From Phones to Phablets: Providing Support in a Mobile World

I am the Cherwell service desk’s worst nightmare. There, I said it (and they’d tell you so, too). Why? Because I’m in love with technology, but I’m a minimalist. Laptops are too bulky; I want to be able to do everything I need to from my phone...or, better yet, from my watch. I’m constantly...
Date Published - Last Updated February 25, 2016

Building a Support Community Means More Than Offering a Wiki

Overenthusiastic advocates of any initiative often jump into action before thinking things through, but just because one organization saved money by using peer-to-peer support, that doesn’t mean it will work in every organization in the same way.
Date Published - Last Updated May 11, 2016

Mobile Devices and BYOD: Preparing to Support Emerging Technologies

Of all the technology trends facing IT service and support professionals, the two that cause the most heartburn are the incredible growth of mobile devices—tablets, smartphones, etc.—and our customers’ desire to use devices that are familiar to them. To accommodate this desire, many...
Date Published - Last Updated February 25, 2016

This Is Your Brain on Technology: The Distraction Epidemic

What would you say if I told you that you’re overstimulated, that technology is having an impact on your efficiency and productivity, at work and at home? What if I went a step further and said that technology is decreasing your team’s efficiency and effectiveness—would you agree? We all...
Date Published - Last Updated February 25, 2016

The Case for Walk-In Support

On the surface, one might think that a mobile workforce (or student body) using its own technology would increase demand for distance support. Though we have seen a modest increase in distance support, we’ve actually seen a marked demand for in-person support. From our perspective, mobility has...
Date Published - Last Updated February 25, 2016

Service Desk 2.0: How to Achieve Service Excellence in 2013 and Beyond

The IT world is in the midst of dramatic change. With each passing day, the traditional model for remote support becomes increasingly outdated. Today there are 10 billion mobile devices, 50 percent more applications, an infinite amount of unique configurations, and more distributed workers than...
Date Published - Last Updated February 25, 2016

Leveraging Knowledge as a Service to Build a Knowledge Culture in Your Organization

Today’s technical service and support organizations are constantly challenged to do more with less while remaining cost-efficient, maintaining service level agreements, and dealing with an ever-changing business and technological landscape. These changes create disruption and frustration for...
Date Published - Last Updated February 25, 2016

Desktop Virtualization: Where Are We Now?

Supporting big, fat desktops has been a challenge since these devices first emerged more than three decades ago. In many cases, enterprises spend a lot of time checking the devices, patching operating systems, downloading application updates, blocking malware, and securing corporate information....
Date Published - Last Updated February 25, 2016

Improving Operations with Cloud Computing

All businesses have the same expectations: run more effectively, grow, and innovate. To meet these expectations, organizations have to regularly adjust their strategic focus based on market demands, emerging technologies, and organizational capabilities. In 2013, Gartner identified the top five...
Date Published - Last Updated September 16, 2024

BYOD on Campus: Tips for Security, Success, and Sanity

While BYOD and broader consumerization trends may be turning the corporate IT world upside down, such factors have long been a reality in the campus IT environment. But that doesn’t mean that university IT departments are immune to the changing expectations of today’s empowered device owners.
Date Published - Last Updated February 25, 2016