Service desk software provides a ticketing platform for internal IT service management, serving as the single point of contact (SPOC) for employees to submit IT inquiries and receive support from the IT department, while offering tools for asset management, knowledge management, and change management.
Core Capabilities of Service Desk Software
To qualify for inclusion in the Service Desk category, a product must:
- Provide an internal ticketing system for IT department inquiries
- Utilize a portal for employees to submit questions, issues, or requests
- Offer a knowledge base for employee self-service
- Record the IT assets in use by a company and any changes in asset status that occur
Common Use Cases for Service Desk Software
IT departments use service desk software to stay organized and efficiently respond to employee technology needs. Common use cases include:
- Managing incident and service request workflows from submission through resolution
- Providing employees with self-service access to a knowledge base to resolve common IT issues independently
- Tracking hardware and software assets and logging changes throughout the IT asset lifecycle
How Service Desk Software Differs from Other Tools
Service desk software is purpose-built for internal IT service management, distinguishing it from help desk software, which organizes ticket requests from external customers seeking product or service support. While both use ticketing systems, service desk tools are employee-facing and focused on IT operations, whereas help desk platforms are customer-facing and support-oriented.
Insights from G2 on Service Desk Software
Based on category trends on G2, the internal ticketing system and self-service knowledge base stand out as the most valued features. These platforms deliver improvements in response time and employee satisfaction with IT support as primary outcomes of adoption.
