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OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) vs SCSM comparison

OpenText and Microsoft are both solutions in the IT Service Management (ITSM) category. OpenText is ranked #16 with an average rating of 7.3, while Microsoft is ranked #11 with an average rating of 7.4. OpenText holds a 2.1% mindshare in ISM, compared to Microsoft’s 1.6% mindshare. Additionally, 83% of OpenText users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 66% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.
OpenText Service Management...
Read 6 OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) reviews
  • 875 Views
  • 410 Comparison Views
83% willing to recommend
SCSM
Read 26 SCSM reviews
  • 896 Views
  • 495 Comparison Views
66% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

SCSM and OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) are competing in the IT service management category. SMAX appears to have the upper hand with its broader cloud-based flexibility and advanced automation capabilities.

Features: SCSM offers strong integration with Microsoft products, seamless Azure and Office 365 connectivity, and a robust CMDB for configuration management. SMAX features advanced AI capabilities, omnichannel support, and comprehensive automation, allowing for greater customization.

Room for Improvement: SCSM could enhance its cloud-based features, reduce complexity in deployment, and improve its automation capabilities. SMAX can improve by providing more user training resources, enhancing its pricing structure for better accessibility, and simplifying its initial setup process.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SCSM's deployment is more complex due to its on-premises infrastructure, requiring significant IT resources. SMAX's cloud-native architecture allows for quicker deployment and more flexible scaling. SMAX also excels in providing comprehensive customer support, enhancing satisfaction.

Pricing and ROI: SCSM presents a lower initial cost, attractive for Microsoft-licensed businesses, but its ROI may be limited by its lack of advanced features. SMAX involves higher upfront costs, associated with its cloud-based operations, yet offers higher ROI potential due to its scalability and automation capabilities.

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To learn more, read our detailed OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) vs. SCSM Report (Updated: April 2025).
Buyer's Guide
OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) vs. SCSM
April 2025
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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

OpenText Service Management...
Ranking in IT Service Management (ITSM)
16th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
SCSM
Ranking in IT Service Management (ITSM)
11th
Average Rating
7.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
26
Ranking in other categories
Help Desk Software (12th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the IT Service Management (ITSM) category, the mindshare of OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) is 2.1%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SCSM is 1.6%, down from 2.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
IT Service Management (ITSM)
 

Featured Reviews

Mourad Ali - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers topic analytics for incident and problem management
The only challenge with Azure customers is when they have a specific requirement that is not available out of the box and is inflexible to adjust. Sometimes, customers have tough requirements that are not flexible enough to be adjusted, even if SMAX can provide a better alternative. They need this specific feature. This challenge is common with SMAX, BMC, ServiceNow, IBM, or other similar tools. When working with enterprise tools that are not developed in-house, I don't have access to the source code and am limited to the features and capabilities provided by the leading vendors. So, this challenge is common across SMAX, BMC, and ServiceNow. The solution could have more customization flexibility.
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PraveenSharma3 - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced remote functionality complements intricate admin management
We are using it as co-management, working from SCCM and some from Intune. However, there are dissimilarities between SCCM and Intune, so we use SCCM for specific tasks or policies Currently, with the system, we have some remote tool functionality which is not available with Intune. We are also…
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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The tool is very easy to use."
"This is a cordless application that can be used throughout any organization."
"OpenText Service Management Automation X provides valuable features such as topic analytics for incident and problem management. It also includes natural language processing for analyzing technical descriptions. Additionally, it features a virtual chatbot capable of processing natural language to interact effectively with end users. This service enhances customer support and is not subject to the limitations often found in offerings from other vendors."
"The product provides an interface for the end users to make requests."
"It offers a range of tools for sales and configuration. It's like a business process improvement platform, suitable for various lines of business operations."
"The most valuable features of Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX) are that it is user-friendly, easy to configure, and adaptable."
"SCCM provides remote tool functionality, which is not in Intune."
"This solution is easy to use."
"The solution is quite easy to integrate with other Microsoft products."
"The most valuable feature is the reporting of incidents."
"The remote access is one of the features I really enjoy. The pushing of email updates and things like that are very good."
"We use SCSM to manage all of our IT operations, including incident and service requests and problem management."
"It is one of the most stable solutions in the market."
"A very convenient package like an all-in-one tool but it is actually five or six products acting well together."
More SCSM pros
 

Cons

"The product's connectivity with third-party products is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"The solution lacks sufficient documentation."
"The initial setup of Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX) is complicated, but once it is set up the configuration is straightforward to adapt to the users' or customers' needs."
"The tool has negatively impacted our productivity."
"The contract management feature can be improved."
"We would like to see a web-based interface that works on mobile devices."
"They need more integration with open-source products."
"The configuration could be easier."
"The major issues with SCSM include its severe slowness, especially on the client side, and the lack of comprehensive reporting tools."
"There is no development with this product, and we had to go and buy additional ITSM solutions to sit on top of it. We had to buy products from companies like Cireson and Cased Dimensions in order to get the functionality that we need out of it. So, we're using Service Manager as an engine, rather than as a full-blown product. It is the engine, but we have other products sitting on top of it to make it work properly."
"Although some engineers at Microsoft are good, the support often lacks expertise, and response times are slow."
"We have had some issues with the SCSM on-premise deployment version in the imaging aspects."
"One of the disadvantages in this product is that the reporting module is not very easy. It requires SQL development skills, which not all customers or IT professionals have."
More SCSM cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is somewhat cheaper than the competitors."
"The cost of the license for SMAX varies depending on the configuration, including the number of seats for users and the customer's specific requirements. It's not a fixed cost and can vary."
"It is a lower price vs. other things on the market."
"The price of the solution could be better. My organization has an enterprise annual license with Microsoft which provides us support."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"The price should be lower."
"The platform is competitively priced."
"Licensing can be complex and confusing."
"It comes free with the enterprise agreement that we have, but the expense really is in having to buy another product to sit on top of it to make it work properly. You wind up having to buy additional support and additional product with their own support and maintenance costs on top of that."
"The license for SCSM is cheap."
More SCSM pricing and cost advice
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which IT Service Management (ITSM) solutions are best for your needs.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
8%
Government
27%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)?
The tool is very easy to use.
See all answers
What is your primary use case for Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)?
The solution is used for the end-user portal. It is used for incident management, requests, and other informational purposes.
See all answers
What advice do you have for others considering Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)?
The tool is appropriate if we don't have a complicated use case. It is the right tool for simple use cases. It's a lot cheaper than ServiceNow. It is an appropriate tool for a smaller business or m...
See all answers
What do you like most about SCSM?
The solution offers good productivity at a low price point.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SCSM?
We acquired SCSM for free with our Microsoft Endpoint Manager purchase, and we only paid for the integration process.
See all answers
What needs improvement with SCSM?
From an admin point of view, Intune has more features and is easier to manage compared to SCCM. SCCM is a little complex for the admin point of view. Although some engineers at Microsoft are good, ...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

ServiceNow vs OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) Logo
ServiceNow vs OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX)
Compared 37% of the time
JIRA Service Management vs OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) Logo
JIRA Service Management vs OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX)
Compared 28% of the time
BMC Helix ITSM vs OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) Logo
BMC Helix ITSM vs OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX)
Compared 23% of the time
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus vs OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) Logo
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus vs OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX)
Compared 11% of the time
More OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) Competitors
ServiceNow vs SCSM Logo
ServiceNow vs SCSM
Compared 56% of the time
BMC Helix ITSM vs SCSM Logo
BMC Helix ITSM vs SCSM
Compared 17% of the time
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus vs SCSM Logo
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus vs SCSM
Compared 16% of the time
JIRA Service Management vs SCSM Logo
JIRA Service Management vs SCSM
Compared 11% of the time
More SCSM Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
IT Service Management (ITSM)
April 2025
OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) reportDownload OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) product report
Buyer's Guide
SCSM
April 2025
SCSM reportDownload SCSM product report
 

Also Known As

OpenText Service Manager, Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX)
System Center Service Manager
 

Interactive Demo

OpenText
Demo not available
Microsoft
 

Overview

OpenText™ SMAX is a SaaS-based solution that delivers a smart approach to IT and enterprise service management with built-in analytics, codeless configurations, and private generative AI chatbots.

OpenText SMAX delivers a smart approach to service management, with full capabilities for IT service management (ITSM), IT asset management (ITAM), and enterprise service management (ESM). Empower users to self-resolve common requests with private generative AI chatbots that offer human-like responses. Give your team what they need—ITIL best-practice templates, codeless configurations, and built-in AI and analytics for automating workflows, improving processes, and solving issues. With SaaS deployment, SMAX eliminates the hassle of installation, maintenance, and upgrade. What’s more, SMAX offers flexible and affordable licensing that adapts to your business needs and saves you money.

SMAX has a flexible and transparent pricing model that lets you change license allocations or add capabilities without costly surprises. Pricing starts at $79 per agent per month for a full range of processes and features that include a service portal, mobile app, AI, analytics, federated CMDB, ITSM, ESM, discovery, and orchestration. Visit the OpenText ITSM SaaS pricing page for details.

OpenText
System Center Service Manager is a software product by Microsoft to allow organizations to manage incidents and problems. Microsoft states that the product is compliant with industry best practices such as the Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) and in the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). SCSM has integrated ITIL compliant fulfillment of service requests. Service requests are submitted by the end user in order to obtain information, access to a new application or the most common of all, password reset.
Microsoft
 

Sample Customers

Zurich Airport, Envirosuite, Norsk Helsenett, Achmea, University of Milan, World Vision, Petroleum Development Oman, Court of Justice of the Federal District and Territories (TJDFT).
Fibabanka, UMC Health System
Buyer's Guide
OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) vs. SCSM
April 2025
Free Report: OpenText Service Management Automation X (SMAX) vs. SCSM
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