When Ivanti announced that Cherwell Service Management would reach end of support in December 2026, many organizations breathed a sigh of relief. “We’ve still got time,” they thought. But in reality, that window is far narrower than it seems.
Migrating from a legacy ITSM tool isn’t a weekend project. It’s months of planning, data mapping, integration design, testing, training, and rollout. To complete all of that comfortably before Cherwell’s final deadline, the decision about a new platform needs to be made in 2025.
Waiting until 2026 is a gamble. By then, partners and migration specialists will be stretched thin, timelines will compress, and costs will rise. Worse, your team could find itself running mission-critical services on an unsupported, vulnerable tool.
Cherwell once offered flexibility and customization that appealed to organizations that didn’t want to be boxed into rigid ITIL workflows. But since Ivanti acquired the product in 2021, the story has changed.
Support has been whittled away version by version. Customers running older editions are already outside Ivanti’s support window, and cloud customers are finding renewals blocked altogether. On-premise deployments might continue running for now, but without patches or vendor escalation, it’s “best effort” at best.
Temporary upgrades to supported versions are a short-term fix — a six-month reprieve here, another year there — but they don’t change the inevitable. By December 31, 2026, all official support ends.
Every extra month spent remaining on Cherwell raises the stakes:
It’s no wonder many organizations feel frustrated. Some feel pushed toward Ivanti Neurons — a tool they didn’t choose — while others are simply left unsupported. But there’s another path: one that allows you to control your future rather than being forced into someone else’s roadmap.
This is where Alemba Service Manager (ASM) comes in. ASM offers the flexibility that Cherwell customers once relied on, but without the drawbacks of aging architecture or expensive code-heavy customization.
Its graphical workflow engine lets you automate virtually any process — from IT requests to HR onboarding — while maintaining compliance and consistency. The screen designer allows you to build forms, fields, and rules without writing a single line of code.
The Graphical Workflow Designer in ASM
And unlike Cherwell’s dwindling support model, Alemba invests in continuous improvement: regular product updates, integration enhancements, and an innovation roadmap shaped by customer input. Whether deployed in the cloud or on-premise, ASM is designed to scale with your business.
Customers are seeing the results. Liverpool City Council reduced service desk calls by 30% within three months of going live. Barts Health NHS Trust achieved a 15% uplift in SLA compliance, supporting one of the largest NHS Trusts in the UK to deliver critical digital services more efficiently.
Read how Barts Health NHS Trust boosted SLAs, increased self-service uptake and achieved INFRAM Level 6 using ASM.
Leaving Cherwell doesn’t have to be disruptive. With the right plan, it can be a chance to modernize and improve. At Alemba, we’ve guided countless organizations through this journey, and the steps are clear:
This approach transforms migration from a painful necessity into a strategic upgrade.
See how Liverpool City Council achieved a 30% drop in Service Desk calls within three months through automation with Alemba Service Manager.
The clock is ticking. December 2026 may feel far away, but in ITSM terms it’s right around the corner. Organizations that decide on a replacement in 2025 will enjoy the luxury of time: time to plan properly, time to test thoroughly, time to bring their teams on board.
Those who wait until 2026 face the opposite — rushed projects, higher costs, and the very real risk of disruption when Cherwell finally shuts its doors.
Choosing Alemba Service Manager now means stepping into a modern, future-ready ITSM solution on your own terms — not on Ivanti’s.
So the question isn’t whether to leave Cherwell. It’s when. And the answer, for any organization that wants a safe, cost-effective, and stress-free migration, is simple: this year.
Ready to take the next step? Contact us at [email protected] or call us to speak with one of our ITSM experts +44 (0)203 479 7900
Q: When is the official Cherwell end of life date? A: Ivanti has set December 31, 2026, as the official end of life for Cherwell Service Management.
Q: What happens if we remain on Cherwell after support ends? A: You’ll face security vulnerabilities, compliance risks, and potential integration failures, with no vendor support to resolve issues.
Q: What’s the best Cherwell replacement ITSM tool? A: Alemba Service Manager is widely recognized as a strong Cherwell alternative, offering the flexibility of Cherwell with the modern features organizations now need.
Q: How long does a Cherwell migration take? A: Depending on complexity, migrations can take 9–12 months. That’s why 2025 is the right year to select your new ITSM software.
Q: Is Alemba Service Manager ITIL aligned? A: Yes. ASM is verified across 22 processes by Pink Elephant, ensuring best practice process support.
Q: Can Alemba Service Manager integrate with our existing systems? A: Yes. ASM offers robust integration capabilities with monitoring, HR, finance, asset management and other ITSM tools.
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