
Manage Engine |
Y |
Own/Limited Integration |
Own |
Y |
N |
Matrix42 |
Y |
Own/Integration |
Own |
Y |
N |
Nexthink |
N |
Integration |
Integration |
N |
Real-time End-user Analytics |
ServiceNow |
Y |
Own/Integration |
Integration |
Y |
N |
Competitive Overview
The table below shows a high level overview of the competitive differences between the tools
- Elevator Pitch – An independent assessment of what this module has to offer
- Strengths – key positive points, highlighted during the review
- Weaknesses – challenges or areas perceived to be lacking, during the review
Vendor | Elevator Pitch | Strengths | Weaknesses |
Absolute Software | A restful and subtle interface with an inclusive service management solution that wraps around a comprehensive endpoint management solution. |
|
|
BDNA | If anyone has ever tried to cleanse raw inventory data to build a picture of what is actually installed out there for a managed estate, this product solves all that. Data is brought in whatever format and normalised to identify a standard naming convention, but that is not all. That data then has market intelligence appended to provide the most comprehensive definition for hardware and software |
|
|
Bomgar | A niche product that complements ITSM tools with a completely self-contained remote support offering that negates a lot of the issues around security and access |
|
|
Cherwell | A key understanding of what is required and the ability to provide innovation across the whole organisation – Cherwell show they understand what organisations need and are ready to supply connectors to a wide variety of additional sources of information. A comprehensive solution throughout. |
|
|
Easy Vista | A concise interface where simplicity is in the detail. A good application of best practice based on their commercial experience to take a lot of the pain away from pre-deployment set-up and a recognition that brokering service to and from other third parties needs to also be simplified. |
|
|
LANDesk | A solid product from a vendor whose roots start in system management and it adds a dimension to what they can offer. |
|
|
ManageEngine | An entry-level ITSM solution with additional features such as Project Management and web services and a range of supporting tools available from the same stable of products. |
|
|
Matrix42 | Extensively focussed on Workplace management with Service Management wrapped around that capability. |
|
|
Nexthink | A niche product that takes a very different view of management and, when integrated into ITSM, can provide a real-time analytical interface into process for proactive, rather than reactive resolution. |
|
|
ServiceNow | With a solid base of ITSM processes and an extensive range of partnerships – ServiceNow covers all the bases as to drive organisations towards a single source of truth |
|
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Customers
Analysis
Vendor | Functionality | Competitive Differentiators | Analysis |
Absolute Software | A subtle interface for a service management solution which has been wrapped around a comprehensive endpoint management system |
|
Absolute brought themselves into the Service Management market to complement their already established endpoint management toolset – to give themselves the complete package.They are in a great position to give some of the more established names in this market segment a real run for their money. |
BDNA | Data normalisation wrapped up as a service |
|
BDNA have tapped into a way to collect, clean, normalize and propagate data in a quick and seamless way that adds immediate value to any kind of service management environment where accurate data is vital. |
Bomgar | A secure appliance-based solution for remote access which integrates to key ITSM solutions |
|
Another niche product with a great concept behind it – when large organisations have complex supplier relationships, Bomgar supply a security hardened orange box and integrate with some of the key players in the ITSM industry to provide solidly auditable remote support capability. |
Cherwell | Comprehensive and established service management tool which provides flexibility to bring together IT and business processes |
|
Cherwell continues to impress with their pragmatic view of IT Service Management, but could be letting easy integration wins pass them by where other competitors are providing value. |
Easy Vista | Integrated service management and some good areas of value add integration |
|
Ticks the boxes in terms of providing clean interfaces to integrate data and understand that the value they can add as an intermediary in complex support environments |
LANDesk | A good understanding of what the market needs and a good sense of position |
|
Another vendor coming from a different management background with service management wrapped around it, means they have a solid platform for integration |
ManageEngine | A basic service management solution with some reasonable integration capability |
|
A good entry level service management solution, and while many other vendors include asset management tooling, their integration in this area perhaps lags behind other vendors |
Matrix42 | Builds on an established workplace management platform with service management, and throwing a lot of focus on mobile device management built in to that function |
|
They take the interesting route of offering their service management free with their workplace management product set – which focuses on putting the power in the hands of the end-user. |
Nexthink | A real-time view of end-user topology allowing for more proactive problem determination |
|
This power in this tool is the real-time correlation and analysis purely built up from an end-point perspective – and their continuing partnership with some of the biggest names in the ITSM industry should ensure that proactive assessment becomes a norm, but might put it out of reach of the smaller organisations. |
ServiceNow | Comprehensive Service Management tool with extensive integration capabilities |
|
As well as offering a full range of integration functions as well as their own tooling for asset management, ServiceNow had project management within their tool and partner with companies like Bomgar for remote support. They can resort to pointing at their wiki which feels at times like a slightly “hands-off” approach – even if it has been curated recently. |
Deep Dive
Further details for each vendor can be found by using the links below:
Disclaimer, Scope and Limitations
The information contained in this review is based on sources and information believed to be accurate as of the time it was created. Therefore, the completeness and current accuracy of the information provided cannot be guaranteed. Readers should therefore use the contents of this review as a general guideline, and not as the ultimate source of truth.
Similarly, this review is not based on rigorous and exhaustive technical study. The ITSM Review recommends that readers complete a thorough live evaluation before investing in technology.
This is a paid review, that is, the vendors included in this review paid to participate in exchange for all results and analysis being published free of charge, without registration.
For further information, please read the ‘Group Tests’ section, on our Disclosure page.