You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.

IBM SmartCloud Control Desk vs Ivanti ITSM comparison

IBM and Ivanti are both solutions in the Help Desk Software category. IBM is ranked #32, while Ivanti is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.2. Additionally, 88% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Ivanti users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 3, 2026

Ivanti ITSM and IBM SmartCloud Control Desk are competitors in the IT service management category. Ivanti appears to have the upper hand thanks to its automation capabilities, flexibility, and cost-effective pricing, appealing to businesses of various sizes.

Features: Ivanti ITSM offers comprehensive automation, self-service functionalities, and robust integration. It provides effective patch management and service request capabilities. IBM SmartCloud Control Desk stands out with its asset management, workflow capabilities, and integration options, although its automation is less robust than Ivanti's.

Room for Improvement: Ivanti ITSM could benefit from improved customization in its self-service portal and better integration support. IBM SmartCloud Control Desk users report dissatisfaction with its outdated interface and limited graphical features. Both could enhance technical support and response times.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Ivanti ITSM offers diverse deployment options, including hybrid and public cloud services, with generally positive customer support feedback, despite some concerns over initial costs. IBM SmartCloud Control Desk, primarily an on-premises solution, faces criticism for slower support response times.

Pricing and ROI: Ivanti ITSM is regarded as cost-efficient with a subscription-based model and lower fees, delivering significant ROI through operational efficiency. IBM SmartCloud Control Desk involves higher licensing costs but provides value to larger enterprises through manageable annual fees and robust enterprise-level features.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM SmartCloud Control Desk vs. Ivanti ITSM Report (Updated: November 2026).

Buyer's Guide

IBM SmartCloud Control Desk vs. Ivanti ITSM

November 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 920,769 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Automation Anywhere

Featured Reviews

Venkat Sivaprakash

Management Consultant at Accenture

Has significantly improved document-driven workflows and reduced processing time across finance and HR functions

Automation Anywhere has evolved significantly and upgraded itself to provide agentic AI and AI-based automation solutions for document automation. The product has matured considerably over time. We can create workflows that can call an API. We can include prompts in particular workflows for ChatGPT-related functions, connecting to an LLM and RAG to perform tasks. For document automation, modern features are available to train documents, ensuring high accuracy and repeatability over time. The system is very easy to use. I recently completed a course in document automation, typically designed for people involved in coding and technical aspects. Though I understand coding comprehensively, I don't do actual coding. The course was very accessible. Currently, extensive coding isn't necessary due to the hybrid model incorporating GenAI aspects, low-code, no-code capabilities, APIs, and numerous pre-built objects in Automation Anywhere. The features include GenAI-driven prompting methods and workflow creation capabilities. In these workflows, we can create decision boxes and call APIs without coding. We simply pull objects, drop them, connect them, and add minimal coding when needed. The most crucial aspect isn't coding but rather sizing the automation and fleshing out the details. Automation Co-pilot takes notes and performs automated analysis. It can extract details from videos, summarize conversations, and provide detailed information. During calls, it identifies instructions and performs tasks such as preparing reports and reconciliation. Automation Anywhere can also connect with Microsoft Co-pilot. Through Co-pilot, real-time operations can be executed, allowing direct interaction between vendors and automation through this component.

Read full review

Klemen Muhvič

Computer System Engineer at Informatika d.d.

Has centralization and asset management features, and a helpful and knowledgeable technical support team

What needs improvement in IBM SmartCloud Control Desk is its graphical interface because it needs to be more user-friendly. IBM is a big company, but this solution is a little bit outdated. The most common comment I get from customers is that IBM SmartCloud Control Desk looks old and needs a refresh. Its frontend needs a little bit of work. The solution needs to be more modern. In the programming world, you see a lot of new technologies, but this particular solution is still on Java. IBM SmartCloud Control Desk isn't like web-based service request tools, and that's an area for improvement. What I'd like to see in the next version of the solution is a more upscale technology. IBM SmartCloud Control Desk has small issues with document links and attachments, and those could bother you when you're using it for a long time. A more user-friendly GUI is also another improvement I'd like to see in the next version of the solution, plus a better user experience, and it would be great if IBM could resolve the current issues I've noticed in IBM SmartCloud Control Desk.

Read full review

reviewer2809476

Technical Account Manager at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

Unified endpoint control has improved patch workflows and streamlined remote device management

I like the patch management side of things in this solution. You can set deployment rings so patches are rolled out in phases rather than hitting everyone at once, which reduces risk. I quite like that feature. I also appreciate the endpoint visibility when you're in the dashboard. You can see device health, the compliance status, software inventory, and other information all in one place without jumping between tools. Ivanti Neurons for ITSM is a key tool and is very important to my service delivery efficiency. Since implementing it and having used it for two years, the ease of use is a significant advantage because it covers Windows, Mac OS, iOS, and Android, so I can operate and manage devices all from the same console. This is good in a mixed device environment. From a Windows perspective, the BitLocker key retrieval feature is very helpful. The analytics and reporting tools in this product are helpful. I can see device health and out-of-warranty status. This is crucial in keeping our environment up to date and secure.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Automation Anywhere can grow alongside our automation needs."

"The graphical user interface (GUI) is very useful, since I don't know any coding languages. I have been able to be a developer with Automation Anywhere without knowing the technical background. I am a business user, and not needing the technical knowledge to use the system has been useful for me."

"We used to set up 150 to 250 products in a week; that has come down to a day, and now I initiate the bot, go home, and by the time I am back it is done, so time is something that we are saving, we are becoming more efficient, and our partners are happy."

"The ease of use of the application is very smooth for us, and coming from a finance and business background, I did not have any challenges using the application."

"Compared to before, when processing a document took around three hours, we now complete it in one to two minutes thanks to Automation Anywhere and the latest document automation technology, saving around two hours and 55 minutes per user, which is a significant saving."

"The immediate impact is administrative tasks which were traditionally done manually are now being done by robots. This reduces the workload for people."

"The organizations where we have implemented AA have seen tremendous benefits achieved in terms of time and cost-saving with the highest quality of deliverables."

"Toward this life cycle, we have a very structured approach of governing, monitoring, and tracking, that's the approach we have taken. Insights we gain from this governance, we apply towards automation strategy and implementations. We've done this for many clients across the globe. We are happy to share those experiences with some of you as well."

More Automation Anywhere pros

"The solution has been stable."

"The workflow capability is useful. It's not a manual helpdesk operation. It's fully automated, even when an alarm has occurred. It covers the complete cycle of initiation to resolving the events. This is its most strong feature that is easily integrable with a monitoring solution. It creates tickets, and the workflow feature is the most important one."

"In general, it's been pretty stable."

"The solution is very easy to work with."

"Overall, it's a good product that I would recommend."

"SLA integrations, reports, and integration with other applications are the most valuable."

"The brand name is the most valuable aspect of this solution for me. It's IBM. It's a global company that supports this product, it's not something open source or something like that."

"Overall, it has helped us continuously improve our business processes."

More IBM SmartCloud Control Desk pros

"I like Cloud Neurons. Since it's a cloud version, it's much easier to enhance productivity because it collects all the information automatically."

"They allow us to automate ticketing processes and create requests more efficiently, improving our overall support operations."

"Everything in Ivanti Neurons for ITSM is excellent, and they are doing their best."

"Ivanti Automation significantly simplifies IT infrastructure processes, handling access requests and facilitating various employee requests."

"HEAT Service Management is a great tool for assets, service desk, and customer service management."

"Ivanti Neurons for ITSM is a key tool and is very important to my service delivery efficiency."

"The solution is easy to use and has a user-friendly interface."

"Overall, the platform, in its abilities, is really powerful, especially now with AI as a part of hyper-automation."

More Ivanti ITSM pros

Cons

"As a developer, I find Automation Anywhere's bot editor riddled with minor workflow issues that hinder productivity."

"The conversion time of invoices to JSON File should take less time using AA2019 IQBot, the report file creation feature should be added into IQ Bot A2019."

"What we currently have with Fortress IQ needs to mature more, and I say this since people spend weeks creating PDDs documentation."

"Enhancing the support tiers might be beneficial, and pricing has been a primary challenge, with a need for cheaper options and more tiered support."

"They sell every different functionality in too many separate packages, making the procurement process complicated as it requires paying additional licensing for more features."

"For our legacy systems, we are finding it very difficult to use the automation."

"They should make the product smarter. The bot we use right now is kind of fundamentally basic loop-based. We really want to see a little bit more advanced capability, that way we can undertake more comprehensive tasks."

"Better support for Excel is needed because there are a lot of limitations and we are having issues with it."

More Automation Anywhere cons

"Support has been the biggest problem for us."

"Their technical support can also be improved in terms of response time."

"Technical support can be slow in terms of resolving issues."

"What needs improvement in IBM SmartCloud Control Desk is its graphical interface because it needs to be more user-friendly. IBM is a big company, but this solution is a little bit outdated. The most common comment I get from customers is that IBM SmartCloud Control Desk looks old and needs a refresh. Its frontend needs a little bit of work. The solution needs to be more modern. In the programming world, you see a lot of new technologies, but this particular solution is still on Java. IBM SmartCloud Control Desk isn't like web-based service request tools, and that's an area for improvement. What I'd like to see in the next version of the solution is a more upscale technology. IBM SmartCloud Control Desk has small issues with document links and attachments, and those could bother you when you're using it for a long time. A more user-friendly GUI is also another improvement I'd like to see in the next version of the solution, plus a better user experience, and it would be great if IBM could resolve the current issues I've noticed in IBM SmartCloud Control Desk."

"Overall the user experience, as opposed to the system and databases, could be improved. It does work as it should and it's good, but they should invest more in the user interfaces to be less data oriented and more appealing for the user."

"It could use more facility or flexibility for reporting, and business intelligence in the tool."

"Support has been the biggest problem for us. I understand that because we use the product of a global company, some changes are not quick to deploy."

"The reporting in relation to updating could be improved upon."

More IBM SmartCloud Control Desk cons

"There is room for improvement in terms of response time. The support team takes a long time to respond."

"The process to add fields is time consuming and requires the system to be offline while you apply an Edit Set."

"Sometimes I can't get the reports that I want until I go to the manager. They need to put more into the new reports. The standard reports are great, but there do not communicate as much."

"Ivanti Automation should deliver more fixed templates for standard use cases or standard procedures."

"Because it is so new, the really valuable processes like Release, Availability, and Financial Management are just bare bones."

"The patching for non-Windows OSes such as Linux is poor."

"They could provide product integration with popular platforms."

"Configuration requirements are extensive, even in basic Service Desk processes."

More Ivanti ITSM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's cheapest among the competition, although bargaining is a must."

"We only deal in annual licenses. There are no pay-as-you-go licenses."

"This is a comprehensive automation offering with a scalable architecture and flexible pricing models."

"Subscription for Automation Anywhere (AA) is paid yearly."

"The cost of Automation Anywhere is high in Turkey due to the weak economy."

"Licensing costs range from $50,000 to $200,000."

"If you look at the capital expenditure, Automation Anywhere is number two to UiPath. But if you take a long-term view, on a scalable model of a large number of bots coming out, it slowly goes on to become the costliest tool. There is something they can do about that. The capital expenditure goes out right at the point of buying the tool. For Automation Anywhere, I would need to spend $20,000. UiPath can give me something for $6,000, while Blue Prism will come in at $300,000."

"It is somewhere in the middle. The price and value of Automation Anywhere are better than UiPath. The pricing is good globally. It could be a little bit cheaper, but it is good."

More Automation Anywhere pricing and cost advice

"The license for IBM SmartCloud Control Desk is paid yearly and is on a per-user basis. You buy the product and pay for its license yearly. IBM is changing the licensing structure, but for now, it's a yearly license. There's no additional cost. It's just the license that you need to pay for to use IBM SmartCloud Control Desk."

"It's basically for a big company because of the costs. A small company can't afford the licensing cost. For medium and large companies, it's the best product. The price of the license is on the higher side compared to others."

"The licensing we have for IBM Control Desk is on a yearly basis. They have a concurrent license and an administrative license. And with these, you get all the products. There aren't any additional fees for extra add-ons or anything like that."

"My customers do direct sales with Ivanti, and they complain that Ivanti Automation is more expensive than other solutions."

"If you want to add more users who can handle support there will be additional fees. What we call our extensions, we need to pay more for. They tell us that we need to acquire more licenses or something like that. I think it's very expensive, because in terms the pula, our local currency, it's about 20,000 per license for each user. It is an annual fee."

"The product is affordable for small businesses."

"I came to know from my team members that my company used to operate ServiceNow but shifted to Ivanti Neurons for ITSM due to its low licensing prices."

"The price is on the higher side. The support is included in the standard licensing fees."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Help Desk Software solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

920,769 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

13%

Performing Arts

11%

Outsourcing Company

11%

Construction Company

10%

Outsourcing Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	162
Midsize Enterprise	86
Large Enterprise	565

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Large Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	8

Questions from the Community

How good is Automation Anywhere for RPA processes?

It depends on your use case. Is it simply to automate a couple of processes? Is it to augment a human team? AA is ver...

See all answers

How good is Automation Anywhere for RPA processes?

From my experience using AA tool, it depends on the applications that you want to automate, because there some applic...

See all answers

How good is Automation Anywhere for RPA processes?

It is a highly preferred RPA tool. You can check my Automation Anywhere Review to know more.

See all answers

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Ivanti Neurons for ITSM?

I think the pricing aspect is cost-efficient.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Ivanti Neurons for ITSM?

Areas that have room for improvement with Ivanti Neurons for ITSM might include some of the reliability with Mac devi...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Ivanti Neurons for ITSM?

I use this product for patch management, remote access, and endpoint control.

See all answers

Comparisons

UiPath Platform vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 10% of the time

Blue Prism vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 5% of the time

Microsoft Power Automate vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 4% of the time

AutomationEdge vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 3% of the time

Appian vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 2% of the time

More Automation Anywhere Competitors

JIRA Service Management vs IBM SmartCloud Control Desk

Compared 13% of the time

ServiceNow vs IBM SmartCloud Control Desk

Compared 13% of the time

Ameyo Fusion CX vs IBM SmartCloud Control Desk

Compared 9% of the time

SCSM vs IBM SmartCloud Control Desk

Compared 6% of the time

Salesforce Service Cloud vs IBM SmartCloud Control Desk

Compared 6% of the time

More IBM SmartCloud Control Desk Competitors

ServiceNow vs Ivanti ITSM

Compared 8% of the time

JIRA Service Management vs Ivanti ITSM

Compared 5% of the time

BMC Helix ITSM vs Ivanti ITSM

Compared 3% of the time

Zenphi vs Ivanti ITSM

Compared 3% of the time

OpenText Operations Orchestration vs Ivanti ITSM

Compared 3% of the time

More Ivanti ITSM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Automation Anywhere

October 2026

Download Automation Anywhere product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM SmartCloud Control Desk

October 2026

Download IBM SmartCloud Control Desk product report

Buyer's Guide

Ivanti ITSM

October 2026

Download Ivanti ITSM product report

Also Known As

Automation Anywhere, Testing Anywhere, Automation Anywhere Enterprise, Agentic Process Automation System (Now Certified for WorkSpaces)

SmartCloud Control Desk

HEAT Service Management, Ivanti Automation

Interactive Demo

Automation Anywhere

Demo not available

IBM

Demo not available

Ivanti

Overview

Automation Anywhere offers ease of use, robust system connectivity, and GenAI-driven document automation through a cloud-native platform, significantly enhancing productivity across multiple industries with advanced AI features.

Delivering a comprehensive suite of tools designed for easy integration and rapid deployment, Automation Anywhere drives efficiency by reducing costs and automating repetitive tasks. Its cloud-native platform supports broad industry adoption, including advanced AI features like process automation and Co-Pilot, streamlining complex workflows with minimal technical skills required. Users benefit from robust integration capabilities, which facilitate seamless interaction with multiple systems. However, there is room for improvement in areas such as user-friendliness for beginners, stability, flexible licensing, and enhanced OCR functionality. Organizations in sectors such as banking, finance, manufacturing, and healthcare gain from the improved operational efficiency and ROI Automation Anywhere offers.

What are the important features of Automation Anywhere?

Ease of Use: Simplifies automation tasks with a user-centric interface.
Robust Connectivity: Provides seamless integration with multiple systems.
GenAI-Driven Document Automation: Leverages AI to automate document management.
Process Automation & Co-Pilot: Enhances workflow automation with advanced AI.
Cloud-Native Platform: Enables rapid deployment and integration.

What benefits should be evaluated in reviews?

Time Savings: Automation drastically reduces manual processing time.
Cost Efficiency: Decreases overall operational costs by automating tasks.
Productivity Enhancement: Streamlines workflows with AI-driven tools.
Improved Integration: Enhances ability to work with multiple systems.
Scalability: Supports growth with a flexible cloud-native architecture.

In the insurance industry, Automation Anywhere is utilized for automating processes such as enrollment management and compliance checks. Its applications extend to supply chain management, financial transactions, and business performance monitoring across sectors like banking, finance, manufacturing, and healthcare, helping organizations to automate routine tasks, improve efficiency, and reduce costs.

Automation Anywhere

IBM SmartCloud Control Desk offers robust integration capabilities, effective SLA integrations, automated workflows, and comprehensive reporting. Its flexibility and centralized request management enhance service efficiency, making it ideal for detailed issue tracking and resolution in IT environments.

IBM SmartCloud Control Desk is designed to streamline IT support, ticketing, and incident management. By integrating seamlessly with existing infrastructures, it centralizes service requests and IT asset management. Its automated processes ensure efficiency from initiation to resolution, reducing the chances of oversight. The platform's adaptability supports both on-premises and cloud deployments, making it suitable for industries like telecommunications and IT services. However, users often face challenges with support responsiveness, outdated interfaces, and difficulties with email integration, particularly affecting images and attachments.

What Are the Key Features of IBM SmartCloud Control Desk?

Integration Capabilities: Seamlessly integrates with various systems to enhance functionality.
SLA Integrations: Strong service level agreement management ensures SLAs are met.
Automated Workflow: Full automation of processes from start to resolution.
Robust Reporting: Comprehensive reporting tools for detailed insights.
Request Management: Centralized management of service requests and IT assets.

What Benefits and ROI Should Users Seek?

Efficiency: Streamlines operations with automated processes, increasing productivity.
Flexibility: Adapts to organizational changes for better service delivery.
Reliability: Backed by IBM's trusted brand reputation.
Scalability: Scales with demand for growing businesses.

IBM SmartCloud Control Desk is widely implemented in telecommunications and IT services industries. Organizations utilize it for managing IT support, incident resolution, and system monitoring. Its ability to handle both internal and external requests effectively helps businesses streamline client communications and improve service management across different deployment models.

IBM

Ivanti ITSM offers powerful automation with AI integration, featuring customizable service management solutions like self-service, Self Heal, service catalog, and ticketing systems, supporting incident, change, and asset management.

Ivanti ITSM combines stability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness, providing automation and AI-driven enhancements for handling incidents, changes, and assets. Users highlight its easy customization, user-friendly interface, and seamless integration with third-party tools. Notable for its patch management, endpoint visibility, and powerful workflows, Ivanti ITSM allows tailored service requests and comprehensive IT management, suitable for large and small enterprises. However, it requires enhancements for integration with non-Windows systems and some third-party tools, particularly improving self-service portal, UI, language localization, and support documentation. Configuration requirements, patching, and pricing models are also noted as areas needing refinement.

What are the standout features of Ivanti ITSM?

Self-Service Portal: Empowers users to resolve common issues independently.
Automation and AI: Drives efficiency with automated workflows and AI integration.
Service Catalog: Provides a structured offering of service requests and solutions.
Ticketing System: Streamlines incident tracking and resolution processes.
Patch Management: Ensures up-to-date and secure IT environments.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Customizability: Enables adaptation to specific IT needs.
Cost Efficiency: Offers scalable solutions without excessive costs.
Third-Party Integration: Facilitates seamless interaction with existing tools.
User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies adoption and day-to-day use.
Scalability: Supports growing and diverse IT requirements.

Ivanti ITSM is implemented widely in sectors like HR and finance for digital transformation, leveraging ITIL-certified processes and customizable workflows for comprehensive service desk operations. Its integration of intelligent chatbots and central support centers addresses IT needs efficiently, favored by organizations seeking ServiceNow alternatives.

Ivanti

Sample Customers

Google, Linkedin, Cisco, Juniper Networks, DellEMC, Comcast, Mastercard, Quest Diagnostics

St Vincent's Health Australia, Kalibrate Pty. Ltd., Cognizant Technology

AFS Group, Auckland Airport, Baylor University, County of Maui, Dis-Chem Pharmacies, Elia, Essentia Health, Government Research Laboratory, Groupe Webhelp, HSBC Africa, Midwestern University

Buyer's Guide

IBM SmartCloud Control Desk vs. Ivanti ITSM

November 2026

Free Report: IBM SmartCloud Control Desk vs. Ivanti ITSM

Find out what your peers are saying about IBM SmartCloud Control Desk vs. Ivanti ITSM and other solutions. Updated: November 2026.

DOWNLOAD NOW

920,769 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our IBM SmartCloud Control Desk vs. Ivanti ITSM report.

See our list of best Help Desk Software vendors.

We monitor all Help Desk Software reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.