What’s New in the ServiceNow Zurich Release: AI, Automation, and Smarter Governance

The ServiceNow Zurich release marks a major milestone in the platform’s evolution — bringing smarter automation, enhanced AI capabilities, and improved governance to every corner of the Now Platform. Whether you’re focused on ITSM, IRM, or app development, Zurich empowers organizations to move faster and more securely in the era of intelligent operations.

Why the Zurich Release Matters

ServiceNow continues to innovate with every family release, but Zurich stands out as a turning point for AI integration and enterprise governance. It expands the reach of ServiceNow AI, deepens automation, and strengthens the tools that developers, admins, and business users rely on daily.

According to ServiceNow, Zurich introduces new agentic AI capabilities, a unified governance layer, and next-generation developer tools designed to make the Now Platform smarter — and more accessible than ever.

Key Highlights from the ServiceNow Zurich Release

1. Smarter AI and Agentic Automation

Zurich takes Now Assist and AI Agents to a new level.

• AI Agents & Playbooks: Agents can now perform autonomous actions, collaborate with humans, and resolve tasks proactively.
• Expanded Now Assist: Better contextual recommendations, text generation, and guided workflows.
• Model Governance: Administrators can monitor and control AI model usage across the platform — improving compliance and trust.

These capabilities make it easier to automate repetitive work while keeping control of sensitive data and decisions.

2. Democratizing Development with Low-Code Tools

Zurich continues ServiceNow’s mission to make app creation accessible to everyone.

• Build Agent / Vibe Coding allows users to build apps through natural language.
• Developer Sandboxes provide isolated environments to experiment safely.
• Diagram-to-Flow Conversion automatically turns visual diagrams into Flow Designer logic.
• Enhanced Flow Triggers offer flexible automation scheduling and improved debugging tools.

The result: teams can deliver innovation faster — without sacrificing governance or performance.

3. Stronger Governance and Data Security

Governance is at the core of the Zurich release.

• Vault Console & Machine Identity Console add new layers of protection for sensitive data and system credentials.
• Workflow Data Fabric / Zero Copy Connectors allow real-time access to external data without duplication.
• Release Ops Enhancements improve visibility, testing automation, and update set validation.

Together, these updates simplify compliance, improve transparency, and reduce operational risk.

4. Upgrades to Core Applications

The Zurich release includes powerful updates across key ServiceNow modules:

• ITSM & ITOM: Smarter incident impact analysis, automated remediation, and AI-driven voice interactions.
• SPM (Strategic Portfolio Management): New AI planning tools, automated reporting, and improved collaboration.
• User Experience Analytics: Enhanced tools for performance tracking and user behavior insights.
• Coral Theme and Visual Refresh: A cleaner, more accessible design language across the platform.

Each enhancement contributes to a more intuitive, data-driven experience for both end users and developers.

5. Deprecated Features and Migration Planning

As with every major release, some legacy features are being retired.

• Older flow types and interfaces are being phased out in favor of Flow Designer and modern UIs.
• Deprecated components should be identified and updated ahead of time to ensure a smooth transition.

Keeping your instance aligned with Zurich’s standards ensures stability, security, and access to the latest features.

How to Prepare for the Zurich Upgrade

1. Review the official release notes and map new vs. deprecated features.
2. Evaluate your customizations — check compatibility and dependencies.
3. Test in sub-production environments before moving to production.
4. Train your teams on AI agents, governance tools, and low-code updates.
5. Monitor performance and analytics using the new UX tools.
6. Plan a phased migration to minimize disruption and ensure compliance.
7. Contact Atlafy

The Future of ServiceNow Starts with Zurich

The ServiceNow Zurich release is more than an upgrade — it’s a leap toward intelligent, governed automation.

By blending AI, low-code innovation, and strong data control, Zurich empowers organizations to scale efficiently and securely.

At Atlafy, we help companies navigate every ServiceNow release — from planning and migration to optimization — ensuring you make the most of what’s new in Zurich and beyond.