ServiceNow Yokohama Is Here: Unpacking the Latest Release

It's here: as of today, March 13, 2025, ServiceNow Yokohama is officially live. Named after Japan's bustling Yokohama city, this release rolls out a powerhouse lineup of AI-driven features, workflow upgrades, and industry-specific tools designed to make work faster, smarter, and more intuitive. After weeks of early access buzz since January 30, the general availability (GA) drop is ready to reshape businesses' operations. Let's unpack what's new and how it can transform your day-to-day.

Agentic AI: Your New Digital Teammate

Yokohama's star attraction is Agentic AI. These autonomous agents go beyond basic automation, learning from data and taking action with little oversight. Imagine an IT incident—like a server glitch—where the agent identifies the issue, cross-checks past fixes, and resolves it before you even open your inbox. Paired with an enhanced Now Assist, you can generate workflows (e.g., "Automate employee offboarding") via natural language, with a refreshed UI that's easy on the eyes—worried about AI overreach? The new AI Governance app tracks inputs and outputs, flagging risks like privacy breaches or toxic language and keeping your operations safe and compliant.

Workflows That Just Work

Everyday tasks get a glow-up too. The Query Builder blends old-school power with a modern drag-and-drop interface—say you're an HR manager pulling stats on open cases; it's now a breeze with visual prompts guiding the way. The Catalog Builder lets you visually design service items—like a request for a new laptop—with multi-language support for teams in Tokyo, Toronto, or Timbuktu. On the backend, the Data Management Console offers admins a clear view of storage usage, letting you automate policies to archive old tickets or purge stale data, keeping your instance lean and mean.

Developer Dreams Come True

For the tech crowd, Yokohama is a playground. ServiceNow Studio is now standard on PDIs, uniting no-code, low-code, and pro-code development in one hub. The Developer Sandbox is your safe space—test a custom app for tracking customer feedback without touching production. With Text-to-Form in Creator Studio, you can say, "Create a form for vacation requests," and have it built in seconds. It's a time-saver that lets developers focus on big ideas, not busy work.

Tailored for Your Industry

Yokohama shines for specific sectors. Retail gets a Retail Core Application with automated task management—think assigning restocking duties via a revamped frontline portal. In manufacturing, Operational Technology (OT) tools like Industrial Process Manager map equipment layouts, while OT Change Management streamlines updates to factory systems. Employees across the board benefit from bi-directional HR workflows (request a service in one instance, fulfill it in another) and a Microsoft 365 add-in that lets you submit IT tickets right from Word or Outlook.

Should You Jump In Sooner Than Later?

Yokohama's AI muscle and usability tweaks make it tempting. Take Agentic AI: it could cut IT resolution times by hours, or streamline retail ops to boost customer satisfaction. But upgrades aren't plug-and-play—test in a sub-production environment first, especially if you've got custom workflows. ServiceNow's Upgrade Center and Instance Scan can spot conflicts early. Already on board? Full release notes are live on the Community and Support portal, with webinars recapping the January "TechNow: Yokohama" session for extra guidance.

Hit the Ground Running

Yokohama is more than a release—it's a toolkit for tackling modern work's toughest challenges. Whether you're an IT pro automating tickets, a developer building apps, or a store manager optimizing shifts, there's something here for you. Start exploring today, and let us know in the comments: what's the first feature you'll test? How do you see Yokohama fitting into your 2025 goals? We're excited to hear your take as this release sets the stage for what's next.

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