Colorado Springs, CO - April 13, 2011 - HDI global association for IT service and technical support professionals and the premier certification body for the industry, today announced the first annual Desktop Support Practices & Salary Report, a first-of-its-kind research study that offers insights into current processes, technologies, metrics, staffing and salaries within desktop support.
"Desktop support has become more than a break/fix function for most organizations. In addition to carrying out the expected tasks of resolving client computer problems or installing requested hardware or software, desktop support is often the public face of IT," said Jenny Rains, HDI’s research analyst. "The quality of service is no longer limited to getting the job done, but carries with it the same high expectations consumers often take for granted when interacting with a service organization."
Key findings of the study include:
- Forty-six percent of desktop support organizations use remote support for more than half of the support they provide;
- While 91 percent of desktop support organizations use incident management systems, 24 percent plan to replace or upgrade their systems this year;
- Seventy-two percent of organizations send the majority of escalated tickets to a desktop support team from the support center;
- Over a quarter of organizations allow desktop support technicians to work from home, and of those, just over half dispatch to the physical location of the device;
- Seventy percent of organizations have dedicated desktop support technicians, while the other 30 percent have a blended model with the support center; and
- Senior-level desktop support technicians are, on average, earning $13,000 USD more than their junior-level counterparts.
Additionally, HDI is serving the desktop support community with new resources:
- The HDI Desktop Support Forum allows senior-level desktop support managers, directors, and executives to meet face-to-face multiple times each year to learn, network, exchange ideas, share benchmarking data, and discuss the latest developments in desktop support best practices.
- The HDI Desktop Support Advisory Board provides advice and guidance for the creation of industry standards, best practices, research, and professional development opportunities to meet the unique needs of the desktop support community. This strategic group of industry leaders has committed to share its time and talents to enhance the desktop support profession.
- The HDI Desktop Support Leadership Council supports the initiatives of the HDI Desktop Support Advisory Board, shares their expertise and knowledge, and provides feedback on HDI’s desktop support research, publications, and community activities.
- "Emerging Practices in Desktop Support," a focus book written by the HDI Executive, Retail, and Support Center Leadership Forums, highlights the operational techniques that are used in the desktop support world and lists and discusses forty-nine emerging practices in desktop support.
- HDI Certification and Training Courses that focus on the desktop support industry:
- HDI Desktop Support Technician (HDI-DST) emphasizes key support center processes and concepts for improving overall support operations, as well as customer service and interpersonal skills that improve the customer experience.
- HDI Desktop Support Manager (HDI-DSM) helps desktop support managers satisfy operational demands and build support centers that align with their organizations, add value to their businesses, and deliver on their commitments.
For more information, or to purchase the 2011 HDI Desktop Support Practices & Salary Report, visit www.ThinkHDI.com/resources/industryreports/desktopsupport.aspx. For more information about HDI, visit www.ThinkHDI.com, call 800.248.5667, or e-mail [email protected].
About HDI HDI is a global IT service and technical support membership association and the industry’s premier certification and training body. Guided by an international panel of industry experts and practitioners, HDI is the leading resource for IT service and technical support emerging trends and best practices. HDI provides members with a vast repository of resources, networking opportunities, and the largest industry event, the HDI Annual Conference & Expo. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO, HDI offers training in multiple languages and countries. For more information, visit www.ThinkHDI.com or call +1 719.268.0174. HDI is part of UBM TechWeb, a division of United Business Media LLC.
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