ServiceNow’s Data.World Acquisition Bolsters AI and Data Management Capabilities
In a significant move that underscores the growing importance of data management in the AI-driven enterprise landscape, ServiceNow announced on Tuesday its acquisition of Data.World, a leading data catalog platform. This acquisition comes just two months after ServiceNow’s purchase of Moveworks, highlighting the company’s aggressive strategy to enhance its AI capabilities and data infrastructure.
The Santa Clara-based workflow automation giant did not disclose the financial terms of the deal, but industry analysts view this as a strategic investment to strengthen ServiceNow’s position in the competitive AI and data management space.
“Data is the foundation of AI, and AI is the future of work,” said Bill McDermott, Chairman and CEO of ServiceNow, in a press release. “By bringing Data.World’s capabilities into our Now Platform, we’re creating a unified data fabric that will help our customers turn their data into actionable insights and drive better business outcomes.”
According to ServiceNow’s official announcement, the acquisition will integrate Data.World’s catalog platform into ServiceNow’s Now Platform, creating what the company calls a “workflow data fabric” that will enable organizations to better manage, govern, and leverage their data assets across various business functions.
The timing of this acquisition is particularly noteworthy. As reported by TechCrunch, it follows closely on the heels of ServiceNow’s Moveworks acquisition in March, which was aimed at enhancing the company’s conversational AI capabilities. The rapid succession of these acquisitions suggests a comprehensive strategy to build an end-to-end AI and data management ecosystem.
“ServiceNow is assembling the pieces for a comprehensive AI strategy,” noted Holger Mueller, an analyst at Constellation Research, as quoted by The New Stack. “Data.World brings the crucial data catalog component that will help ServiceNow customers better understand and utilize their data resources for AI applications.”
Data.World, founded in 2016, has developed a reputation for its robust data cataloging, governance, and collaboration features. The Austin-based company’s platform is designed to help organizations discover, understand, and use their data more effectively—capabilities that align perfectly with ServiceNow’s vision of streamlined workflow automation.
Brett Hurt, CEO and co-founder of Data.World, expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition in a LinkedIn post: “Joining forces with ServiceNow represents an incredible opportunity to accelerate our mission of creating the most meaningful, collaborative, and abundant data resource in the world. Together, we’ll help more organizations unlock the value of their data and power intelligent workflows at scale.”
Industry publication SC World highlighted that this acquisition is part of a broader trend of enterprise software companies investing in data management capabilities to support their AI initiatives. The publication noted that ServiceNow’s competitors, including Salesforce and Microsoft, have made similar moves in recent years.
The integration of Data.World’s technology is expected to enhance ServiceNow’s recently announced Now Assist, the company’s generative AI solution. By providing a more comprehensive data foundation, ServiceNow aims to improve the accuracy and relevance of its AI-powered recommendations and automations.
As organizations continue to grapple with the challenges of data silos and the increasing complexity of their digital ecosystems, ServiceNow’s strategic acquisitions position the company to offer more integrated solutions that connect workflows, data, and AI capabilities in ways that could potentially transform how enterprises operate.