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SCOM vs ServiceNow IT Operations Management comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 23, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
6.7
SCOM users see value in centralized monitoring, SLA compliance, cost efficiency, but face challenges with latency and database performance.
Sentiment score
7.4
ServiceNow IT Operations Management enhances efficiency, accelerating workflows and visibility, with ROI realized between three to 24 months.
It reduced staffing needs from four full-time staff to fewer due to automation.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.8
Microsoft SCOM support is generally positive, offering responsive service and resources, though satisfaction varies among users.
Sentiment score
6.3
ServiceNow IT Operations Management's support has swift response times but inconsistent quality, needing improved processes and communication.
They often treat issues in isolation, not considering how one problem might relate to another.
The response time of technical support could be improved.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.9
SCOM scales effectively in large environments, performing well in Microsoft settings but has limitations with non-Microsoft device monitoring.
Sentiment score
7.6
ServiceNow IT Operations Management offers scalable and integrative solutions ideal for enterprises, despite potential complexity and high licensing costs.
ServiceNow ITOM scales very well to small and medium businesses.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
SCOM's stability depends on configuration, showing improvements and reliability in newer versions with proper maintenance despite occasional glitches.
Sentiment score
7.8
ServiceNow IT Operations Management offers high reliability and stability, despite potential network issues and challenges in larger deployments.
SCOM is a bit unstable lately, primarily due to a lack of resources.
 

Room For Improvement

SCOM users criticize its cost, complexity, weak monitoring, slow performance, and inadequate third-party integration and multi-tenancy features.
ServiceNow ITOM users find it costly, with concerns on integration, features, scalability, customization, setup complexity, and licensing.
I would like to see a software-as-a-service version in Azure to eliminate the need for on-premise infrastructure.
SCOM is likely to be phased out in favor of more compatible tools like Icinga for application monitoring or when moving to cloud solutions like CloudWatch and Azure.
There is room for improvement in service mapping within ServiceNow ITOM.
We are facing difficulties with service mapping of CIs from the end users, and are seeking help from third-party vendors.
 

Setup Cost

SCOM's pricing is cost-effective within Microsoft Enterprise Agreements, though licensing calculations can be complex with potential additional costs.
ServiceNow IT Operations Management is perceived as costly but valued for its comprehensive features, often requiring negotiation for discounts.
The pricing model offers scaling where not everything consumes a license equally, providing more value across different business areas.
 

Valuable Features

SCOM offers deep integration and flexible monitoring for enterprise environments, with robust reporting, alerting, and seamless Microsoft service integration.
ServiceNow IT Operations Management excels in integration, automation, and cost reduction, offering intuitive navigation and robust IT support.
It assists me in detecting server downtime and delivers basic performance monitoring right out of the box.
SCOM integrates several systems and offers correlation features, like setting up everything around Active Directory or DNS.
The performance analytics of ServiceNow was especially beneficial for setting thresholds, aggregating, and correlating infrastructure data.
ServiceNow IT Operations Management is beneficial for the discovery of all CIs in our environment.
 

Categories and Ranking

SCOM
Ranking in Event Monitoring
4th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
82
Ranking in other categories
Network Monitoring Software (14th)
ServiceNow IT Operations Ma...
Ranking in Event Monitoring
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
40
Ranking in other categories
Cloud Management (9th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (11th), AIOps (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Event Monitoring category, the mindshare of SCOM is 7.9%, down from 9.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ServiceNow IT Operations Management is 19.3%, up from 15.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Event Monitoring
 

Featured Reviews

MarcMermuys - PeerSpot reviewer
Has efficient monitoring with robust integration capabilities
We use SCOM to configure different monitors using several management packs. It integrates systems like Active Directory and correlates them, and it is used for monitoring and managing systems SCOM allows integration of several systems, providing correlation between different systems such as…
RichardG - PeerSpot reviewer
Effortlessly blends management systems for comprehensive infrastructure insight
ServiceNow IT Operations Management brought together Intune and SCCM or MECM really well. It provided out-of-the-box integrations, requiring only minimal effort, typically a couple of days, to massage those systems into a seamless operation. Additionally, the performance analytics of ServiceNow was especially beneficial for setting thresholds, aggregating, and correlating infrastructure data.
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842,388 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
16%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about SCOM?
The tool helps to monitor Windows servers. It offers alerts from a central location.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SCOM?
I am not aware of the exact pricing as it is managed by my supervisor. As an academic institution, we receive substantial discounts.
What needs improvement with SCOM?
SCOM is likely to be phased out in favor of more compatible tools like Icinga ( /products/icinga-reviews ) for application monitoring or when moving to cloud solutions like CloudWatch and Azure ( /...
What do you like most about ServiceNow IT Operations Management?
From my perspective as an asset manager, the most valuable feature of the solution is the configuration management portion, where I can actively add something to the database.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ServiceNow IT Operations Management?
We obtained discovery licenses at about seven dollars Australian per unit, which we found to be reasonable and competitive. The pricing model offers scaling where not everything consumes a license ...
What needs improvement with ServiceNow IT Operations Management?
There is room for improvement in service mapping within ServiceNow ITOM. When we have more time, we'll look to extend that and apply it to business-critical services like email.
 

Also Known As

System Center Operations Manager, SCOM 2012
ServiceNow ITOM
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Dialog Telekom
servicenow, TransAlta, NATS, Symantec
Find out what your peers are saying about SCOM vs. ServiceNow IT Operations Management and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
842,388 professionals have used our research since 2012.