what is a service desk

 The IT help desk function appeared in the late 1980s, with the purpose of providing support in solving IT problems. It was a highly technical function focused on technology rather than end users. The first IT help desks did not have the concept of SLA, or time-based targets for problem solving. It was not until ITIL entered the scene in the 1990s, bringing together the set of IT service management best practices, that the concept of the user-focused IT service desk began to emerge. considered a fundamental part of "managing IT as a service".

 

In the mid-1990s, research by Iain Middleton, from Robert Gordon University, showed that the generation of value was not only a product of offering reactive answers to user problems, but also of the unique position of the user. help desk to communicate daily with large number of clients or employees. Information gained about technical problems, user preferences, and what satisfies users can be valuable for planning and developing IT services what is a service desk.

 

 

At the time of the publication of ITIL v2 in 2001, the role of the Service Desk and the role it played in incident and request management became one of the main components in IT service operations in many organizations. As the decade progressed, the effects of globalization and the growing need to reduce operational costs in IT led many organizations to centralize their IT service desk functions, many of which turned to external partners for staffing. . The outsourcing of IT service desk functions led to further standardization of processes and the growth of a market for help desk ticket management software.

 

Modern technology trends include cloud-based services, the widespread use of external components in the IT ecosystem, and advancements in discovery and monitoring capabilities have led to the integration of independent help desk ticket management systems within platforms. ITSM integrations, serving as the operations center not only for the IT service desk, but for the entire IT function. As companies seek to modernize and undertake digital transformation initiatives, the IT service desk is evolving again, to focus more on the commercial field, with greater awareness about business processes and data, transforming in many cases into a part integrated into the commercial operations of the company.