Cloud Wars CEO Outlook 2025 with ServiceNow's Bill McDermott

AI's Role in Business Transformation (00:59)


Bill McDermott notes a shift in CEOs from mere fascination with
AI to AI-led business strategies. He sees ServiceNow's role in AI
transformation as being that of a "control tower." AI has
impacted several business areas including customer service,
supply chains, employee onboarding, and risk mitigation. It's
also a great tool for labor arbitrage. That's not to mention that
AI agents can operate 24/7 without breaks, complementing human
efforts.


Agentic AI, A Holistic Solution (04:01)


Agentic AI is on the rise and will serve customers, employees,
and operations, taking over tasks computers handle more
efficiently than humans. While current AI agents are often siloed
within departments, ServiceNow's platform integrates these agents
across the enterprise, offering a holistic solution. "So now you
have the agents working together to accomplish something,"
McDermott says, "as opposed to just doing something for one
function." The foundation for this integration lies in a unified
data model and architecture.


Customer Trust and Innovation (06:53)


Trust is the ultimate human currency. Without it, McDermott says,
there's no progress. Customers know they can trust ServiceNow and
its technology. He mentions its investments in customer success
programs, innovation accelerators, and strategic partnerships to
drive business impact. Net new innovation must be delivered to
customers, employees, and shareholders through both traditional
and new consumption models.


Partnerships and Integration (10:29)


McDermott discusses ServiceNow's partnerships and the potential
for a multi-cloud approach similar to the infrastructure side.
He's confident in the market's ability to accommodate multiple
players and points to expanded collaborations with Cognizant,
NVIDIA, and others. He talks about ServiceNow's integration with
hyper-scalers including Microsoft, AWS, and Google Cloud,
showcasing the benefits of a comprehensive platform for business
processes. "We're open, and we integrate with everybody."


Balancing Trust and Innovation (14:29)


Balancing trust and innovation in the AI era is a challenge as
ServiceNow becomes increasingly embedded in customers'
operations. McDermott emphasizes the value of trusted
partnerships and selective collaboration to sustain customer
trust. He highlights ServiceNow's partnership with NVIDIA and its
recognition in the American Opportunity Index, which measures
employee prosperity post-employment.


The Future of Work and AI (16:34)


In the future, AI will revolutionize work by reducing monotonous
tasks and freeing up time for innovation. ServiceNow is part of
creating that future, already using AI to simplify complex
workflows, saving employees significant time and allowing them to
focus on higher-value tasks. "This is a renaissance moment for
the workers. They get to get rid of the soul-crushing work that
they've never wanted to do anyway." Reskilling the workforce will
be necessary for this revolution and is being done through
initiatives like ServiceNow University and the AI Institute.


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