Final answer:
ServiceNow CSM features three types of customer portals: the Self-Service Portal for B2C, the Customer Service Portal for B2B, and the External Customer Portal for either types of interactions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The three versions of Customer Portals in ServiceNow's Customer Service Management (CSM) are the Self-Service Portal, the Customer Service Portal, and the External Customer Portal. These portals serve as interfaces for different types of users, with the Self-Service Portal often used in B2C scenarios to allow end-users to find solutions to their problems autonomously. The Customer Service Portal is typically used in B2B situations, facilitating interaction and service management between businesses. The External Customer Portal can be a custom solution that varies depending on the specific business needs of either B2B or B2C interactions. Access URLs are specific to the ServiceNow instance and require certain plugins for activation.
The URLs for accessing these portals are specific to the ServiceNow instance and will usually follow a pattern like 'instance_name.service-now.com/portal_name'. For example, a typical URL pattern could be 'company.service-now.com/sssp' for the Self-Service Portal, where 'company' is the unique instance name and 'sssp' represents the portal.
Activation of these portals often requires specific ServiceNow plugins to be installed. For instance, a plugin named 'Customer Service' could activate the Customer Service Portal, and similarly, other plugins designated for self-service or external portals would be necessary.