ServiceNow, SAP and Workday Make AI Agents Pay to Play
ServiceNow, SAP and Workday Make AI Agents Pay to Play
Publish Date: 2026-05-07 15:16:00
Source Domain: www.pymnts.com
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ServiceNow Introduces Metered Layer (Action Fabric): ServiceNow has unveiled Action Fabric, an integration layer that requires external AI agents to pass through before accessing data and executing workflows on its platform. The company will meter usage and charge customers based on how many operations an AI agent completes, introducing a new action-based pricing model.
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SAP Restricts Third-Party AI Access: SAP has updated its API policy to prevent third-party AI agents from interacting with its systems outside of SAP-sanctioned architectures. This move aims to control access to its software and protect its own AI offering, Joule Agents.
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AI Agents Threaten Traditional SaaS Pricing Models: The introduction of AI agents has disrupted the predictable per-seat pricing model long used by enterprise software providers. AI agents can generate thousands of API calls per day, undermining the traditional billing method tied to employee counts.
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Workday Supports Same Move as ServiceNow: Workday has indicated it will also pursue similar strategies to charge third-party AI agents for accessing its platform data, consistent with the expected financial upside mentioned by CEO Aneel Bhusri.
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Software Vendors Respond to Pressure from AI Adoption: The shift toward AI-driven consumption models has pressured vendors to re-evaluate their pricing structures. This results in new revenue strategies or stricter control measures to navigate the challenges AI creates for their traditional business models.
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Reaction from Market Participants: There has been pushback from various groups such as SAP’s partner ecosystem and DSAG user group, who had built connectors for third-party AI tools. SAP, however, maintains that customers won’t pay extra to access their own data and remains committed to its open architecture.
