As I mentioned in my last column, I am presenting three articles (this is No. 2) based on the work of some of my graduate students during class discussions in a course on computer security incident response team (CSIRT) management. What follows is another edited segment based on a summary written by students Mani Akella and Rick Tuttle.

Today’s topic is help desk software.

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Based on group postings, the most-used software for problem reporting and tracking is BMC Remedy Service Management by a fair margin. The group reported using other software, including Numara Track-It!, Support Magic, Help Box, Heat Service and Support, and Open Source Ticket Request System (OTRS).

However, cohort members reported many issues with Remedy that make using it difficult at times. Part of the problem seems to be the number of interface options available for the product - normally a Good Thing. Some Remedy implementations lack a Web interface, limiting end-user input. Other postings decried the lack of an efficient GUI design; organizations have to customize their installation to fit their individual needs.

One can interpret a lack of an efficient GUI design coupled with the capability to customize as both a feature and a flaw. It is a valuable feature because that BMC is responding to the wide variation in individual organizations’ needs; it is a challenge to create a single interface that meets everyone’s preferences. However, it is a flaw for small organizations that lack the workforce, ability, or desire to customize commercial off-the-shelf software, thus reducing Remedy’s marketability. One class member suggested that BMC could improve its usability and product acceptance by providing three templates:

* Complete (today’s default)
* A more specialized version for help desk and asset management
* A single-screen help desk only for small outfits

An interesting sub-discussion focused on a case where one IT manager disbanded the help desk after implementing user-facing help desk software. The manager’s expectation was that each user would use the software to report issues. He expected the software’s built-in triage function to route the issues to appropriate support teams. The manager believed that both users and IT staff would monitor system reports to track status.

M. E. Kabay, PhD, CISSP-ISSMP, specializes in security and operations management consulting services. CV online.