This is actually my sixth article documenting Servlet API updates for JavaWorld. I intend these articles to serve two purposes: in the short term, to introduce you to the new features and, in the long term, to act as a historical compendium of changes, so when you find yourself coding against a past Servlet API version, you can determine exactly what features and behavior you can and can't depend on. Check Resources for my previous servlet articles.

Your company may be growing, but the IT group isn't. There are double the number of desktop systems at your facility than there were five years ago, as well as a proliferation of notebooks, BlackBerries and other edge-computing devices. You've just added a dozen new application and file servers, and are planning on more in the next six months. Yet you have the same team you did before that growth spurt. You've cut some corners, and are using some tools for automated patch distribution and password resets, but really haven't looked into other ways of improving your processes.

The term help desk?refers to a company's arrangement for handling service requests. The help desk is the center of that process; the place where communications with customers, and transfer of information and knowledge to them occurs. The help desk functions as the first point of contact for customers, no matter where they are in the world.

Developing software in-house involves a long-term commitment in terms of time and money from developers that already have too much to do and not enough time to do it. If a company decides to purchase software, the company enters into a business relationship with a vendor and can spend thousands of dollars to purchase a license and them to customize and install the software. The decision of whether to build or buy a Help Desk software system is a very important one. In particular, small to medium sized businesses often face the tough decision of whether it is better to purchase help desk software or develop it in-house. Advantages of building can include lower cost, a thorough understanding of how the system works, and the lack of a training requirement for IT support, since the system was built in-house.

Not all help desk software is equal - some is more advanced, some is less advanced, and some has all the bells and whistles. What's important for the buyer is to make sure which products can deliver an interface that works with existing systems.

It is no secret that the pressure is on as far as help desks are concerned. Growing product lines, products that are only on the market for a short while, keeping a help desk updated and current on all of the multitudinous varieties of problems that can occur is nearly impossible. Most of the high tech products that are currently being marketed have been available for less than a year. That statistic alone successfully illustrates the difficulties that help desks are facing, not even taking into account the increasing complexity of those products.

Like it or not, the role of the call center agent is changing rapidly. Several years ago, call center agents were involved with and responsible for just one particular process or product. Call center agents must be multi-talented and multi-task oriented to perform adequately in today's business environment, because they will be called upon to perform a variety of functions from problem solving, to sales, to conflict resolution.

While trying to examine some of the dilemmas a help desk manager can face, it is sometimes helpful to consider hypothetical cases. Consider this first case involving a fictitious company. Productive workers currently staff a company抯 help desk and the company expects call volume to increase because of a new system implementation that will affect a large chunk of the company抯 user base but the budget doesn't allow for additional headcount in the help desk area. This means that the help desk may soon become bogged down, queue times will lengthen significantly, and customers will likely become quite dissatisfied.

Sometimes it is the help desk that needs help. It is a complicated business with ramifications on multiple levels and many companies do not have the time or expertise to implement effective help desk systems. Even when internal people know what is needed, either the right tools are not available, the right people aren't available, or there are no objective measurements with which to convince management. Just to achieve basic success, a support system needs a mission statement accepted by the entire organization, a thorough understanding of customer expectations, realistic performance measures, and effective automated support.

Although corporate executives often overlook the help desk, help desks must be addressed as a key part of customer relations and conflict resolutions measures within any company. A less than exceptional help desk can have a marked impact on a business'sottom line, resulting in high call abandonment rates, low customer satisfaction ratings and costly contact resolution rates. A well run help desk can actually become a critical element in a company's overall appeal to its customers and provide a substantial return on investment, which is extremely important for senior management.