Help Desk Software, How To Choose
There are so many help desk software providers out there, prices ranging from free to over $5,000 for every advanced user (i.e. Technical Support Rep or Customer Support Rep) and a vast list of structures, internet services, and features to evaluate, selecting the right issue tracking software for your organization can be a time sucking and frustrating process.
The reason for this article is to attempt to and simplify the process for you. This paper will address ordinary issues that everyone in the help desk software market should understand before making the final choice. Understanding these issues will help you make a more informed conclusion.
Customer Service Software – Architecture
The issue that tends to cause 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 great step up over main frame solutions, C/S technology has been phased out due to the accesability and advantages of web-based solution architectures. The main reason some helpdesk software businesses continue to sell C/S solutions is due to the conclusion that they do not have the development resources to adapt 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 install, updates, or support
- Log in from anywhere on the web, anytime with any browser
- Access to all features and functions at anytime and from anywhere
When you start to try different customer support software solutions please take notice if you are required to load code on your computer to begin the demo. If so, you are not doing business with a business that offers a web-based solution. True web-based structures 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 IT help desk 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 buy! If you do purchasea C/S solution, please 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.
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