Comcast is a ServiceNow power user. They’ve used ServiceNow for several years and their footprint has increased significantly over time. Comcast now has more than 20 nodes in their ServiceNow instance, with several modules having more than 40 million records.
Data analysis tools such as Tableau and PowerBI are heavily used by Comcast management for:
- Analyzing data sets
- Visualizing data
- Reporting and dashboards
To enable the easy sharing of its ServiceNow data, Comcast sought a solution for replicating its data to a database they could connect to directly.
SnowMirror Smart ServiceNow Replication
Comcast first installed GuideVision’s SnowMirror, a software tool for making smart replications of data from ServiceNow, in 2019. Comcast decided to use SnowMirror because of its:
- Ease of use
- Powerful features
- High performance, even with large ServiceNow footprints like Comcast’s
Data replication at near real-time
Comcast makes extensive use of a SnowMirror feature to make calls to each of its 20 ServiceNow nodes. This enables faster data synchronization than if it were to pull the data from the same instance or same node.
- Originally the replicated ServiceNow data was stored on-premises
- Now it’s stored in the cloud and replicated several times per day
- This enables near real-time information for Comcast’s users, and doesn’t slow ServiceNow performance
The Results
Today Comcast has easy access to replicated data from its ServiceNow instance, enabling a wide variety of uses.
Data analysis and visualization tools such as Tableau and PowerBI are used for advanced reporting and dashboards.
ServiceNow data can be combined with other sources to create large data lakes, which can then be used for analysis.
Satisfied user
“I definitely have nothing but good things to say about SnowMirror,” Comcast senior automation engineer Steve Zadroga says. “It solved our problem. It’s super easy to use and the return has been fantastic.”
A major player in telecoms and media
Comcast NBCUniversal is the largest cable TV and home internet provider in the United States. Its media holdings include:
- TV networks such as NBC, CNBC, Sky and Telemundo
- Movie studios, including Universal Pictures, home of blockbusters such as the Jurassic Park franchise
- Theme parks, including Universal Studios Orlando and Hollywood
In addition to having 189,000 employees, Comcast has millions of devices on its networks. So a tool like SnowMirror definitely comes in handy.
