Choosing Help Desk Software
With over 100 Support Desk vendors in the market, packages ranging from free to over $5,000 per advanced user (i.e. Technical Support Rep or Customer Support Rep) and a vast array of structures, web services, and features to evaluate, selecting the right helpdesk software for your business can be a time sucking and aggravating process.
The reason for this document is to attempt to and make easier the process for you. This industry brief will address general issues that everyone in the help desk software market should understand prior to making the ultimate choice. Considering these issues will help you make a more educated decision.
Help Desk Software – Architecture
The issue that seems to generate the most uncertainty in our industry is server/client web-enabled solutions (C/S) vs. 100% web-based solutions. In general, C/S architected solutions are dying breed. At one point, an awesome step up over main frame solutions, C/S technology has been phased out due to the accesability and rewards of web-based solution structures. The main reason some helpdesk software businesses continue to sell C/S solutions is due to the fact that they do not have the development assets to convert their older product to a web-based architecture. Some of the rewards that web-based solutions have over C/S solutions include:
- No client-side software installation, updates, or support
- Log in from anywhere, anytime with any web browser
- Full access to all features and functions at anytime and from any place
When you start to try different customer support software solutions please take note if you are required to load code on your desktop to begin the demo. If so, you are not doing business with a business that offers a web-based solution. True web-based architectures need only a web address in order to see a demo.
So, if the vendor sends you a 5 MB exe. file to demo their solution, you are not looking at a 100% web based customer support software solution. The file that business is emailing you is either front ending a C/S system or is a entire canned demo on your computer. Make sure you assess the solution you are going to purchase! If you do purchasea C/S solution, please take note that web-enabled add-on modules will not give you full access to all of the features when you are at a remote location.