17 years helping Irish businesses
choose better software

Help Desk Software

Help Desk software enables organizations to respond more efficiently to users, answering technical and functional questions by providing improved methodologies for ticket tracking, IT management, and customer service support. Integrating these elements improves the ability of customer service departments to provide fast and effective support to employees, end users, and customers. This facilitates the flow of new information from users, contributing to an organization's existing knowledge base.

Featured software

Ireland Show local products
The worlds #1 customer service platform, empowers every service employee with the innovative tools, and unified data. Learn more about Salesforce Service Cloud
Service Cloud 360, the world’s #1 customer service platform, empowers companies to drive seamless engagement across the entire customer journey. Every interaction, from messaging and phone to video and in-person, is powered by intelligent automation and collaborative employee experiences. With unified data across every department, Service Cloud 360 enables Trailblazers worldwide to have a complete view of every customer and take engagement to the next level. Learn more about Salesforce Service Cloud

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
Jira Service Management is an ITSM software that unlocks high-velocity teams to deliver great service experiences fast and together. Learn more about JIRA Service Management
Jira Service Management is an ITSM solution that unlocks high-velocity IT, dev, operations, and business teams. Empowered teams can deliver great service experiences, without the complexity of traditional ITSM, and coordinate efforts for even more impact through Jira’s open collaborative platform. Streamlined workflows, automation rules, queues, SLAs, and a self-service portal all empower IT, dev, operations, and business teams to deliver exceptional service management at scale with no silos. Learn more about JIRA Service Management

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
Improve issue resolution times and colleague performance by adopting the latest AI technology and best practice in service delivery. Learn more about ServoDesk
Improve service performance with ServoDesk. By adopting the latest web technologies including AI ServoDesk is designed to enable service departments to prioritise and resolve issues speedily in line with Resolution targets (sla's) . Ease of Use and Automations are at the heart of ServoDesk, from code less workflows to Ai powered knowledge management and self help. One of the best things about ServoDesk is how it delivers true Enterprise Service Management by enabling different departments to adopt best practice in service delivery. Whether it's IT, Facilities, HR, or any other department, they can all use the same platform and configured the system to meet the individual departments needs. Learn more about ServoDesk

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
Everything your help desk needs to triage and resolve tickets quickly and easily. Backed by industry-leading, 24/7, US-based support. Learn more about Issuetrak
Is your IT help desk flooded with requests from every direction? Work smarter and happier with Issuetrak. Our help desk software is designed to receive and triage tickets in one centralized location, empowering your business with timeliness, transparency, and full issue oversight. Easily stay on track anywhere, anytime with powerful workflow automations. Regardless of industry, our configurable help desk solution adapts to meet your needs. Plus, Issuetrak will partner with you every step of the way from white-gloved implementation to ongoing 24/7, US-based customer support. See why major brands like Cintas and Pfizer are already leveraging the power of Issuetrak. Request a free trial or demo today. Learn more about Issuetrak

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
Ninja ticketing is a flexible and easy-to-use IT helpdesk solution with robust automations that make technicians more efficient. Learn more about NinjaOne
NinjaOne simplifies IT operations, enabling overburdened IT teams to efficiently manage their entire IT portfolio and support end users from anywhere. Ninja ticketing is a flexible and easy-to-use IT helpdesk solution with robust out-of-box automations that ensure your technicians spend more time fixing issues than managing tickets. By combining ticketing with endpoint management, backup, and documentation, NinjaOne unifies your support workflow and makes your helpdesk more efficient. Learn more about NinjaOne

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
Award-winning help desk, ticketing, live chat, and call center software, easy to use from the start. Try it with a free 1-month trial. Learn more about LiveAgent
LiveAgent, ranked among the best Help Desk software with a 4.7 score from 1550+ reviews, offers a comprehensive array of features for excellent customer support. Join renowned companies like BMW, Yamaha, and Huawei in delivering first-class support to over 150 million end-users worldwide. Start your journey with a 1-month free trial – no credit card required. Learn more about LiveAgent

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
Freshdesk is an easy-to-use helpdesk software that helps over 60,000 businesses worldwide create stellar customer experiences. Learn more about Freshdesk
Freshdesk is a cloud-based helpdesk system that offers powerful solutions for customer service. Freshdesk unifies conversations from email, phone, web, chat and social, and helps you resolve issues across channels effortlessly. With Freshdesk, you can also automate workflows, offer convenient self-service options, manage SLAs, and generate reports. Freshdesk is used by over 60,000 customers, including Bridgestone, HP, Harvard University and DHL. Learn more about Freshdesk

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
Simplifying customer support using AI responses, drafting from past tickets and scattered knowledge for effective, custom service. Learn more about Deskhero
Deskhero leverages AI to enhance customer support, crafting responses from previous tickets and a comprehensive knowledge base. Our platform delivers timely and accurate answers, custom-fit to each customer’s unique query. Deskhero stands out with its ability to utilize a variety of data sources, including documents, website content, and historical emails. This method enriches customer interactions, ensuring support is both informed and effectively tailored to meet their needs. Learn more about Deskhero

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
OneDesk's software combines helpdesk and project management into a single application. Manage customer tickets and projects in one app. Learn more about OneDesk
OneDesk's software combines Helpdesk & Project Management into one application. No need to purchase, integrate and switch between applications. Your team can support your customers and work on projects in one place. Aimed at SMBs as well as departments at large enterprises, OneDesk is frequently used by project managers, customer service, IT, professional services and more. This easy-to-use, feature-rich, and highly configurable software can manage both ticket & task workflows. Learn more about OneDesk

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
Speed up resolution times and automate workflows with an AI-powered help desk software built for customer support, IT, and HR teams. Learn more about Zendesk Suite
Zendesk provides a modern, AI-powered help desk experience that saves time for customer support, IT, and HR teams through convenient automations and optimized workflows. Zendesk help desk ticketing software simplifies internal and external support, with 60% of customers seeing CSAT increase and 85% gaining better visibility after implementing Zendesk. Power up your support with software that alleviates common pain points by deflecting more tickets and speeding up resolution times. Choose the smart, scalable support solution. Learn more about Zendesk Suite

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
Extremely flexible service desk and asset management platform with a user-friendly way to chat with potential customers. Learn more about Mint Service Desk
Comprehensive IT Service Management Solution Mint Service Desk is a robust IT service management tool designed to enhance helpdesk operations for businesses of all sizes. It combines a powerful ticketing system with asset management capabilities, ensuring seamless IT support and resource tracking. Key Features: - Advanced Ticketing System: Manage and prioritize support tickets with an intuitive interface and automated workflows. - Asset Management: Track all IT assets with detailed documentation and maintenance schedules. - Self-Service Portal: Empower users to find solutions and submit tickets independently, reducing helpdesk burden. - Customization and Scalability: Tailor fields, forms, and workflows to meet specific needs and scale with growth. - Integration Capabilities: Seamlessly integrate with other business tools for a cohesive IT ecosystem. Learn more about Mint Service Desk

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
Service Hub is customer service software that helps teams scale their support and delight their customers efficiently. Learn more about HubSpot Service Hub
HubSpot help desk software makes it easy to manage and connect with customers. Inside you will find a shared inbox to unite teams, a knowledge base, to help customers help themselves; customer feedback, surveys and insights designed to give you a pulse on customer happiness; and reporting and automation throughout all tools to help scale and unlock insights. Pair Service Hub with Sales and Marketing Hub to support the entire customer journey in HubSpot. Learn more about HubSpot Service Hub

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
Put customer service at the heart of your company. Make customers happier, agents more empowered, and your business healthier.
Zoho Desk is Zoho's flagship web-based help desk software that helps companies deliver lasting customer experiences. It aims to make customers happier, agents empowered, and businesses healthier. With Zoho Desk, you can deliver seamless omnichannel support, improve agent productivity at scale, customize your help desk, leverage powerful AI capabilities, automate mundane tasks, get live performance insights, and deeply integrate with apps you use daily - all without spending a fortune. Learn more about Zoho Desk

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
BeyondTrust Remote Support (formerly Bomgar Remote Support) securely accesses and supports any device or system, anywhere in the world.
BeyondTrust Remote Support (formerly Bomgar Remote Support) enables secure, instant remote support to customers using Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, or other devices, whether or not they are on the corporate network. Users can fix end systems or troubleshoot issues using screen sharing, remote control, unattended access, file sharing, annotations, and mobile device camera sharing. Real-time chat, canned scripts, collaboration and escalation tools improve technician efficiency. Learn more about BeyondTrust Remote Support

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
LiveChat is a complete customer service platform that creates the ultimate customer-centric experience while boosting your sales.
LiveChat is an easy-to-use platform that enables businesses to provide seamless customer service while reducing response times and increasing customer satisfaction. By integrating with other services, such as CRM systems and payment gateways, and providing powerful analytics capabilities, LiveChat helps businesses deliver a great customer experience while boosting sales. Thanks to the full customization of its widget, with just a few clicks, LiveChat becomes an integral part of any brand. Learn more about LiveChat

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
Intercom is the complete AI-first customer service platform, improving experiences for customers, support agents, and managers
Intercom is the only complete AI-first customer service platform, enhancing the customer experience, improving operational efficiency, and scaling with your business every step of the way. Our AI-first platform is built on a single AI system, with three major components that will allow you to deliver the remarkable customer service you’ve spent decades striving for: AI Agent: Customers no longer wait or get deflected. AI Chatbot provides instant accurate, responses, 24/7 to most questions. Only complex interactions transition to tickets. AI Copilot: Agents no longer manually, slowly look things up. AI Copilot is ever-present, connected to all data and systems, and provides information in real time. Instant ramp time for new agents, and agents needing to know new things. AI Analyst (Coming soon): Leaders no longer manually compile reports without full coverage. AI Insights proactively provides a holistic view across 100% of conversations, with clear suggested areas of improvement. Learn more about Intercom

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
Bitrix24 #1 free helpdesk and contact center software that comes with CRM. Used by 15 million companies in cloud and on-premise.
Bitrix24 is #1 free helpdesk and contact center software that comes with CRM. Used by 15 million companies in cloud and on-premise (open source code access). Our free omnichannel contact center allows you to communicate with your clients via email, phone, live chat, social networks and mobile messengers. 100% free for unlimited number of users. Learn more about Bitrix24

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
EngageBay is a simple, affordable all-in-one marketing, sales and service CRM software to acquire, engage, nurture, close leads.
EngageBay is a simple, affordable, all-in-one marketing, sales and service CRM software built for small businesses and startups to acquire, engage, nurture web visitors and convert them to happy customers. Acquire leads through lead generation forms and popups, engage web visitors through beautiful landing pages, nurture them through engaging emails, and automate your marketing funnel through marketing automation - all from one easy to use platform. Learn more about EngageBay CRM

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
We are a support ticketing and live chat solution designed to give B2B SaaS companies a holistic view of their customer relationships.
As a B2B SaaS customer support solution, TeamSupport goes beyond a basic ticketing system. We help you build customer loyalty and mitigate churn by understanding what's happening at the account level—not just the user level. Our proprietary Customer Distress Index provides holistic view of your customer relationships, helping you understand how well your software product is being adopted. TeamSupport is a low-cost AI-powered tool that gives you a complete picture of customer health by tying every conversation with a user directly to the customer account, no integrations or separate products needed. Learn more about TeamSupport

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
ISL Light remote support software lets you control a remote computer or mobile device. It's cross-platform, secure, fast, customizable.
ISL Light is a remote desktop solution that lets you access and control any Windows, Mac or Linux computer in seconds from any computer or mobile device or to provide ad hoc technical support to mobile device users. Cross-platform, secure, high-speed screen sharing, cloud-based or on-premises license. Rich customization options allow you to rebrand the software to your own corporate identity and apply advanced security measures. Learn more about ISL Light

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
A powerful online CRM system to manage sales & marketing activities for your business. Integrated, highly configurable, easy to use.
Apptivo's online CRM system is a powerful tool to manage your sales, marketing, and much more. CRM sits at the core of Apptivo's integrated suite of business apps, providing a complete suite to tools to gain a 360 view of your customer. Our CRM includes lead management, an opportunity pipeline with intuitive dashboards, and flexible workflow tools including marketing automation. Everything is completely accessible from your Android or iOS device and integrated with Office365 & G Suite. Learn more about Apptivo

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
(Gamified Helpdesk + Asset Management) - the complications = Freshservice. Plus, the service desk is ITIL-ready too!
Freshservice is an online IT Helpdesk with a fresh twist. The tool puts a refreshing user experience on top of powerful ticketing and asset management capabilities like auto-discovery of new resources, powerful configuration management and enhanced impact analysis. Incident, Problem, Change, Release & Knowledge Management are amongst the other features that make Freshservice, a perfect fit for your organization's IT management needs. Learn more about Freshservice

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
Cloud contact center platform with omnichannel routing, workforce management, digital experiences, and analytics and AI for CX.
NICE CXone is a cloud platform with native applications for ACD/IVR, omnichannel routing, workforce engagement management, knowledge management, digital and self-service channels, interaction analytics, and AI models for automation and continuous improvement. With NICE CXone, organizations can orchestrate every type of interaction—from voice and digital messaging to chatbots and social media—and deliver AI-driven experiences with Enlighten, proprietary AI developed specifically to optimize CX. Learn more about NICE CXone

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
SolarWinds Service Desk is an easy to use and affordable help desk solution that streamlines ticket resolution with automation and AI.
SolarWinds® Service Desk is a cloud-based, IT help desk solution that has helped organizations reduce cost per ticket by up to 15% and issue resolution time by up to 48% with smart ticket routing, automated workflows, and integrated asset management. This, plus an AI-powered knowledge base, can equip your employees with the resources needed to solve problems quickly. Set up can be done in days instead of months & can fit seamlessly into your business by integrating with 200+ cloud applications. Learn more about SolarWinds Service Desk

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics
Ireland Local product
Download free IT help desk software for IT pros & sysadmins around the world in all businesses. Support & mobile apps also free.
The Spiceworks IT Help Desk is purpose-built for IT pros, we have just what you need to run a better internal IT help desk and a better business. Start tackling tickets in minutes with free help desk software (on your server or in the cloud). Plus, it's more than just ticket tracking: understand (and change!) team behavior and articulate your value to the business. Get it free today! Learn more about Spiceworks Cloud Help Desk

Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Automated Routing
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Self Service Portal
  • Multi-Channel Communication
  • Real-Time Notifications
  • Workflow Management
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
  • Macros/Templated Responses
  • Alerts/Escalation
  • Reporting/Analytics

Help Desk Software Buyers Guide

What is help desk software?

Help desk software lets organizations respond to users more efficiently. These systems help answer technical and functional questions by providing improved methodologies for ticket tracking, IT management, and customer service support.

By integrating these elements, help desk software improves customer service departments' ability to provide fast and effective support to employees, end users, and customers. Help desk system also facilitates the flow of new information from users, contributing to an organization's existing knowledge base. Help desk software is also known as IT ticketing systems.

The benefits of help desk software

  • Increase customer satisfaction. High satisfaction leads to a better overall product, increased customer loyalty and retention, and more revenue. One of the key ways to achieve customer satisfaction is improving your overall customer service experience. Help desk system helps ensure that customers receive focused, tailored support and that their issues don't fall through the cracks.
  • Improve employee productivity. When used as an internal IT support tool, help desk system can ensure more uptime for in-house technology systems and help your IT team better track and manage incoming requests for help. Research shows that help desk systems impact ticket resolution time, agent productivity, and agent job satisfaction.

Typical features of help desk software

  • Knowledge base management: A searchable repository of common questions/issues and previously resolved problems that can be publicly available to customers or reserved for internal use.
  • Ticket/issue tracking: Tracks interactions and automates the issue resolution process.
  • Alerts/escalation: Automated email or SMS alerts ensure urgent issues are communicated promptly, while escalation allows reps to advance issues to managers.
  • Self service portal: Allows customers and employees to track their own tickets, solve issues themselves via the knowledge base, and communicate with service agents.
  • Service level agreement (SLA) management: Creates, tracks, and applies the correct service level agreement to the right customer or site.

Capterra's help desk software directory lets you filter by feature(s) to only view options that meet your business needs, which can help you narrow your software shortlist.

Considerations when purchasing help desk software

  • Integration with existing customer tools. If your company already has a customer relationship management (CRM) system in place, make sure any help desk system you consider is compatible with that system. If the systems can't integrate, not only will you duplicate effort, but you may also lose data when toggling between systems.
  • Try before you buy. As with any software purchase, take advantage of trial periods and free training before making a monetary commitment. Many help desk packages are entirely cloud-based, allowing an easier test drive.
  • Be realistic about your budget and the total cost of ownership. As far as business software goes, help desk software is not particularly expensive (comparatively speaking). But don't let that lull you into thinking it's cheaper than it is. Our research found that help desk software buyers actually spent $1,200 more on average in a year than they expected. Be sure to research the total cost of ownership before committing to any system.

A large portion of the changes and advances happening within the customer service and support industries are related to help desk software. Here are some help desk technology trends to understand to future proof your purchase:

  • Conversational user interface and help desk chatbots. Alexa and Siri have popularized the idea of a conversational user interface - using your voice and natural language to control a computer or retrieve information from one. While customer service teams are already experimenting with chatbots and other time-saving tools, expect to see more support for voice-based UIs that help customers solve their own issues and access knowledge base resources. According to our research, 68% of small and midsize businesses (SMBs) are using or plan to use conversational user interfaces within the next one to two years.
  • AI and "anticipatory customer service." AI and machine learning are hot topics in just about every industry right now, and have some intriguing applications in the help desk technology realm. As an example, machine learning algorithms trained on customer data and service tickets could enable anticipatory customer service, letting you resolve a customer's issues before they even know there are any. According to a Capterra research, 53% of SMBs are using or plan to use AI technology within the next one to two years.