Help Desk Software - 14 Sep 2004

A mistake on our part made it difficult to interpret the results for Best Help Desk Software equitably. So that we can present a fair and accurate picture of readers' votes for Help desk software, we're designating the top three vote-getters as co-winners of this year's Best Help Desk Software award: Emergent Online's 99point9.com, HelpSTAR, and Remedy Help Desk.

99point9.com
99point9.com Online Tech Support Helpdesk is a Web-based Help desk solution that targets server-based computing needs. Users submit online support requests ("incidents," in 99point9.com's terminology) for resolution by qualified support technicians. To request support for an incident, users follow a simple process to open an account. Pricing is per incident; after registration, users are prompted to purchase Incidents/eTokens, which activate the support process. Incident Packs are available for the purchase of multiple eTokens for future use. Users can follow the progress of their incident's resolution and access and read progress reports about the specific actions taken to resolve the incident. Regular communication via email keeps users current on the status and resolution of incidents.

Readers who voted for 99point9.com praised its ease of use, prompt response rate, and quality of support. Their comments ranged from, "fast and easy to navigate" to "tailored to the customer" to "excellent user support."

HelpSTAR
HelpSTAR is Help desk software that helps enterprise Help desk departments manage the processes involved in computer-problem resolution. The wizard-enabled quick setup process and user demonstrations let support technicians begin using the software quickly, and the intuitive UI provides fast access to common functions. You can configure the workflow function to route service requests directly from logging to dispatch to queue to support representative to resolution and closing. Trace memos note every workflow change to provide a complete audit trail. You can configure the software to automatically escalate service requests according to their priority and customized escalation interval settings. Paging functionality and automatic follow-up reminders help support technicians maintain prompt response times.

HelpSTAR's Best Solutions Knowledgebase lets you build a database of problems common to your environment and their solution. Email support automatically turns email messages into service requests. A Microsoft .NET Web interface lets end users access support online.

Remedy Help Desk
Remedy Help Desk software is an integrated support management solution that automates support processes, including the ability to submit, monitor, and manage Help desk cases, change requests, and asset inventory records. Remedy Help Desk generates request logs and tracks incidents, creating alerts, notifications, and escalations when necessary. The solution can identify which business services are affected by a given incident or problem, letting you determine service priority according to business context. Integrated problem management functionality helps you distinguish between one-time trouble-ticket incidents and longer-term performance and system problems. To streamline tracking and reporting, you can categorize incidents and problems by type of service, and the fully customizable bulletin board function automatically filters data and directs it to specific departments or locations. If an incident or problem requires third-party services, Remedy Help Desk can create work orders to assign jobs to external vendors or outsourced resources.