A Guide to Help Desk Technology, Tools and Techniques (Paperback)

by Dione McBride (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This book focuses on the technology, tools and techniques involved in running an effective help desk. A Guide to Help Desk Technology, Tools & Technology takes a look at the many software options available for tracking and managing the massive influx of data that come into a help desk daily.This title also details the types of tools specific to staff, management and customers alike.

Product Details

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: Course Technology; 1 edition (March 3, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760071519
• ISBN-13: 978-0760071519
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #837,821 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A complete compendium of what's available, April 12, 2001

By	Linda Zarate "IT Ops Consultant" (Azusa, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I like this unique book because it is a survey of the tools and technologies that support help desk operations. What makes it unique is it is, as far as I know, the only book that solely addresses this aspect of the help desk.

Prior to reading this book I depended on the internet and vendor literature to research appropriate tools to solve problems or make operations more efficient. Often I have a vague idea where to look, but no exact starting point. This book helps to do more focused searches that return accurate and meaningful results. Why do I still searches? Because some of the tools described are in a state of flux as are any product. Therefore, some of the information in the book may be obsolete, but the real value is that it points me in the right direction, and allows me to go to the vendor sites and get the most up-to-date information. The grouping of tools also allows me to extend my research into competitive comparisons. Equally important is this book also clearly explains the underlying technologies and how they can be employed and integrated into the help desk suite of tools. Another strong point is the author has grouped the tools into classes that fit a particular need, such as event management (under the heading of alerts and notification tools), call management software, etc. This is a great help.

The classes of tools were interesting and complete. I was happy to find asset management tools, and more than pleased to find tools for tier-2 and -3 support. These support layers are often ignored in more books that deal with any aspect of help desk operations, and the inclusion of them here was an expected bonus.

While the book focuses on tools and technologies, it also has some chapters that cover processes and space planning. This information is a bit out of synch with the general theme, but does provide a context for how the tools and technologies are used.

This book is invaluable to any consultant who deals with service delivery or help desk implementations because it is like a catalog of available tools and technologies that can be applied to many different aspects of help desk operations. It will also prove valuable to companies that are evaluating available technologies in preparation for launching a help desk operation, or are in the process of selecting tools or technologies with which to improve existing help desks.