You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It Too: Communicating with Emotions, Symbols, and Facts

Effective communication cuts through cynicism and makes it safe for others to listen, understand, and take appropriate action. It allows a lot of information to be shared in a very short period. It resolves concerns and reaches in and takes hold of the heart. It invites people to participate,...
Date Published June 12, 2012 - Last Updated May 11, 2016

From SaaS to SaaC: True "Software as a Service" Is About Choice

While it certainly appears that many organizations are demanding the benefits offered by SaaS, evidence indicates many organizations are confused about what SaaS truly entails, and whether or not it is the best choice for their software needs. Consider the following question recently posted on a...
Date Published May 25, 2012 - Last Updated May 11, 2016

A Vision of Your Service Desk

Do more with less. This has become a common refrain in our industry, given the state of the economy. As new technology emerges that can propel the business forward, the expectations on IT continue to grow, while IT spending continues to be constrained. In a time when acquisitions and mergers...
Date Published May 25, 2012 - Last Updated May 11, 2016

Working Alone Can Get You Into Trouble

In many IT service and support organizations, the help desk is managed independently from the desktop support operation, contributing to inefficiencies in service provisioning. While each group spends time and energy to make their respective teams better through people, process, and technology,...
Date Published May 25, 2012 - Last Updated May 11, 2016

Doing the Right Things, the Right Way, Is No Longer Enough

With the rapid adoption of the ITIL framework, a growing number of organizations are now doing the right things, the right way, when it comes to IT service delivery and support processes. If you belong to one of those organizations, you’ve probably established your service desk as the single...
Date Published May 25, 2012 - Last Updated May 11, 2016

Best Practices for Chat Support

As consumers continue to seek customer support online, there is tremendous opportunity for companies to enhance their customer service in real time. While social media as a platform for CRM takes the spotlight these days, consider the value more traditional service channels offer to connect with...
Date Published May 23, 2012 - Last Updated May 11, 2016

Is Agentless Technology Essential for IT Support?

You’re considering purchasing a fabulous new driving machine, with some of the most innovative features available in automotive technology today. In order to build and deliver this mechanical marvel, the manufacturer installed an instrument panel in the center of the windshield, creating a...
Date Published May 23, 2012 - Last Updated May 11, 2016

Power Up: How TECO Energy Improved Effeciency and Productivity by Upgrading Its Infrastructure

In 2010, TECO Energy, one of the largest energy and utility companies in Florida, faced a computing infrastructure of aging hardware and obsolete software that created stability and performance problems and hindered business productivity. Most of the company’s 2,800-plus desktop and laptop...
Date Published May 23, 2012 - Last Updated May 11, 2016

Technology Use in IT Support: Survey Says...

Over the last several years, HDI has collected information about technology use in the IT service and technical support help desk/support center. This year, for the first time, HDI has collected similar information for the desktop support industry. In this article, we will present the results...
Date Published May 23, 2012 - Last Updated May 11, 2016

The Support Chain: From Concept to Solution

Consider this example of a type of incident that most, if not all, service desks have encountered in the past, and probably will in the future: Mary, an employee at Bank of America (BofA), locked her Dell laptop with a BIOS password, which she then forgot. Without her password, she can’t reboot...
Date Published May 23, 2012 - Last Updated May 11, 2016