Transcription
Ovum Evaluates:Help Desk and Customer ServiceSystems
ContentsVolume 1Contents and servicesGuidesGlossaryBriefing PapersDifferentiating between support software productsThe turning point has happenedServices and buying themInformation resourcesService-level management and the help desk: towards business-meaningfulservice-level managementService provider profilesOutsourcing and the virtual company‘Think global, act local ’ – international supportDemystifying problem resolutionYear 2000 and the help deskProfilesInference – Content NavigatorMolloy Group – Knowledge BridgePrimus – Solution Series Ovum Ltd 1999. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.Page 1 of 2
ContentsVolume 2EvaluationsApplixApplix HelpDeskBendataHeatClarifyClearHelpdeskComputer AssociatesParadigmHPITSMNetwork AssociatesMagic TSD EnterprisePeregrineServiceCenterPHDPHD EnterprisePlatinum TechnologyAutoAnswerRemedyRemedy Help DeskRoyalblueHelpdesk For WindowsTivoli SystemsTivoli Service DeskVantiveVantive HelpDeskWorkGroup SystemsQuetzal Ovum Ltd 1999. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.Page 2 of 2
Ovum Evaluates: Help Desk SoftwareGuide to scoring*XLGH WR VFRULQJAt a glance2Product glossary4Verdict5Product overview6Product architecture7Usage8Changes9Company background10Services and support11Pricing and distribution12Product evaluation13Evaluation methodology14Scoring policy15Scoring process management16Scoring asset tracking and management21Scoring problem resolution24Scoring integration28Scoring scalability32Scoring customisation35Scoring usability39System administration43 Ovum Ltd 1998. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.Page 1 of 42
Guide to scoringOvum Evaluates: Help Desk Software W D JODQFHThis is the first section in every evaluation. It shows the major conclusions in ouranalysis, plus a summary of the scores in each dimension of our evaluation.DeveloperThe name and location of the company that develops the product.Versions evaluatedThe name of the product, the version evaluated and the release date.Key pointsBase data Types of support system best suited for this product DBMSs the product runs on Server platforms the product runs onStrengths Strength Strength StrengthPoints to watch Point to watch Point to watch Point to watchScores1Example2345678910Process managementAsset tracking and managementProblem lityPage 2 of 42 Ovum Ltd 1998. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.
Ovum Evaluates: Help Desk SoftwareGuide to scoringPrice pointsWe give a price point for 10, 50 and 200 concurrent analysts, based on the informationprovided by the vendor. Prices are given in thousands of US dollars.Where the product is not aimed at a number of analysts this is noted as not applicable(n/a).124815Ï10 Ovum Ltd 1998. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.3060Ï50125250500Ï200Page 3 of 42
Guide to scoringOvum Evaluates: Help Desk Software3URGXFW JORVVDU\We list product components and complementary applications that we refer to in theevaluation. This list also provides some insight into the product’s architecture and thevendor’s philosophy.The glossary is product-specific and augments our global Glossary.Page 4 of 42 Ovum Ltd 1998. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.
Ovum Evaluates: Help Desk SoftwareGuide to scoring9HUGLFWWe express our opinions of the product, based on our evaluation. Our conclusions aredrawn from our findings in each dimension, and are presented in a form that enablespotential purchasers to assess the overall capabilities of the product.We also include a statement on the typical usage of the product, including (whereavailable) the average number of analysts per installation and the averagecustomisation effort required. Ovum Ltd 1998. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.Page 5 of 42
Guide to scoringOvum Evaluates: Help Desk Software3URGXFW RYHUYLHZProduct positioningWe explain the target market for this product, positioning it in our market model. Wealso examine whether the product is targeted at a particular vertical market, or has aspecific philosophy that may affect its suitability for certain organisations.We use a ‘shamrock model’ diagram to show what the product offers. (See Figure 1 foran example.) Refer to our briefing paper, Differentiaitng between software products, fora full discussion of the model.ACh ssetan mggetmgtNetworkcefor nles tioSa tomaaumgt SystemsmgticeervrSmestoCuITHelpDeskFigure 1 Ovum’s Shamrock model – exampleHuman resourcesBusiness SupportPage 6 of 42 Ovum Ltd 1998. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.
Ovum Evaluates: Help Desk SoftwareGuide to scoring3URGXFW DUFKLWHFWXUHA description of the technical architecture of the product, including the developmentlanguage and client-server model (if appropriate). We also note any Internet/intranetsupport.We detail the platforms that the product is available on, including: operating system (server) operating system (client) hardware (server) databases supported (and whether native or via OBDC). Ovum Ltd 1998. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.Page 7 of 42
Guide to scoringOvum Evaluates: Help Desk Software8VDJHTo give a concrete idea of the scope of the product, we ask the vendor to name threeup-and-running implementations of the product. We look for a typical application, a verylarge implementation, and one that has been technically challenging.We do not check out the validity of the reference if we can name the organisation – wemake it clear that the vendor supplied the details. Otherwise (if anonymity is requestedby the organisation), we always investigate the reference.Page 8 of 42 Ovum Ltd 1998. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.
Ovum Evaluates: Help Desk SoftwareGuide to scoring&KDQJHVChanges since last evaluationThis section only appears if we have evaluated the product before. We comment onchanges implemented, and we refer back to the promises made by the vendor in theprevious evaluation.Future enhancementsWe report on the vendor’s priorities for enhancing its product. We press for informationon release dates. If in the future we re-evaluate the product, we will use this informationto check progress and make comments in our Changes since last evaluation section. Ovum Ltd 1998. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.Page 9 of 42
Guide to scoringOvum Evaluates: Help Desk Software&RPSDQ\ EDFNJURXQGHistoryWe concentrate on milestones and headlines, both in the company and in the producthistory. We include information on when the company was founded, when its firstsupport system was launched, and major steps in the evolution of the product. We alsonote significant mergers and partnerships.CommercialWe comment on the vendor’s commercial background, concentrating on its supportsystem sales. We quote the revenue and profit figures and other interesting informationfrom the vendor’s annual report, where available. We try to isolate support systemrevenues from other revenues, but this is not always possible. Figures from differentvendors cannot always be compared. We provide, where possible, the breakdownbetween revenue from product licences and from related services (includingmaintenance fees and consultancy).Vendor positioningWe explain the vendor’s entire product set and where this particular product fits into thevendor’s overall strategy. For example, is this the only product it develops or is it part ofan integrated suite?Page 10 of 42 Ovum Ltd 1998. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.
Ovum Evaluates: Help Desk SoftwareGuide to scoring6HUYLFHV DQG VXSSRUWTrainingWe report on the training courses provided by the vendor and discuss its overalltraining philosophy. We also comment on the necessity of training, whether the vendorrecommends a minimum amount and whether customers make use of it.ConsultingSome vendors are major consulting firms or software houses in their own right. Othersfocus exclusively on developing and selling their products, and have little to offer in theway of practical project support or ready-made applications. This section will give youan idea of what to expect.We also discuss consulting partnerships, referring to relationships with VARs, SIs andOEMs.SupportWe assess the vendor’s arrangements for support, including: pricing (is it inclusive of licence fee?) hand-offs to third parties local/regional support local/international user groups choice of support programme. Ovum Ltd 1998. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.Page 11 of 42
Guide to scoringOvum Evaluates: Help Desk Software3ULFLQJ DQG GLVWULEXWLRQPrice detailsWe give detailed pricing breakdowns if possible. We note optional extras and statewhether these features are included in the evaluation scores.DistributionWe outline the distribution arrangements for the product and provide up to threecontact addresses (one each for North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific).Page 12 of 42 Ovum Ltd 1998. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.
Ovum Evaluates: Help Desk SoftwareGuide to scoring3URGXFW HYDOXDWLRQThis section contains the detailed analysis and scores for each of the dimensions ofour evaluation: process management asset tracking and management problem resolution integration scalability customisation usability.What we look for in each of these dimensions is explained further in our Scoringsections. Ovum Ltd 1998. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.Page 13 of 42
Guide to scoringOvum Evaluates: Help Desk Software(YDOXDWLRQ PHWKRGRORJ\Ovum evaluates the leading technologies in the help desk software market.Our extensive research programme is funded entirely by Ovum. We do not chargevendors for appearing in our reports, nor do we expect to sell them reprints of ourevaluation. We write information to inform prospective buyers; we give our frankopinion, supported by ascertainable facts; we question; we challenge. Our aim is tohelp users choose the product that is most appropriate for them, and to advance thestate of the art through our critical analysis.Values are at the very heart of our evaluation exercise. We declare our values up front,so that you can see what they are. We build an evaluation framework, populate it withdetailed criteria, and then apply it rigorously to each of the products we evaluate. Theindividual criteria are not mere checklists of surface-level features, but questions aboutcore capabilities of the product – capabilities affecting the product’s business benefitand applicability.For each evaluation, research is a process of inquisition. We never take features forgranted; always asking ‘show me then’; always referring back to our evaluationframework.Ovum always maintains editorial control of its analysis. Our information is drawn fromOvum’s primary research programme.Usually we meet directly with vendors to discuss their products and strategies. Thisinvolves spending a full day at their development headquarters, meeting with seniorpersonnel. Evaluations contain our analysis of functionality, which is gleaned fromconversations, documentation and presentations; supplemented by discussions withreal users. This is followed by a review period, where vendors may comment on theaccuracy and fairness of our findings.Where vendors are unco-operative, we still perform and publish the evaluation by usingthe product in-house or by working with an advanced customer in the field.Our evaluations are supported by user references.Page 14 of 42 Ovum Ltd 1998. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.
Ovum Evaluates: Help Desk SoftwareGuide to scoring6FRULQJ SROLF\The purpose of the score is to enable readers to differentiate products in each of ourseven dimensions. Scores are based on criteria alone and are not relative ornormalised.Each dimension scores out of 9 points. The remaining point is held in reserve as abonus point, to be awarded where we find a tool that exceeds our criteria. Thus a scoreof between 7 and 9 represents a high degree of compatibility with our evaluationcriteria, a score of between 5 and 7 is respectable, and between 3 and 5 showscapability below our expectations. A score below 3 shows a capability that is poor ordated.Scores are rounded for the scorebar at the head of each dimension. Where a productscores up to (not including) .5, the score is rounded down. Where a product scores .5and over, the score is rounded up. For example: the scorebar for a product scoring 4.45 displays 4 the scorebar for a product scoring 5.5 displays 6 the scorebar for a product scoring 6.9 displays 7.In general, we score functionality as it is delivered out-of-the-box, but we give creditwhere only trivial customisation is necessary to provide the feature. Full customisationcapability is measured in its own section. In some cases, features are optional extras –we highlight these situations and explain whether these options are included in, orexcluded from, our score.We caution readers not to add up the scores for each dimension to determine the‘best product’. Selecting a product is more complicated, involving organisationaland business factors as well as technical considerations.In our product evaluations we introduce each dimension with its score, and give a briefsummary to explain the rating we award.ConventionsProduct capabilities are listed as statements that are either true or false. For example:The product can:9 provide a structure for the analyst to ask general questions8 support different levels of dialogue, according to skill levels of analysts and callers.For each area we count the number of 9s, then normalise this rating to a score out of9. Ovum Ltd 1998. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.Page 15 of 42
Guide to scoringOvum Evaluates: Help Desk Software6FRULQJ SURFHVV PDQDJHPHQWWithin the standard features of the product, we expect business processes to bedefined using drag-and-drop and point-and-click methods, activating pre-setparameters that drive the business rules engine. Further specification of businessprocesses, beyond out-of-the-box capabilities, are assessed in Customisation.Logging1.5 pointsWe score the product’s ability to log information directly from callers or from othercomputer systems. We comment on the technologies used for providing thesefeatures, but they are scored separately in Integration.The product automatically:98 maintains an audit trail of every event on system98 allows selection of specific details to be audited/unaudited98 prevents unauthorised amendments to the audit trail98 stamps date and time on receipt and closure of trouble ticket, change request98 assigns a unique identifier to each event at call time98 displays caller event histories98 displays caller details on identification98 allows search of events by caller organisations or individuals.The product automatically:98 allows callers to log trouble tickets/change requests themselves98 differentiates between analyst-entered records and caller-entered98 allows integrated systems to log trouble tickets themselves98 differentiates between system-entered trouble tickets and caller-entered.The product supports automated logging by:98 e-mail98 CTI98 SNMP and/or DMI events98 Web browsers.The product can score a maximum of 16 9s.Maintaining dependencies0.5 pointsWe look for the ability to maintain relationships between different types of records, andwithin them, between tasks.Page 16 of 42 Ovum Ltd 1998. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.
Ovum Evaluates: Help Desk SoftwareGuide to scoringThe product can maintain peer and hierarchical relationships:98 between combinations of problems and changes98 between tasks for a single change request or trouble ticket.The product enables:98 dependencies between tasks in a change request/trouble ticket to be set98 dependencies between tasks in a change request/trouble ticket to be used forscheduling98 tasks for one trouble ticket/change request to be performed by independent partiesin parallel98 an analyst to switch between lists of all or only their own assigned tasks98 an analyst to list assigned tasks, change requests, trouble tickets intermingled inthe same queue.The product can score a maximum of 7 9s.Routing1 pointWe look for basic ability in the product to dispatch trouble ticket and change requestinformation to the most appropriate place. We concentrate on the automation ofrouting, supplemented by storing of analysts’ details that enables this routing to takeplace.The product:98 records analyst skills and knowledge (technical skills, languages and so on)98 maintains a calendar of analyst availability98 supports automatic trouble ticket and change request assignment (based onanalyst skills, knowledge availability and so on)98 spreads the load of tasks evenly across multiple operators98 allows assignment of a trouble ticket, change request or task to specificoperator(s) by name98 dispatches trouble tickets, change requests and tasks to groups98 assigns a trouble ticket/change request to multiple analysts concurrently98 tracks number of routings per record and alerts if threshold is passed.The product can score a maximum of 8 9s.Notification and alerts1 pointIn this section we look for the product’s ability to generate messages based either onevents or on time dependencies. Ovum Ltd 1998. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.Page 17 of 42
Guide to scoringOvum Evaluates: Help Desk SoftwareThe product:98 sends alerts to an analyst’s queue98 sends alerts by e-mail98 alerts analysts on receipt of call, by graphical or auditory means98 runs alerter separately from main support system98 deploys alerter separately from main support system98 allows paging of key personnel98 alerts analysts on receipt of events98 notifies callers of change in status98 notifies callers of impending problem98 alerts supervisor/management to approaching/passed deadlines98 alerts supervisor on change of status (for example ‘open’ to ‘resolved’)98 defines a notification to occur after an existing escalation rule98 defines a notification to occur before an existing escalation rule.The product can score a maximum of 13 9s.Prioritisation0.5 pointsWe score the ability to track priority of calls, based on predefined configurable criteriaand time dependencies.The product:98 maintains separate values and/or tracking for urgency and severity98 has configurable levels of urgency98 has configurable levels of severity98 has configurable automatic increase in urgency over time98 allows manual override of prioritisation by supervisor.The product can score a maximum of 5 9s.Escalation1 pointWe measure the capability to escalate calls automatically, based on timedependencies. We also score the flexibility of the escalation business rules engine, andthe inter-dependencies of multiple rules.The product allows:98 multiple escalation levels98 different response targets for problem resolution and trouble ticket closure98 routing of event/task to other analyst on escalation98 multiple escalation clocks98 multiple time dependencies98 definition of escalation rule based on other existing rules98 modifying presentation of escalated call (for example, by colour, flashing).The product can score a maximum of 7 9s.Page 18 of 42 Ovum Ltd 1998. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.
Ovum Evaluates: Help Desk SoftwareGuide to scoringContract support1 pointWe look for the ability to represent agreements with suppliers and with customers, andthe degree of flexibility in defining agreements. We also credit awareness of financialmeasures.The product has:98 support for agreements with customers or with suppliers98 support for agreements with customers and with suppliers98 support for agreements on individual items (PCs, for example)98 multiple, differentiated, variable levels of service for each second party98 monitoring and alerting of approaching and breached service levels98 flexible monitoring of elapsed time98 multiple, configurable calendars for the support system and for second parties toagreements98 budget and/or cost monitoring and control.The product c
Ovum Ltd 1999. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited. Contents Evaluations Applix Applix HelpDesk Bendata Heat Clarify Cl
