Technology as a driver of the business model
CANCOM has had a strategic partnership with AI solution specialist ServiceNow for several years. What is the common goal?
Jochen Borenich. The aim of this collaboration is to provide state-of-the-art digital solutions and AI-supported value-added services for SMEs in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in order to drive forward the digital transformation - towards greater productivity, efficiency and cost optimisation. The aim is for SMEs to become more competitive by integrating AI-driven data and processes into digital workflows.
What does ServiceNow stand for and how does it differ from a traditional enterprise resource planning system?
Vesna Glatz. Our AI platform connects people, processes, data and devices to increase productivity and maximise results. ServiceNow gives companies a centralised operating system for work. Instead of managing many separate processes and systems, processes, data and services converge on a unified platform. ERP is a reflection of the past: stable core transactions, clearly defined processes, little change. ServiceNow shapes the future: dynamic processes, quick decisions, end-to-end controllability across all areas. ERP keeps the company stable. ServiceNow makes it agile, adaptable and future-proof.
"One platform for everything"?
Glatz. Yes, one platform instead of many individual solutions creates clarity: one data model, one process logic, one security framework. This makes change easier, speed higher and controllability better. In an environment that is constantly changing, this controllability becomes a decisive success factor. Companies increasingly find themselves in complex, dynamic contexts, but at the same time often have rigid structures. ServiceNow is the technological platform that breaks down silos and creates flexibility. One Platform is the architecture that will support a company for years to come - regardless of growth or complexity.
And the combination of ServiceNow plus CANCOM works because ...
Borenich. Because it combines platform expertise with implementation experience and an end-to-end approach to both technical and organisational anchoring. We also benefit from the fact that we ourselves have been using ServiceNow at CANCOM since 2019.
ServiceNow was "born in the cloud", i.e. developed to be cloud-native from the outset. Why is that?
Glatz. This makes the platform light, stable and consistent. We operate it globally ourselves, but we can also provide it on hyperscalers, in local data centres or on sovereign solutions such as Stackit. The architecture always remains the same. Only the operating model is based on the requirements of the core business. This stands for the aforementioned flexibility.
Artificial intelligence is at the centre of the digital transformation. Expectations seem to be just as high as the reluctance of many companies to strategically integrate AI.
Borenich. After the hype, which is accompanied by exaggerated expectations, there is usually a period of disillusionment. For many, there is a lack of clarity about what AI can already achieve in a company and where development time is still needed. That's why advice is important. We see clarification as part of our service. And we focus on the implementation of functioning use cases that actually provide concrete benefits. This becomes clear with the Service-Now platform. This is how companies can be convinced.
However, setting up AI applications requires the availability of data.
Borenich. The availability of data and the generation of platforms are a basic prerequisite for the application of AI. The publicly available information on the internet is already integrated into the large models, but the greatest treasure trove of data that needs to be unearthed lies within the companies themselves. For example, in knowledge databases and collected by machines. Basically, it is about the beneficial digitalisation of business models and processes and, in this context, the transformation of IT from a cost centre to a solution centre. The focus is therefore on solving problems with the help of digital tools, in which AI applications are playing an increasingly important role.
When it comes to AI, thought leaders are talking about an industrial revolution that is fundamentally changing the world of work and therefore production conditions. Do you agree with this?
Glatz. Absolutely. Most people are still using AI like a tool. In the future, however, AI will become the control centre of companies. Today it takes over work; tomorrow it will control entire processes independently. It's not just about taking repetitive tasks off people's hands. It is about cognitive expansion and fusion. AI will become part of our judgement and decision-making ability. However, AI agents do not change who makes decisions, but rather how work is created. By summarising information and preparing options. Agents create speed and stability in the background. They therefore ensure fast operation, robustness and resilience. However, the key decisions remain with humans, who determine direction, quality and judgement.
AI and humans as co-operation partners?
Borenich. Ideally, it's about the optimal interplay of different competences - and using them in the right place. A concrete example. We have established that we have a so-called deflection rate of 80 per cent. In other words, 80 per cent of customer queries at the service desk can be resolved without human intervention thanks to AI. This saves human labour, which can be used in other, more meaningful areas. In other activities, AI applications become effective as support for intellectual, creative work. Another advantage of AI: as soon as a skill has been recognised and learned, it is available worldwide. Knowledge transfer can therefore take place within a fraction of a second. And AI is increasingly moving in the direction of physicality, with robotics and human-machine collaboration. These are also topics that will significantly change many work processes and make them more productive.
If the advantages of AI-based digital transformations are so obvious, it is all the more sobering that Austria is falling behind internationally in this key technology. According to the McKinsey study "State of AI in Austria 2025", the AI maturity of Austrian companies is below the EU average. One conclusion of the study: in many companies, little to no increase in productivity has been achieved with artificial intelligence applications. Why is that?
Glatz. Sometimes there is still a lack of judgement at board level and the right decision-making architecture in companies. In my opinion, an important step in the right direction would be to establish transparency as a corporate value. Then the decision-making logic will also change.
Borenich. In difficult economic situations, many companies traditionally tend to economise. Promising projects are cancelled. The approach is simply too defensive. It's a mentality problem. If you fall back on old solutions to new problems, if you prefer to hesitate and see how others do it first - then you can't expect to be at the forefront. I think company managers need to realise that technology is the driving force behind the business model. The opportunities that this opens up should not be missed if you want to remain competitive.
So productivity increases are indeed possible if you pull the right levers?
Glatz. The productivity gains are realistic - if workflows are clearly defined, responsibilities are unambiguous and processes are linked end-to-end. Many companies today are losing speed because they rely on too many individual solutions that don't work together. The longer you wait, the greater the gap in international competition. The productivity lever does not come from more tools, but from a platform that eliminates friction, accelerates decisions and enables scaling.
ABOUT SERVICENOW: ServiceNow has set itself the goal of making artificial intelligence usable for everyone. The ServiceNow AI platform for business transformation connects people, processes, data and devices to increase productivity and maximise business outcomes.
ABOUT CANCOM: As a digital business provider, CANCOM supports companies, organisations and the public sector in the implementation of their digitalisation strategies. The CANCOM Group's offering includes solutions in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, Security & Network, Datacenter & Cloud, IoT Solutions and Modern Workplace and includes services for the entire IT lifecycle - from the provision of IT infrastructures, planning and integration, to support, managed services and XaaS.