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Ivanti Neurons for ITSM vs OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Ivanti Neurons for ITSM
Ranking in IT Service Management (ITSM)
8th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
Help Desk Software (10th)
OpenText Service Management...
Ranking in IT Service Management (ITSM)
16th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the IT Service Management (ITSM) category, the mindshare of Ivanti Neurons for ITSM is 2.3%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) is 2.1%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
IT Service Management (ITSM)
 

Featured Reviews

Sanjay Mukhopadhyay - PeerSpot reviewer
The solution comes with a host of features for hyper-automation
The initial setup is a mix of complex and straightforward because it depends on which modules you are implementing for ITSM. There are a lot of complex workflows and SLAs around the workflow. We have to configure much more complex things than just Patch Management and Endpoint. For example, it might not take even two weeks to roll out APM for 10,000 assets, but it will take three months to roll out ITSM for 10,000 assets and an equal number of users. That's because the modules you were implementing require much more knowledge, and there are a lot of complexities and nitty-gritties inside the tool which need to be understood. ITSM skill sets are in demand because reaching an L3 certification is not easy. We have those certified skill sets. That's why we're able to roll out at a fast pace. With standard documentation available, it's very clear for a certified resource to understand step-wise implementation. For every step, there is a "build and test" approach. It's a continuous integration. You follow this process, so you don't suddenly realize there are many issues at the end of setup. You have to keep testing each module and process as you roll out. It's not complex, but you need to know the product.
Mourad Ali - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers topic analytics for incident and problem management
The only challenge with Azure customers is when they have a specific requirement that is not available out of the box and is inflexible to adjust. Sometimes, customers have tough requirements that are not flexible enough to be adjusted, even if SMAX can provide a better alternative. They need this specific feature. This challenge is common with SMAX, BMC, ServiceNow, IBM, or other similar tools. When working with enterprise tools that are not developed in-house, I don't have access to the source code and am limited to the features and capabilities provided by the leading vendors. So, this challenge is common across SMAX, BMC, and ServiceNow. The solution could have more customization flexibility.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"HEAT Service Management is good for asset and service desk management. It is the focal point for this solution."
"The integrations are quite simple and clear."
"Ivanti Neurons allows me to adjust our workflow according to our needs."
"The solution is easy to use and has a user-friendly interface"
"The interface, workflow, and dashboards are powerful and easy to manage for tracking KPIs and sharing strategies with our customers."
"They allow us to automate ticketing processes and create requests more efficiently, improving our overall support operations."
"I like Cloud Neurons. Since it's a cloud version, it's much easier to enhance productivity because it collects all the information automatically."
"The solution's technical support is excellent. I rate the technical support a ten out of ten."
"This is a cordless application that can be used throughout any organization."
"The most valuable features of Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX) are that it is user-friendly, easy to configure, and adaptable."
"OpenText Service Management Automation X provides valuable features such as topic analytics for incident and problem management. It also includes natural language processing for analyzing technical descriptions. Additionally, it features a virtual chatbot capable of processing natural language to interact effectively with end users. This service enhances customer support and is not subject to the limitations often found in offerings from other vendors."
"The tool is very easy to use."
"The product provides an interface for the end users to make requests."
"It offers a range of tools for sales and configuration. It's like a business process improvement platform, suitable for various lines of business operations."
 

Cons

"The patching for non-Windows OSes such as Linux is poor."
"Ivanti Neurons for ITSM's support model is not very strong. You should buy professional services. Its self-service portal and survey are extremely lacking. You cannot customize it, and it doesn't look very good. The solution does not have a strong community."
"Ivanti Neurons for ITSM is not a user-friendly tool when compared to ServiceNow."
"There's a lack of integration with other products. This needs to be improved."
"There could be an improvement in the ability to easily integrate other systems without extensive development."
"They could provide product integration with popular platforms."
"I have had to open a few support tickets with the HEAT Service Management. They are very good but there are some areas that they could improve on."
"Sometimes I can't get the reports that I want until I go to the manager. They need to put more into the new reports. The standard reports are great, but there do not communicate as much."
"The product's connectivity with third-party products is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"The contract management feature can be improved."
"The tool has negatively impacted our productivity."
"The initial setup of Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX) is complicated, but once it is set up the configuration is straightforward to adapt to the users' or customers' needs."
"The solution lacks sufficient documentation."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is affordable for small businesses."
"I came to know from my team members that my company used to operate ServiceNow but shifted to Ivanti Neurons for ITSM due to its low licensing prices."
"If you want to add more users who can handle support there will be additional fees. What we call our extensions, we need to pay more for. They tell us that we need to acquire more licenses or something like that. I think it's very expensive, because in terms the pula, our local currency, it's about 20,000 per license for each user. It is an annual fee."
"The price is on the higher side. The support is included in the standard licensing fees."
"The solution is somewhat cheaper than the competitors."
"The cost of the license for SMAX varies depending on the configuration, including the number of seats for users and the customer's specific requirements. It's not a fixed cost and can vary."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Government
13%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Retailer
8%
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Ivanti Neurons for ITSM?
I like Cloud Neurons. Since it's a cloud version, it's much easier to enhance productivity because it collects all the information automatically.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Ivanti Neurons for ITSM?
The price is on the higher side. The support is included in the standard licensing fees.
What needs improvement with Ivanti Neurons for ITSM?
There could be an improvement in the ability to easily integrate other systems without extensive development. iPaaS has been introduced to help with this, however, I have not fully explored it yet.
What is your primary use case for Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)?
The solution is used for the end-user portal. It is used for incident management, requests, and other informational purposes.
What advice do you have for others considering Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)?
The tool is appropriate if we don't have a complicated use case. It is the right tool for simple use cases. It's a lot cheaper than ServiceNow. It is an appropriate tool for a smaller business or m...
 

Also Known As

HEAT Service Management
OpenText Service Manager, Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)
 

Interactive Demo

Demo not available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

AFS Group, Auckland Airport, Baylor University, County of Maui, Dis-Chem Pharmacies, Elia, Essentia Health, Government Research Laboratory, Groupe Webhelp, HSBC Africa, Midwestern University
Zurich Airport, Envirosuite, Norsk Helsenett, Achmea, University of Milan, World Vision, Petroleum Development Oman, Court of Justice of the Federal District and Territories (TJDFT).
Find out what your peers are saying about Ivanti Neurons for ITSM vs. OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.