OpenText Service Management (SMAX) vs OpenText Service Manager [EOL] comparison

OpenText Service Management (SMAX) and OpenText Service Manager [EOL] are both solutions in the IT Service Management (ITSM) category. Additionally, 83% of OpenText Service Management (SMAX) users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 79% of OpenText Service Manager [EOL] users who would recommend it.

OpenText Service Management...

Read 6 OpenText Service Management (SMAX) reviews

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83% willing to recommend

OpenText Service Manager [EOL]

Read 48 OpenText Service Manager [EOL] reviews

79% willing to recommend

OpenText Service Management...

OpenText Service Manager [EOL]

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 19, 2025

OpenText Service Manager [EOL] and OpenText Service Management (SMAX) compete in IT service management. SMAX has the upper hand with its advanced capabilities and adaptability to business needs.

Features: OpenText Service Manager [EOL] offers comprehensive ITIL v3 support, change management, and incident management. SMAX provides AI-driven technology, low-code customization, and enhanced flexibility and scalability to streamline operations. SMAX also includes natural language processing and virtual chatbots, improving user interaction.

Room for Improvement: OpenText Service Manager [EOL] could benefit from improved cloud compatibility, a more modern user interface, and enhanced automation options. SMAX could improve by offering more intuitive interfaces, simplifying its configuration capabilities, and providing better integration with legacy systems.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: OpenText Service Manager [EOL] demands significant on-premise infrastructure, which complicates deployment but offers reliable customer support. SMAX simplifies deployment through its cloud-based model, ensuring quick integration and efficient updates, accompanied by robust customer service.

Pricing and ROI: OpenText Service Manager [EOL] requires a significant initial investment, with manageable ongoing costs and steady ROI. SMAX has a higher upfront cost, justified by its innovative features and cloud capabilities, leading to reduced maintenance costs and improved operational effectiveness over time.

To learn more, read our detailed IT Service Management (ITSM) Report (Updated: August 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IT Service Management (ITSM)

August 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...

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

IT Service Management (ITSM) (14th)

OpenText Service Manager [EOL]

Average Rating

7.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Featured Reviews

Evgeniy Kolotilov

Managing Director at Intracom Telecom Ukraine

Offers a range of tools for sales and configuration that can be used in banks and telecom companies

The deployment takes three months. In this process, customers need to allocate resources like networks, data storage, and images. They then need to decide which business functions they intend to use in production and perform some basic configurations. Custom documentation is prepared and provided for user renewals and administration. I would rate the experience of the initial setup a nine out of ten.

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MEKKAB Raouf

Information Technology Service Manager & Technology Integration DevOps at Djezzy

Excellent pricing with great change management and service management capabilities

We started with version 9.3, and now we're on 9.6 with the full solution, including the CMS. They have lots of options. They propose a full solution for technology and IT service management. We are a telecom company. We are a leader in the market, and therefore, we need to have all details about our own environment and assets. So far, Micro Focus answers all our needs. I'd advise new users to go directly to the SMAX solution, the last, last version of Service Manager. If they are a technical company or information technology company with engineers and developers, they can use it on-premise. If they don't have such competence in the company, they can ask for the solution on the cloud. It is easily available on Microsoft, Amazon, or Google clouds. I'd rate the product nine out of ten.

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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

"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."

"This is a cordless application that can be used throughout any organization."

"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."

"The product provides an interface for the end users to make requests."

"The tool is very easy to use."

"Sometimes, customization is simple. The version we are using now has a nice interface."

"It helps to register things, to see the changing parts, and to correlate incidents."

"Service Manager does what it should, but it's quite outdated."

"The workflow engine that standardizes and globalizes the process steps. It drives people through the process by standardization and automation."

"It's easy to scale."

"It's pretty well-structured in modules."

"Its flexibility and ease of customization are its most valuable features."

"Service Manager gives us a single system where everything is centralized in one base."

More OpenText Service Manager [EOL] pros

Cons

"The contract management feature can be improved."

"The solution lacks sufficient documentation."

"The product's connectivity with third-party products is an area of concern where improvements are required."

"The tool has negatively impacted our productivity."

"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 solution does not interface well with other products and is difficult to implement."

"With the new version moving toward the codeless configuration is good, but it's losing flexibility."

"We aren't able to take emails that come in and turn them into tickets, especially when it comes to attachments. When an email has an attachment, like a screenshot, it is a very cumbersome process, and it does not work very well. I shouldn't have been paying technicians to cut and paste attachments from an email into the ticketing system. It should do that automatically. Other solutions are able to do that. This is something that needs to be improved. Test manager and knowledge management areas are probably amongst the worst parts of this solution. We try to use this solution for knowledge management, but it is not user-friendly. Therefore, it has limited ROI as you need to spend time to try and fully capitalize on the knowledge management system."

"It, still, has a bit of more of improvement possibilities in the codeless part. But, I can see that they are working on it, so that's quite good as well."

"Service Manager is at the end of its life. The architecture, performance, and look are all way behind."

"Micro Focus Service Manager is not very great. It would be better if it had more features. When it comes to features, BMC tops the chart. When it comes to usage, people use BMC more."

"It needs good integration with the configuration database, that's lacking at the moment, It's not that good."

"I think the best recommendation to Micro Focus would be to increase awareness and the marketing for this product."

More OpenText Service Manager [EOL] cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"The solution is somewhat cheaper than the competitors."

"I would say that identify your requirements and pay for the support to implement and test those requirements, and then hope that you did a good job because the cost of their service is fairly expensive."

"I pay for Service Manager on a yearly basis, and the price is reasonable - I would rate it five out of ten."

"HP Service Manager has moderate pricing."

"Micro Focus Service Manager is a little cheaper than other options. You have to pay a monthly subscription fee."

"The license is not cheap."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

22%

Computer Software Company

20%

Government

Performing Arts

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.

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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.

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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 Micro Focus Service Manager?

The initial setup is easy.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Micro Focus Service Manager?

The product's technical support services need improvement.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Micro Focus Service Manager?

We use the product for infrastructure, profile, and incident management.

See all answers

Comparisons

ServiceNow vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Compared 32% of the time

JIRA Service Management vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Compared 24% of the time

BMC Helix ITSM vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Compared 15% of the time

Ivanti Voice vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Compared 11% of the time

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus vs OpenText Service Management (SMAX)

Compared 7% of the time

More OpenText Service Management (SMAX) Competitors

No data available

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IT Service Management (ITSM)

August 2025

OpenText Service Management (SMAX) report

Download OpenText Service Management (SMAX) product report

Buyer's Guide

OpenText Service Manager [EOL]

August 2025

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Also Known As

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

Micro Focus Service Manager, HPE ITSM, HPE Service Manager

Interactive Demo

OpenText

Demo not available

OpenText

Overview

OpenText Service Management Automation X delivers efficient service management automation with user-friendly configurability across IT, IoT, HR, and finance sectors. It enhances business processes through integrated incident management and natural language processing with virtual chatbots.

OpenText SMAX blends user-friendly design with broad language support and robust storage. It enables organizations to deploy in both on-premise and cloud environments using Kubernetes. SMAX excels in business process improvement, incident management, and uses intelligent agents for autonomous alerts and issue resolution. However, it requires enhancements in integration capabilities and documentation, third-party product connectivity, and contract management. Users face challenges with process automation and search functionality, demanding greater customization and flexibility.

What are the key features of OpenText SMAX?

User-Friendliness: Simplifies service management across departments.
Configurability: Allows customization to meet specific needs.
Adaptability: Effective across IT, IoT, HR, and finance.
Language Support: Broad language capabilities for diverse users.
Storage Capabilities: Efficient and reliable data management.
Process Improvement: Tools for streamlining business operations.
Incident Management: Effective handling and resolution of issues.
Natural Language Processing: Chatbots that enhance customer support.
Automation: Facilitates seamless logistics and service catalog management.

What benefits and ROI should users evaluate?

Enhanced Efficiency: Streamlines service management processes.
Improved Customer Support: Virtual chatbots provide superior assistance.
Scalability: Adaptable to growing business needs.
Cost Reduction: Optimizes resource usage and reduces operational costs.
Employee Onboarding: Simplifies and accelerates onboarding processes.

Banks and telecom companies primarily employ OpenText SMAX for service management automation, leveraging its ESM and ITSM capabilities. Deployed on-premise and via cloud, organizations in regions such as Saudi Arabia focus on integrations and upgrades, using SMAX as an end-user portal for incident management.

OpenText

Service Manager on SaaS provides you with a cloud-based, industry leading IT Service Management solution.

OpenText

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).

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Buyer's Guide

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August 2025

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