Salesforce Sets Its Sights on ITSM — Just as ServiceNow Moves in on CRM
The enterprise software world is heating up — and Salesforce is officially throwing its hat into the IT Service Management (ITSM) ring.
🔁 Role Reversal: Salesforce Enters ITSM, ServiceNow Eyes CRM
In a recent interview on The Motley Fool podcast, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff casually dropped a major hint: “We’re building new apps — like ITSM.” It echoed an earlier tease during a Salesforce earnings call where Benioff suggested attendees of the TrailheadDX event might’ve glimpsed an early version of the company’s ITSM product.
While that teaser mostly flew under the radar, the message now is clear: Salesforce is making moves in ITSM — a space historically dominated by ServiceNow.
This is particularly interesting because the two companies are beginning to mirror each other. While Salesforce has long ruled the CRM space (outselling Microsoft nearly 4 to 1), ServiceNow has recently made a bold push into CRM — the core of Salesforce’s empire.
🧩 ServiceNow’s Strategy: More Than Just CRM
ServiceNow made headlines this week with a $2.8 billion acquisition of Moveworks — a company known for its AI-powered automation tools. According to CEO Bill McDermott, the move strengthens ServiceNow’s presence in front-office operations and underlines its goal to become a serious CRM player.
But ServiceNow isn’t following the typical CRM playbook. Unlike competitors that focus purely on sales and marketing tools, ServiceNow is integrating its CRM efforts across the entire enterprise stack — including order management, invoicing, inventory, and support workflows. The result? A more seamless, data-connected experience that blurs the lines between departments.
While Salesforce still leads in user experience, implementation ease, and feature depth (especially for marketing teams), ServiceNow’s approach offers something different — and potentially disruptive.
🧠 AI Is Changing the Game
There’s also a new variable at play: artificial intelligence. As AI becomes a key part of enterprise decision-making, IT teams — traditionally champions of ServiceNow — are gaining influence in how customer-facing tools are selected.
That shift could be part of why Salesforce is doubling down on ITSM — expanding into territory where ServiceNow is strong, while shoring up its own customer ecosystem.
🎯 Strategy… or Spite?
Is Salesforce’s ITSM move just a natural evolution of its product lineup? Or is it a calculated counter to ServiceNow’s encroachment on CRM?
Realistically, it’s probably both. The two companies have been creeping into each other’s lanes for years. With AI, automation, and digital experience platforms all converging, it was only a matter of time before things got even more competitive.
And now, it’s game on.
🧨 And Then There’s Microsoft…
Of course, no Salesforce soundbite would be complete without a jab at Microsoft.
In the same podcast, Benioff took a moment to critique Microsoft’s fragmented AI strategy:
“Copilot has a dozen versions across different product lines — none of them are connected. It’s not one system. It’s not a unified platform.”
He even compared Microsoft’s Copilot to the infamous Clippy assistant — an old burn, but apparently still relevant.
💥 What Happens Next?
With Salesforce and ServiceNow in a full-on turf war — and Microsoft catching strays — the enterprise software world is headed for a shakeup. Expect to see more announcements, acquisitions, and maybe a few more potshots in the coming months.
One thing’s for sure: ITSM and CRM are no longer separate battlegrounds. They’re two fronts of the same war — and the giants are just getting started.