Other pages in the review
Final words
Given the scope of service desk applications and the short time available for our study we cannot claim our review of these products is as complete as we could hope for. To this end we have concentrated mainly on usability issues with an eye to vendor service provision and these are somewhat subjective criteria on which to base a judgment. Rather than being an indication of which product you should purchase we rather hope that you will look into these products with some understanding of the issues involved—such as product usability, skills required for product customisation and the business culture that is needed to take advantage of it.
Software of this nature, with some adaptation, would greatly benefit other business applications other than IT management. I have worked in situations myself where customers ask after order progress, repair status and service history. Typically only part of the required information is available online and the rest might be on a customer card. Having all the information available in one location and to all people likely to deal with the customer is critical for continuing customer satisfaction. Some packages, such as FrontRange HEAT are aimed at servicing this type of need in hotels, schools and hospitals.
Potential buyers need to fully discuss with vendors the breadth of the package being considered with reference to their own particular situation. Many of the modules/features touched on in this review are not necessarily included in the quoted package price. We have attempted to clearly indicate what is included in each at the specified prices but we recommend seeking further clarification.
We would also like to make a special mention of UniPress Footprints. Footprints is an excellent solution for smaller businesses as it provides a lesser, but still excellent, range of features at a very appealing price. It is also very good from the point of view of usability and enables businesses to set-up and trial the product on their own.