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Online Help Desk Software

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NinjaOne
NinjaOne

NinjaOne is a leading unified IT management software company that simplifies how IT teams work. MSPs and IT departments can automate, manage, and remediate all their device management tasks within one fast, modern, intuitive platform, improving technician ...Read more about NinjaOne

5

recommendations

Issuetrak
Issuetrak

Issuetrak is a flexible issue tracking software solution that can be configured to suit the needs of a variety of industries and usages, including IT Help Desk, Customer Support, Project Management, and more. Issuetrak can be deployed in the cloud or host...Read more about Issuetrak

3

recommendations

Freshservice
Freshservice

Freshservice is a cloud-based IT Help Desk and service management solution that enables organizations to simplify their IT operations. The solution offers features that include a ticketing system, self-service portal and knowledge-base. The solution also p...Read more about Freshservice

3

recommendations

Zendesk Suite
Zendesk Suite

Zendesk is a cloud-based help desk management solution offering customizable tools to build customer service portal, knowledge base and online communities. The solution offers a customizable front-end portal, live chat features and integration with applica...Read more about Zendesk Suite

3

recommendations

SysAid
SysAid

SysAid empowers organizations to deliver exceptional service – automagically. A comprehensive, next-gen ITSM platform, SysAid comes ready for action with generative AI baked into every element of service management, all wrapped up in an intuitive, fully co...Read more about SysAid

2

recommendations

Guru
Guru

AI-powered enterprise search, intranet, and knowledge base in one. Search for content across all your knowledge sources (Gdrive, Onedrive, Box, Dropbox, Sharepoint) Create, improve, or synthesize verified content and translate it to over 100 languages. ...Read more about Guru

Notion
Notion

Notion is a digital workspace that lets small to large businesses streamline and manage notes, tasks, projects, records, calendar and more. Key features include portfolio tracker, designer templates, database management, documentation and data export. ...Read more about Notion

Zoho Assist
Zoho Assist

Zoho Assist is a cloud-based remote support software designed for organizations of all sizes. The solution allows IT technicians to remotely support customers all across the globe. Key features of Zoho Assist include file transfer, concurrent sessions, r...Read more about Zoho Assist

ConnectWise ScreenConnect
ConnectWise ScreenConnect

ConnectWise ScreenConnect (formerly ConnectWise Control) is a cloud-based operations management solution that allows technicians to perform remote support, gain remote access and run remote meetings. It acts as a meeting point for technicians and customers...Read more about ConnectWise ScreenConnect

Splashtop
Splashtop

Splashtop is a software solution for both remote access and remote support. Boasting 30+ million customers worldwide and users among both large and small organizations across the globe, Splashtop is a secure, high-performing solution to fit specific use-ca...Read more about Splashtop

LiveAgent
LiveAgent

LiveAgent is an online Help Desk solution for e-commerce businesses at the small and midsize levels. The platform offers live chat application, ticket management, online self-service portals, and change and license management, all as either in-suite or sta...Read more about LiveAgent

Supportbench
Supportbench

A Modern B2B Helpdesk CRM Software. Supportbench is a state-of-the-art Customer Relationship Management Software. We specialize in helping you build loyalty and customer retention through our seamless communication channels. Gain full visibility into wh...Read more about Supportbench

Tidio
Tidio

Tidio Chat is a cloud-based live chat platform suitable for integration into any company’s website. It includes a customizable interface that lets companies make the live chat interface match the look and feel of existing online assets. Additionally, it in...Read more about Tidio

KnowledgeOwl
KnowledgeOwl

KnowledgeOwl is a cloud-based knowledge management solution that is suitable for businesses of all sizes. It is industry agnostic and is most useful to human resources (HR) and customer service departments. Core features include knowledge base creation and...Read more about KnowledgeOwl

HelpCrunch
HelpCrunch

HelpCrunch is a customer communication platform combining live chat, email marketing automation and a help desk in one solution. The solution helps support, sales and marketing teams to acquire, convert leads and support their customers. HelpCrunch is suit...Read more about HelpCrunch

RemotePC
RemotePC

RemotePC is a cloud-based and on-premise remote access management solution designed to help businesses communicate with clients, transfer files and manage applications across various remote devices. The platform offers one-time access, which enables organi...Read more about RemotePC

livepro
livepro

livepro is a purpose-built cloud knowledge management platform for staff, customers, and partners. livepro offers the ability to view business knowledge as decision trees and process guidance, as well as articles. Everyone in the organization can collabora...Read more about livepro

EngageBay CRM
EngageBay CRM

EngageBay is an integrated marketing, sales, support and CRM solution designed to help small to midsize enterprises acquire, engage and convert website visitors into customers. The cloud-based platform lets businesses use marketing tools to build relations...Read more about EngageBay CRM

Document360
Document360

Document360 is an AI-powered knowledge base software for creating and sharing self-service knowledge bases. It offers a range of tools, including documentation creation, categorization, editing, and branding features such as markdown support, version contr...Read more about Document360

Supremo Remote Desktop
Supremo Remote Desktop

Supremo is a remote desktop software for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux. Using placed servers throughout the world, it allows connection to any machine worldwide. There are lots of things that help set it apart from the competitors: Ease of use - ...Read more about Supremo Remote Desktop

Lessonly
Lessonly

Lessonly by Seismic is a cloud-based learning management system that allows users to build, share and track training materials and activity from a singular interface. It is primarily used by customer service teams, sales teams, and human resources. Lessonl...Read more about Lessonly

Pulseway
Pulseway

Pulseway is an integrated IT assets and network monitoring solution designed for IT administrators to remotely monitor and control their business IT resources. The solution supports multi-deployment architecture, allowing the users to choose either on-prem...Read more about Pulseway

Bettermode
Bettermode

Bettermode is an all-in-one customer community platform to engage customers and build meaningful experiences. A community built on Bettermode is a customer hub with many use cases. Product teams collect ideas and feedback. Customer support and success tea...Read more about Bettermode

TeamViewer Remote
TeamViewer Remote

TeamViewer is an online meeting and video conferencing solution that connects any PC, mobile, and server to each other globally. The solution is available in nearly all countries and supports over 30 languages. TeamViewer is suitable for businesses of all ...Read more about TeamViewer Remote

Shelf
Shelf

Shelf: The Modern Knowledge Management Platform We live in an on-demand world where a few minutes delay can be the difference between failure and success. Shelf helps modern businesses thrive with on-demand answers to the questions that block customer and...Read more about Shelf

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Buyers Guide

This detailed guide will help you find and buy the right online help desk software for you and your business.

Last Updated on March 16, 2023

What's meant by the term "help desk software'" can be unclear. Go browse a handful of vendor websites, and you'll see the term "help desk" applied to two distinct groups of software—general customer service software and software for managing IT assets and services.

While customer service and help desk software do share some common applications—a central ticket-tracking system, for example—they are by no means interchangeable. If you were to purchase customer service software to manage your small business's IT endpoints and networks, you'd quickly regret the decision. And if you tried managing your company's customers with software designed to manage computers and networks, you'd regret that all the more!

This guide is about cloud-based help desk software for IT management. If you're looking for customer service software, take a look at our customer service software buyer's guide.

But, if you're looking to manage and support your internal IT assets, you're in the right place. Here's what we'll cover:

What Is Online Help Desk Software?

Common Features of Online Help Desk Software

What Type of Buyer Are You?

Market Trends to Understand

What Is Online Help Desk Software?

Online help desk software helps companies manage their entire IT infrastructure, which can include:

  • Individual endpoints, such as desktop computers, laptops and tablets

  • Peripherals, such as printers, scanners and POS systems

  • Back-end equipment, such as servers and backup storage systems

  • Networks and networking hardware, such as LANs, routers and Wi-Fi access points

  • Any software that keeps the business running and employees productive

This is an IT-centric definition. From the point of view of the employees who rely on IT, online help desk software is more about getting support for IT services. It's a small but important distinction we'll discuss more below in the Market Trends to Understand section.

Like most software, help desks began as on-premise (i.e., locally installed) software. Today, online help desk solutions are cloud-based, meaning that they're hosted, updated and maintained by the vendor. Many of these tools provide both cutting-edge functionality and user-friendly interfaces.

RemedyForce-is-an-online-help-desk-solution-with-a-user-centric-UI

RemedyForce is an online help desk solution that offers a user-centric interface

For most small businesses, online help desks are the smartest choice. They require little (or no) installation of local software, are automatically updated and patched by the vendor, have lower startup costs and provide the best end-user and administrator experiences.

Common Features of Online Help Desk Software

IT asset management

Tracks and manages all physical IT hardware owned by (or used within) a business.

Network monitoring and management

Helps administrators control and configure networks and network access, while monitoring traffic and connections.

Knowledge management

Organizes the information, or knowledge, used by IT department employees. Can be used as a self-service resource for employees.

Configuration management

Manages the settings and permissions configured on individual devices. Lets administrators apply configuration or settings changes to multiple devices at once.

Service catalog management

A service catalog helps larger organizations guide their employees to the IT staff that can best support them. Service catalog management functions help administrators create and maintain these catalogs.

License management

Helps companies track and make the best use of their software licenses.

Remote access and control

Allows technicians to access and control a workstation from a remote location, facilitating remote diagnosis and resolution with minimal end-user involvement.

Impact analysis tools

Analyzes planned changes for any potential conflicts, flagging possible conflicts before the changes get rolled out. Provides a “look before you leap" style safeguard.

Service level agreement (SLA) management

SLAs guarantee that issues of a certain type will be addressed or resolved within a certain timeframe, among other service guarantees. These features allow users to set prioritization triggers, automatic escalations and other custom rules to ensure applicable issues are handled in compliance with an SLA.

ITIL compatibility

Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a set of IT service management best practices that ensure service management is aligned with business priorities.

What Type of Buyer Are You?

Online help desk are generally used in two different business contexts:

Internal. This is traditionally the most common use. The help desk is the central platform for a company's internal IT department. It serves the company's local and remote employees. These buyers should look for platforms with core help desk functionality and determine requirements based on their company's IT environment, strategy and growth plans.

Managed service provider (MSP). Companies can outsource their IT services management to third-party companies called managed service providers, or MSPs. MSPs should look for help desk systems with more robust remote access and control applications and tools for managing and monitoring individual service level agreements.

Market Trends to Understand

Over the past decade, IT service management has undergone a change in perspective. It began as an IT-centric discipline in which problems and services were managed with a focus on the underlying assets and tools. With today's more modern approach, IT service management focuses on the workflows that the IT department supports.

This shift is also described as the consumerization of IT, a phrase explained in Gartner's "Elevate the Employee Experience With Consumer-Oriented IT Service Delivery" report. It states: "The consumerization of IT isn't so much about using consumer apps for business purposes. It's more about applying the tactics of consumerization to the IT fabric, so as to make employees more agile and engaged." (Full report available to Gartner clients.)

Selecting the right online help desk platform can go a long way toward managing your company's IT to improve the end-user experience, while allowing your IT teams to manage these systems more effectively and efficiently.