With so many different reviewers slowly starting to cover Ivanti Service Desk, it’s prime time we look at it as well. The tool gained some traction late, and for good reasons, it received a pretty hefty update. But we aren’t here to discuss the update itself; rather, we are here to discuss what the whole tool is about.
That is right. Today, we will be covering the Ivanti Service Desk in full detail. We will touch upon the different tools it has, and we will look at the usability rate. Thus, sit tight, grab yourself a cup of coffee, and let's get started.
Ivanti Service Desk Overview
First, before we start dissecting small details, it’s best that we cover the whole thing in general and the main purpose of the tool. So, Ivanti Service Desk is an IT Service Management system (ITSM) designed to streamline all your processes through automation. Aside from automation, the tool employs a wide range of different features that are not only helpful but extremely easy to set up.
The features themselves are designed to conform to the eleven ITIL processes, making it very flexible and scalable. Both HR and IT operations can be accelerated and streamlined to your needs. Additionally, in case you need more control over your channels and workspaces, the integration module will help you out.
Returning to the features, the tool is also equipped with a Change Management module, which can help your employees adapt to new additions. Also part of the system is the Incident and Request Management feature. This system is designed in a bidirectional manner, essentially allowing you to tackle issues on both ends (your and customers' issues).
Last but most certainly not least, the tool is designed to let you design and configure specific workflows. This ability will allow you to create efficient work practices and gain additional clarity.
Key Features
Outside of the above-mentioned functions, users can also rely on the following list of key features. Keep in mind that there are more features, and listing them all would hurt the readability of the article. Therefore, we decided to focus only on the most important ones.
- App Dependence Mapping
- IT Service Desk Support
- IT Self-Service Portal
- Dashboard and Reporting
- New, Codeless Architecture
- ITIL Processes
- Service Integration and Management
- Multiple Source Service Integration
- Configuration Database For Management(CMDB)
Enhancements You Get
The tool has a wide range of different modules to handle different things, yet what sets this tool apart is its ability to enhance several processes both passively and actively. Here are some of the most noteworthy enhancements you can experience after the installation process:
Boost your IT service operations
One of the key benefits of Ivanti service is the fact that it was created with IT Service Management in mind. This means that you can rely on a list of custom automation patterns, advanced monitoring systems, and perhaps the best part of the tool, analyze industry trends and behaviors in just a few clicks.
Improved IT visibility
The tool can be hooked to a wide range of tools that you can track. This small passive ability will bring you unification and increased visibility across the board. Having everything in one place will ease the process of identifying your bottleneck and what opportunities you have.
Encourage self-service
As the name implies, the Ivanti Service Desk can promote self-service on a large scale. Thanks to the drag-and-drop functionality, you can configure dashboards, service forms, and even site navigation in just a few taps. With Ivanti, you don’t need to answer the same question over and over; just redirect your user to the solution.
Quick and flexible deployment
No need to waste a whole day just setting up the system. With the Ivanti Service Desk, you are just a few clicks away from work. Be it the on-premise option or the web version, all you have to do is fill in a small form, and you are good to go. Outside of deployment, you can shift to another plan just by clicking on it. That way, you can scale your work as soon as you feel the need to do so.
Issues You Can Solve With Ivanti
These issues are just a fraction of what you can tackle with the Ivanti Service Desk. But they do a pretty good job of demonstrating what the tool is capable of. There are many more ways you can use it to your advantage once you start hooking it with different external systems.
Problem #1: If Automation Set Up Is the Problem
If you are having trouble setting up automation manually, the tool offers you the ability to undertake a small tutorial where you can learn all the intricacies of automation. And in case that doesn’t exactly solve your issue, you can pick from a pool of different automation templates and just fill in the necessary details for it to work. The tool works across the whole system and you can even dedicate separate sandbox where your agents can configure what they want without affecting the whole help desk.
Problem #2: You have a problem that only your code can solve it
To address this issue, Ivanti created the tool using an open source like approach to the development. The company allows you to add custom modules to the system, and for those who understand little in programming can poke around in the advanced settings. These settings allow you to turn on and off all kinds of things without coding.
Problem #3: It has become hard to manage your install base
With this tool, you can adjust, resize, and sort all your users as you see fit. And it's not just sorting that you can do, with Ivanti you can establish an infinite number of dashboards where you can put all kinds of real-time statistics. And finally, you can even hook third-party tracking tools to get a broader look at the whole thing.
Pricing Options
As for pricing, the company gives you two options, one being monthly and the other, well, yearly. Generally speaking, the pricing system is pretty standard. And as you might have guessed, they offer a free trial as well. The company doesn’t state the prices on their website, but if we had to guess, they aren’t very expensive. You can head over to their website and settle on a call where a representative will tell you how much it will cost you.
Technical details
As for technical details, the tool is pretty good, as it supports every major platform and can be used on multiple devices. Additionally, the service desk comes in multiple languages and can be self-hosted. Here’s what the full list of technical specs looks like:
Language Support
- English
- German
- Spanish
- French
Customer Types
- Medium Size Businesses
Devices Supported
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- iPhone/iPad
- Mac
- Web-based
Deployment
- Cloud Hosted
- On-Premise
Pricing Model
- Yearly
- Monthly
As you can see, the tool is pretty complete, and based on the company's track record, it will surely add new languages and platforms in the future.
Alternatives
While it all might sound super good on paper, there is still a slight possibility that Ivanti is just not for you. After all, each company is unique, and a scenario where one size fits all just doesn’t work. Hence, we compiled a group of different help desk systems that are not just clones of Ivanti. They are solid alternatives with their own unique features.
Zendesk — There are many good service desk systems, and it suffices to say that Zendesk always pops up on the list. And for good reasons too. It's a very polished system that has a multitude of different features you can use to improve your staying power on the market. One of the key benefits Zendesk brings to the table is multi-brand support. Yes, with Zendesk, you don’t need to worry about getting an individual help desk for all your brands. You can manage everything using only one tool.
Jira Service Management — Jira has been a mainstay of the service desk industry. The tool is a combination of high-quality features and stability. Another vital part about Jira Service Management is its marketplace, which allows you to expand the average number of features even further. Finally, there’s the native integration system that lets you hook Jira Service Management with other Atlassian products. Thus, if you’ve been using Confluence, Jira CRM, or any other product, chaining and synchronizing them is just a few clicks away.
ProProfs — You know a service desk is good when you see Sony in their customer list. Indeed, as the name implies, ProProfs is a very powerful help desk tool that you can use to boost your workflow. The main feature of the system is its ability to reduce customer calls through clever self-service knowledge bases. The system will automatically push your customers an article that will address their needs, and it will ask them to fill in a small survey for you to understand better what you lack.
DeskRoll — The platform has been home to many well-known companies. After all, the features DeskRoll offers its customers are quite fascinating. You get a fully functional remote module that will allow you to work with multiple departments seamlessly, and you get cross-platform compatibility. The tool also has a really good security system in place so that you don’t have to worry about stuff such as interception or phishing attempts. Lastly, the tool has a decent reporting tool that will allow you to track product, agent, and even brand performance.
User Satisfaction
While the tool is definitely well-crafted, there are a few reports from users regarding analytics and the fact that it does require a lot of knowledge to use certain features effectively. Although, despite all this, the tool is flexible and can be adapted to whatever workflow you like. Another pro about the tool is the fact that it is perfect for stuff such as screen sharing with other people. The connection is super stable as it does not utilize a P2P (peer-to-peer) connection. But it opts for a proper server-based one. Overall, the tool is good, and many prefer it over the popular option because it is super reliable.
Ivanti reviews
Brian E. — The best part about the tool is that no matter where you end up poking, chances are, you can configure it. We used the tool to build HR functionality and ease a lot of processes and its not just HR, we use it organization-wide in different departments. The only noticeable drawback we’ve managed to spot is the fact that the tool is constantly expanding and a number of account reassignments are kind of big. But other than that, it's a very nice system that you can use however you like.
John L. — Ivanti and flexibility are synonymous, and this is exactly what we like the most about the tool. The licensing model is flexible and makes sense in practically every business case. The key disadvantage, however, is that it can get complicated once you reach the low-lever configs. It is not a good fit for people who like to readjust their apps on a constant basis. Yet, this also means that it allows non-developers to create their own solutions and scenarios.
Anonymous — Most of our people agree that the tool shines in terms of customizability. The good thing is that you can create reports for whatever you want and that it can integrate with our Active Directory. Our company employs CMDB and change management with a wide range of tools within it. The key issue we had with the tool is that it might be flexible, it's also very complex. The native knowledge base feature alongside search functionality isn’t exactly great, either. When we want to find a certain KB article, we have to make so many different hoops through boxes and checks that it becomes frustrating at times.
TLDR
Overall, the Ivanti help desk system is a pretty solid tool that continues to improve as time goes on. There are many small caveats that might turn you off Ivanti service management, but we suggest that you at least give it a shot. But that’s about to wrap up our Ivanti software review. If you decide to try Ivanti out, consider using our automated migration tool. There's a Free Demo Migration available, so don't hesitate!
