3 Service desk predictions for 2013

Transcription

1 3 Service desk predictions for 2013 Learn how IT departments will improve process, consolidate systems and reduce budgets.

2 2 Today, technology touches nearly every aspect of our lives. We still have desktop and laptop PCs and Macs, but we also have tablets, smartphones, thin clients, and countless wired and wireless-connected devices running numerous operating systems. Add to that the rich complexity of enterprise networking, with virtual desktops, mobility, cloud-based services and the consumerization of technology, and it all adds up to an extraordinarily complicated tech world. And despite the rapid proliferation of technologies, users still expect the same or better levels of support from their IT departments. Unfortunately, IT support teams have not always kept up with the escalating tasks and demands. What new technologies and solutions will enable service desks to surmount this seemingly overwhelming challenge? This brief answers this question by exploring the 3 predictions for the service desk in 2013: 1. A streamlined, integrated workflow in one solution 2. The imminent necessity for mobile device management 3. Anytime, anywhere availability and support Prediction 1: A streamlined, integrated workflow in one solution Emerging trends show that leading IT support desks are increasingly relying on integrated cloud-based tools that are easy to use and deliver several key IT functions from one unified platform. The lack of an integrated set of tools typically results in a disorganized workflow. But with integrated solutions, IT teams can efficiently deploy the tool they need at any given moment with no complications or time wasted. For example, launching a remote support session directly from a service desk ticket or the CRM software gives end users the fast help they are looking for, while the ability to save session notes and information back to the customer record is a major savings in time. Furthermore, integrated toolsets enable IT teams to stockpile information on typical support issues and exploit it for both internal-technician and external-facing customer knowledge bases. Citrix is truly trying to make products that can be easily used and provide a one-stop shop for IT support needs. With the future addition of help desk functionality, technicians will be able to receive work orders and troubleshoot those issues through one portal, which in turn should reduce the time to close and resolve incidents. Rob Brothers Program Director IDC

3 3 Further testament to this need for solutions that are easy to access, deploy and scale across distributed organizations and a range of needs is the turn to SaaSbased solutions. In fact, Gartner predicts that, by 2015, 50 percent of all tool purchases by IT service desks will utilize the SaaS model. A good example of such an integrated solution is GoToAssist Service Desk, an easy-to-use cloud-based application that enhances management of all IT workflow. It lets IT professionals easily log and track incidents, manage configuration changes and releases, deliver end-user self-service and so much more. The Service Desk tool provides a simple, intuitive way to more effectively manage IT service desk operations. GoToAssist Service Desk enables support professionals to: Easily log, track and resolve incidents. Manage configuration changes, releases and workflow. Deliver end-user self-service. Service Desk also seamlessly integrates with GoToAssist s two other IT tools Remote Support and Monitoring. No longer must IT pros waste time and effort in juggling tools and duplicating data entry. Easily initiate incident tickets from GoToAssist Remote Support. Quickly launch a Remote Support session from a Service Desk ticket. Integrates with Monitoring too key system health and performance alerts can be tied to an incident and assigned to a support professional for immediate attention. Prediction 2: The imminent necessity of mobile device management (MDM) Like an unstoppable epidemic, mobile devices are spreading throughout the workplace. Certainly the proliferation of personals tablets and smartphones causes legitimate concerns. How will Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and the free choice off apps affect the security of company data and networks? And, what will be the burden placed on support? Indeed, since IT is still expected to ensure the productivity of staff and their preferred devices, the number and complexity of incidents is rapidly escalating. Citrix will be able to offer the first solution in the industry to manage mobile devices, apps and data in one integrated enterprise mobile product line. Elizabeth Cholawsky VP GM of IT Support Line of Business, Citrix The so-called consumerization of IT, however, should not be treated like the black plague and quarantined by IT. MDM policies and applications that focus on device lockdown are becoming obsolete. Indeed, Forrester claims 81 percent of CIOs will have a BYOD policy in What should that new policy look like?

4 4 New software solutions are emerging to facilitate a necessary but enlightened management of mobile devices. For example, XenMobile MDM from Citrix offers is the first to manage mobile devices, apps and data all in one integrated enterprise solution. When bundled with Citrix s CloudGateway, XenMobile delivers 5 critical capabilities for managing staff mobile devices: Delivers management, configuration and security for both corporate and employee-owned devices. Secure , browser and data sharing apps offer a rich user experience with the management and control that IT requires. Mobile app containers centralize IT management, security and control for any mobile app, whether created by a third party or enterprise IT. Unified app store provides a single place for users to access all of their apps mobile, web, SaaS and Windows on any device. Identity management, single sign-on and scenario-based access control make it easy for IT to manage user access and radically simplify the user experience. One of the best features of GoToAssist is that it gives us the ability to offer secure, remote and unattended support of our customers computers. This is vital because it allows us to connect and fix problems in a timely manner, even if the end user is not available to work with us. Christopher Dottavio Director of Customer Services ID Networks, Inc.

5 5 Prediction 3: Anytime, anywhere availability and support With GoToAssist Remote Support, IT professionals can resolve technical issues by instantly delivering web-based support to customers, end users, mobile devices and unattended computers and servers. This cloud-based tool lets support technicians instantly view and control customer computers, servers and mobile devices, transfer files between computers, reboot/reconnect, run diagnostics and much more. GoToAssist s team-based functionality also lets multiple support technicians share access to unattended machines and group machines by company, location and customized categories. The complete support desk GoToAssist Remote Support is integrated with two other essential IT tools service desk management and IT monitoring all from one easy-to-use interface. Combining critical tools enables IT departments to be more efficient, effective and saves costs. GoToAssist can be customized to fit any IT team s unique needs choose one module, two or all three. All three GoToAssist modules are cloud-based and can be accessed from anywhere, giving IT professionals the ability to work on the go and on the device of their choosing. In addition, GoToAssist Remote Support offers free mobile apps. IT technicians can now support staff and customers from their ipad or Android device. 1. With GoToAssist Remote Support, you can deliver on-demand support and access unattended servers and workstations. 2. With GoToAssist Service Desk, you can log and track incidents, deliver end-user self-service and manage configuration, changes and releases. 3. And use GoToAssist Monitoring to proactively monitor your entire IT infrastructure, including critical servers and services. Key benefits of integrated IT tools Reduce IT firefighting, free up time and lower IT support costs. Gain total visibility into the entire IT support services to accelerate issue resolution. No more juggling multiple tools and duplicating data entries. Deliver multiple critical IT support services from one user-interface. Streamline support workload among team members Remove the complexity and time in implementing ITIL and ITSM best practices. Learn more about delivering multiple IT services from one integrated cloud-based toolset visit We re making it easier for companies of all sizes to seamlessly transition to more mobile workstyles and support the broad area of devices consumers choose to do their work. Our new mobile apps for Samsung Android devices are a strong example of our approach to deliver an exceptional user experience across any combination of data, apps and devices. Brett Caine SVP and GM Online Services Division of Citrix

6 6 Resources for achieving business agility For more white papers, case studies and on-demand webinars, visit news.citrixonline.com/resources. For best practices, company announcements and research about modern work styles, please visit the GoTo Blog at blog.citrixonline.com. Citrix remains the market share leader by focusing on simpleto-use solutions and introducing innovative services that deliver on customer needs. IDC North America Citrix Online, LLC 7414 Hollister Avenue Goleta, CA U.S.A. T info@citrixonline.com Europe, Middle East & Africa Citrix Online, UK Ltd Chalfont Park House Chalfont Park, Gerrards Cross Bucks SL9 0DZ United Kingdom T +44 (0) europe@citrixonline.com Asia Pacific Citrix Online, AUS Pty Ltd Level 3, 1 Julius Avenue Riverside Corporate Park North Ryde NSW 2113 Australia T asiapac@citrixonline.com About Citrix Citrix is transforming how people, businesses and IT work and collaborate in the cloud era. Its portfolio of GoTo cloud services enable people to work from anywhere with anyone by providing simple-to-use cloud-based collaboration, remote access and IT support solutions for every type of business. Learn more at and Citrix Online, LLC. All rights reserved. Citrix, GoToAssist, GoToMeeting, GoToMyPC, GoToTraining, GoToWebinar, Podio and ShareFile are trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc., or a subsidiary thereof, and are or may be registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners /B-87579/PDF