There’s no doubt that service applications of all types are a significant IT opportunity when it comes to cloud computing applications. Historically, most of these applications have been custom endeavors that internal IT organizations often cobbled together. Worse yet, because they usually automated some internal function, those applications frequently get deployed on hand-me-down servers versus the latest and greatest IT infrastructure.

For those reasons, ServiceNow (NOW) has gained a significant following over the years both inside and out of the channel. Many internal and IT services firms have standardized their IT management processes on a ServiceNow cloud application that among other things provides a turnkey platform that embodies the best practices as defined by, for example, the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework.

Starting today, ServiceNow is moving to extend that cloud application framework out to marketing, legal and finance applications. Dave Stephens, general manager of the Service Management business unit for ServiceNow said now that the provider of cloud applications has already established a beachhead inside many organizations there is a natural opportunity to extend the reach of ServiceNow into other application areas.

That approach not only creates new opportunities for ServiceNow partners; it enables organizations to automate more services using a more agile IT environment based in the cloud versus continuing to rely on applications running on premise that might not have been upgraded in years.

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In addition, Stephens notes that ServiceNow also exposes Web Services interfaces that makes it possible for partners to generate revenue by integrating ServiceNow applications with other applications that may be running in the cloud or on premise.

For all the talk about saving money in the cloud one of the main reasons organizations are moving so many applications into the cloud is simple agility. It simply takes the IT organizations too long to deploy an application running on premise. The cloud application is not only immediately available; new updates to that applications generally arrive every quarter. Not every one of those new features may get used, but over time there is a regular cadence of upgrades that expose users to more advanced functionality over time.

Of course, not every partner loves the idea of getting paid for selling something over the extended life of a cloud application contract. But like or not, more organizations are voting with their feet to adopt cloud applications not so much because they may or may not save money, but rather they simply want to take the hassle out of the application deployment and upgrade experience.