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ServiceOps: ITSM and ITOps Move from Cooperation to Collaboration

Valerie O'Connell
EMA

Nothing drives IT change like … change. There has been plenty of that to go around in the past few years. Planned digital transformation initiatives turbocharged into accelerated implementation as employees working from anywhere raised the stakes of day-to-day IT operations to business-critical levels.

Complexity, criticality, and the velocity/volume of change transformed AI/ML and automation from pilots into survival essentials. In response, enterprises increasingly turned to platforms for AI-enabled end-end visibility, workflows, and action.

It stands to reason that all of these changes would drive advances in how the core functions of IT service and IT operations work together. EMA undertook a deep dive research project with 400+ global IT leaders to understand the practical realities of IT ServiceOps today and in the near future.

Spoiler alert: Part technology and organizational approach, ServiceOps by any name will become the prevailing IT operational model because it is practical and makes good business sense.

Staffed by very different talent profiles aimed at distinct spheres of responsibility, the two groups traditionally interacted only when absolutely required by circumstances such as outages and changes required by DevOps. Today, the notion of ServiceOps represents the growing fact that in a healthy enterprise, it is increasingly difficult to say where one function ends and another begins. It's all about IT service to the business, and there is no service without effective IT operations.

Execution and service are inextricable.

It turns out that organizational siloes can be just as deadening as siloed toolsets and systems. The combination of AI and automation can mitigate both. Automation, AI/ML/analytics, and platforms that welcome cross-functional workflows make cooperation a practical reality. The research panel covered a lot of ground when asked.

How Do IT Operations and ITSM Collaborate Using AI/ML and Automation?

In this converged reality, both ITOps and ITSM take advantage of mutually beneficial solutions that are aimed at and measured by business goals. The long-heralded IT/business alignment is a natural byproduct of cross-functional capabilities, as well as a prerequisite to effective IT automation.

ITSM and ITOps remain distinct functions with specific charters. However, shared technology softens the boundaries and moves them closer organizationally. The research showed very strong correlation between the degree to which IT service and operations collaborate using AI-enabled automation and self-reported quality of IT service, end-user experience, business innovation, and increased IT budget.

ServiceOps, by whatever name, will soon be the prevailing IT operational model. It is the logical product of common sense and technology combined for practical purposes. Both IT service and IT operations have to be at the top of their respective games. Hitting that mark calls for platform-enabled, AI-assisted automation that flexibly connects people and machines across the enterprise.

Digital transformation, business innovation, and a world filled with surprises guarantee a constant state of change in IT. With a heavy assist from technology, the ServiceOps model positions IT to be organizationally as responsive and agile as the business demands.

Valerie O'Connell is EMA Research Director of Digital Service Execution

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Businesses that face downtime or outages risk financial and reputational damage, as well as reducing partner, shareholder, and customer trust. One of the major challenges that enterprises face is implementing a robust business continuity plan. What's the solution? The answer may lie in disaster recovery tactics such as truly immutable storage and regular disaster recovery testing ...

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ServiceOps: ITSM and ITOps Move from Cooperation to Collaboration

Valerie O'Connell
EMA

Nothing drives IT change like … change. There has been plenty of that to go around in the past few years. Planned digital transformation initiatives turbocharged into accelerated implementation as employees working from anywhere raised the stakes of day-to-day IT operations to business-critical levels.

Complexity, criticality, and the velocity/volume of change transformed AI/ML and automation from pilots into survival essentials. In response, enterprises increasingly turned to platforms for AI-enabled end-end visibility, workflows, and action.

It stands to reason that all of these changes would drive advances in how the core functions of IT service and IT operations work together. EMA undertook a deep dive research project with 400+ global IT leaders to understand the practical realities of IT ServiceOps today and in the near future.

Spoiler alert: Part technology and organizational approach, ServiceOps by any name will become the prevailing IT operational model because it is practical and makes good business sense.

Staffed by very different talent profiles aimed at distinct spheres of responsibility, the two groups traditionally interacted only when absolutely required by circumstances such as outages and changes required by DevOps. Today, the notion of ServiceOps represents the growing fact that in a healthy enterprise, it is increasingly difficult to say where one function ends and another begins. It's all about IT service to the business, and there is no service without effective IT operations.

Execution and service are inextricable.

It turns out that organizational siloes can be just as deadening as siloed toolsets and systems. The combination of AI and automation can mitigate both. Automation, AI/ML/analytics, and platforms that welcome cross-functional workflows make cooperation a practical reality. The research panel covered a lot of ground when asked.

How Do IT Operations and ITSM Collaborate Using AI/ML and Automation?

In this converged reality, both ITOps and ITSM take advantage of mutually beneficial solutions that are aimed at and measured by business goals. The long-heralded IT/business alignment is a natural byproduct of cross-functional capabilities, as well as a prerequisite to effective IT automation.

ITSM and ITOps remain distinct functions with specific charters. However, shared technology softens the boundaries and moves them closer organizationally. The research showed very strong correlation between the degree to which IT service and operations collaborate using AI-enabled automation and self-reported quality of IT service, end-user experience, business innovation, and increased IT budget.

ServiceOps, by whatever name, will soon be the prevailing IT operational model. It is the logical product of common sense and technology combined for practical purposes. Both IT service and IT operations have to be at the top of their respective games. Hitting that mark calls for platform-enabled, AI-assisted automation that flexibly connects people and machines across the enterprise.

Digital transformation, business innovation, and a world filled with surprises guarantee a constant state of change in IT. With a heavy assist from technology, the ServiceOps model positions IT to be organizationally as responsive and agile as the business demands.

Valerie O'Connell is EMA Research Director of Digital Service Execution

Hot Topics

The Latest

According to Auvik's 2025 IT Trends Report, 60% of IT professionals feel at least moderately burned out on the job, with 43% stating that their workload is contributing to work stress. At the same time, many IT professionals are naming AI and machine learning as key areas they'd most like to upskill ...

Businesses that face downtime or outages risk financial and reputational damage, as well as reducing partner, shareholder, and customer trust. One of the major challenges that enterprises face is implementing a robust business continuity plan. What's the solution? The answer may lie in disaster recovery tactics such as truly immutable storage and regular disaster recovery testing ...

IT spending is expected to jump nearly 10% in 2025, and organizations are now facing pressure to manage costs without slowing down critical functions like observability. To meet the challenge, leaders are turning to smarter, more cost effective business strategies. Enter stage right: OpenTelemetry, the missing piece of the puzzle that is no longer just an option but rather a strategic advantage ...

Amidst the threat of cyberhacks and data breaches, companies install several security measures to keep their business safely afloat. These measures aim to protect businesses, employees, and crucial data. Yet, employees perceive them as burdensome. Frustrated with complex logins, slow access, and constant security checks, workers decide to completely bypass all security set-ups ...

Image
Cloudbrink's Personal SASE services provide last-mile acceleration and reduction in latency

In MEAN TIME TO INSIGHT Episode 13, Shamus McGillicuddy, VP of Research, Network Infrastructure and Operations, at EMA discusses hybrid multi-cloud networking strategy ... 

In high-traffic environments, the sheer volume and unpredictable nature of network incidents can quickly overwhelm even the most skilled teams, hindering their ability to react swiftly and effectively, potentially impacting service availability and overall business performance. This is where closed-loop remediation comes into the picture: an IT management concept designed to address the escalating complexity of modern networks ...

In 2025, enterprise workflows are undergoing a seismic shift. Propelled by breakthroughs in generative AI (GenAI), large language models (LLMs), and natural language processing (NLP), a new paradigm is emerging — agentic AI. This technology is not just automating tasks; it's reimagining how organizations make decisions, engage customers, and operate at scale ...

In the early days of the cloud revolution, business leaders perceived cloud services as a means of sidelining IT organizations. IT was too slow, too expensive, or incapable of supporting new technologies. With a team of developers, line of business managers could deploy new applications and services in the cloud. IT has been fighting to retake control ever since. Today, IT is back in the driver's seat, according to new research by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) ...

In today's fast-paced and increasingly complex network environments, Network Operations Centers (NOCs) are the backbone of ensuring continuous uptime, smooth service delivery, and rapid issue resolution. However, the challenges faced by NOC teams are only growing. In a recent study, 78% state network complexity has grown significantly over the last few years while 84% regularly learn about network issues from users. It is imperative we adopt a new approach to managing today's network experiences ...

Image
Broadcom

From growing reliance on FinOps teams to the increasing attention on artificial intelligence (AI), and software licensing, the Flexera 2025 State of the Cloud Report digs into how organizations are improving cloud spend efficiency, while tackling the complexities of emerging technologies ...