Web-Help-Desk-Software

I've struggled with this one myself....for student AND faculty. Yes, the downside is that they can do inappropriate browsing. However, they shouldn't be able to to anything malicious or accidental to the school's IT / network infrastructure. If they are off the network (and on their own plan), they shouldn't be able to do anything dodgy. Yes? As for students looking at inappropriate websites (on their own network), I think that goes into the "nudey magazine hiding in the math book" file and falls under teacher / parent disciplinary actions. It should not impact anything IT related. Am I looking at this through the correct prism?

@JG2Springer, to better support your needs, let's take this convo over to the Web Help Desk Troubleshooting Forum. This will engage more Web Help Desk experts and community members. Thanks in advance!

Get the most from your Web Help Desk deployment! Watch a pre-recorded Web Help Desk demonstration webinar recently given to a live audience.

Feel free to watch a pre-recorded Web Help Desk demonstration webinar recently given to a live audience.

If I understand your request fully, your request is included in our current functionality within Web Help Desk. Help Desk Software by Web Help Desk To double check, I invite you to login as a Technician (username: admin password: admin) on our online demo at Web Help Desk Then go to the last tab and follow this path: Preferences->Tickets->Priority Types & Alerts You will see a list of Ticket Priorities...these are example priorities. You can create as many Priorities as you would like (and link then as default priorities based on Problem Types!) Click on "Urgent". You will see 3 different "Alert Levels". This is where you will set up your auto-escalation path...and this one is just for URGENT tickets. You may want to setup a less stringent escalation path for Medium and Low priority tickets. Here is an example for URGENT tickets. An example might be that URGENT tickets must be completed in 2 hours. Here is what I would recommend configuring on that screen: Alert Level 1 Not Assigned - 10 Business Minutes - E-Mail Grp Mgr (this means that if this ticket somehow escaped your auto-assignment logic, the group manager will be alerted that it didn't get assigned in 10 minutes) Not Updated - 30 Business Minutes - E-Mail Tech (this means that if a Tech doesn't update the ticket or acknowledge the ticket within 30 minutes, the Tech will get emailed as a reminder) Not Completed - 1 Business Hour - Email Tech (this means that if the ticket has not been completed within 1 hour, an email reminder will be sent to the Tech) Alert Level 2 Not Assigned - 15 Business Minutes - E-Mail Grp Mgr (this means that if this ticket STILL somehow escaped your auto-assignment logic, the group manager will be alerted again with a Level 2 message that it didn't get assigned in 15 minutes) Not Updated - 45 Business Minutes - E-Mail Tech (this means that if a Tech STILL doesn't update the ticket or acknowledge the ticket within 45 minutes, the Tech will get Level 2 emailed as a reminder) Not Completed - 100 Business Minutes- Email Tech AND his Supervisor (this means that if the ticket has STILL not been completed within about an hour and a half, a Level 2 email reminder will be sent to the Tech AND his Supervisor) Alert Level 3 Not Assigned - 20 Business Minutes - E-Mail Grp Mgr (this means that if this ticket STILL somehow escaped your auto-assignment logic, the group manager will be alerted that it didn't get assigned in 20 minutes) Not Updated - 100 Business Minutes - E-Mail Tech AND Supervisor (this means that if a Tech STILL doesn't update the ticket or acknowledge the ticket within 100 minutes, the Tech AND his Supervisor will get emailed a Level 3 notice) Not Completed - 2 Business Hour - Email Tech AND Supervisor AND Group Manager (this means that if the ticket has not been completed within the 2 hour SLA, a Level 3 Alert will be emailed to the Tech AND his Supervisor AND his Group Manager) The application will also provide visual, color coded queues in the Ticket list view and in "My Tickets". You can also sort tickets by Alert Level. Also, you can report based on alert level and priority. Click on the "Reports" tab in the online demo and click on the "play button" for the report called "Alert Level Report" for one style of report based on these items. Do let me know if this helps. More EduGeek-related Info @ this post: http://www.edugeek.net/forums/downloads/27147-free-help-desk-software-edu.html

We haven't tried it specifically, sorry. However, we sponsor one of the forums here and are vendors for the help desk software by Web Help Desk. More info @edugeek here: http://www.edugeek.net/forums/downloads/27147-free-help-desk-software-edu.html . .

Dan, configuring auto-scheduled delivery of any Web Help Desk Software report couldn't be easier. You may create virtually any report needed in the Reports module, run them on demand, send them to PDF, or simply schedule the report to be automatically sent to the audience of your choice in PDF format via email. Get more general information on help desk software reporting in Web Help Desk or feel free to contact your local rep or the support team for more details or a web-based walkthrough. There is a section on configuring and auto delivering reports in the Web Help Desk Software Configuration Guide (13.4MB). http://www.webhelpdesk.com/images/help_desk_software_reports.png

Team, I invite you to share your Web Help Desk experiences with a 'boomam' over on a different help desk software thread here on EduGeek: http://www.edugeek.net/forums/how-do-you-do/29505-helpdesk-software-exchange.html Good, bad, or indifferent; I'm sure 'boomam' would appreciate your unbiased opinions of the Web Help Desk Software. Thanks in advance, WHD

boomam, I believe it would be beneficial if you reviewed the Web Help Desk Software thread here at EduGeek. Exchange can get finicky. Exchange email accounts default to MAPI, which is pretty much a Microsoft proprietary protocol , but can be changed to IMAP (or POP), both of which Web Help Desk utilizes for receiving email and automatically converting them to tickets. SSL authentication is not a problem either. Web Help Desk will poll one or more email inboxes and convert the email to a ticket. Plus, as you mentioned in your requirements, Web Help Desk has a very robust interface for ticket submission by students and staff and an extremely intuitive and professional interface for your support staff. Click the "Tech Login" button to view the support staff interface or the "Client Login" to view the support requester's interface (note that as you select the Request Type, the form dynamically updates with custom fields....leaving a clean initial form without "catch-all fields" that may have nothing to do with the actual request.) Help Desk Software - Online Demonstration Do share your thoughts on this help desk software... FYI - Web Help Desk has a Free Edition, Lite Edition, and Pro Edition available to fit everyones needs and pockets. Best Regards, Web-Help-Desk-Software

Chris, You may add as many AD or LDAP syncs as you need, each with separate configuration and scheduled sync times. LDAP and AD Configuration details may be found in the Web Help Desk Software - Administrator's Guide. Enjoy, WHD

It's hard to beat Symbol scanners and Zebra label printers. They are the staple vendors in the Supply Chain Industry. Hope this helps.

Richard, AngryTechnician is correct. Barcode scanners merely convert the lines to characters and push them just like an input device. Typically, you can configure the scanner to hardcode a or at the end of the character string. Depending on where you focus your cursor, the scanner will simply inject the text at that point. Web Help Desk is an intuitive suite of help desk software and asset management software that should accommodate your needs without a problem. On most asset related screens, the cursor will be focused and ready for a scan of an asset tag. The Web Help Desk Software - PRO Edition contains intuitive trouble ticket management, LDAP & AD integration and authentication, email-to-ticket conversion, asset and desktop management, knowledge base management, approval workflow, enduser customer satisfaction survey management, and performance reporting. Help Desk Software for Education in the Americas, Australia, and Asia. Help Desk Software for Education in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Honesty Disclaimer: The Web Help Desk Software is a sponsor for a forum on EduGeek.

Thought about taking it off-line and sparing the rest but they might find this interesting and useful for their own config. According to Tech Support:

Excellent Dan! For the LDAP bit, ping the BETT guys or PM "whd_guy". They can send you an informal document that guides you through Web Help Desk LDAP config. If you login as an Admin Tech and go to Clients > LDAP Connections > Connection Basics & Attribute Mappings, each field has mouse-over popup help that is quite detailed. Also here is an LDAP Toubleshooting Tool that works quite well when configuring the Web Help Desk Software. (FYI - WHD's Tech Support uses the very same tool) Enjoy!

Dan, The database configuration is done through the web help desk UI after you start the application. But, since you don't have a GUI on the server, you will need to add your own machine to the PRIVILEGED_NETWORKS option in whd.conf file so you can access the DB update screen. There is a built-in FrontBase database for instant functionality. ...or you may odbc/jdbc your way to most any other vendor db. Once you logged into the Web Help Desk web-based UI as an administrator, you can follow the navigation tabs to Preferences > General > Database for external database configuration. P.S. The Web Help Desk Administrator's Guide will have more information on this subject and more. You can find a link to the Admin Guide at the bottom of the README.pdf file in your Web Help Desk app folder. Enjoy!

Web Help Desk just released v9.1.16 last night and found a slight challenge with the Windows installer (Windows only; Mac & *nix installers are okay). Windows installer downloads have been temporarily reverted to the v9.1.15 install and will be resolved today. Sorry for any inconveniences. There were only a few minor enhancements and alterations injected into v9.1.16 (see the Web Help Desk Software Changelog), so if you can bare without these few updates for the day and you are on Windows, we appreciate your patience. If you installed the Windows installer for v9.1.16 (the challenged one) today, please go back to your download link and v9.1.15 will be available and simply run that install back over the other and all will be well! Thanks! Free Help Desk Software for Europe, Asia, and Africa. Free Help Desk Software for the Americas and Australia. Best Regards, Web Help Desk

BTW - If you are on v9.1.12 or greater, the 30 day trial will auto-convert to the Free Edition after the 30 day trial. Folks who downloaded prior to v9.1.12 release will receive a key asap.

Thanks everyone for your patience. At this time, the permanent key for the free help desk software is generated out of the States and vacation time around their Thanksgiving Holiday has push delivery a bit. They will be delivered within 48 hours. Thanks again for your patience! Web Help Desk

Just a quick note to announce that the Web Help Desk Software is an official and proud sponsor of the EduGeek.net Mac Forum!!! We are honored to be a part of this community and hope to provide a valuable tool to all of the +10,000 members (congrats on that milestone stat, btw ) Cheers!

FYI - The latest version 9.1.12 requires no license key to become the Free Edition. It will auto-convert to the perpetual Free Edition after the 30 day run. The websites haven't been updated with this news yet. You heard it here first! Enjoy!

Not quite correct. The Free Edition is free and will run indefinitely! You do NOT have to pay for it after the first year.

The Free Edition (with full Lite Edition functionality) requires no fees whatsoever. If you require more help desk staff logins, would prefer technical support, and/or would like to utilize all of the features in the PRO Edition; there are a number of options: Lite Edition or PRO Edition: (1) Server License (installed on a server in-house to your organisation) (2) SaaS hosted help desk software plans (installed off-site to our organisation) Server License - One-time license fee (never pay again) + Nominal annual maintenance (for version upgrades and unlimited tech support) SaaS Hosted Plan - Annual fee; same fee each year (included automatic version upgrades and unlimited tech support) Fees are based solely on the Edition and the number of named help desk technician logins...no modules to buy, no nodes, no number of assets, and endusers are always unlimited! I'm sure the next question will be "so, how much for Lite or Pro?" With this difference between editions, server license vs. SaaS, tech login tier price points, variations in currency exchange rates (which we try our best to accommodate); any blanket statement on pricing would be a challenge and not representative of the options available; especially within such a multi-national forum. Get your pricing questions answered fast and exact, with a formal quotation(s) Help desk software pricing for Europe, Asia, and Africa. Help desk software pricing for the Americas and Australia. We can mention that you will be hard pressed to find a more cost effective solution on the market with this feature set. The learning curve on the solution is near flat and the ROI will be measurable in weeks to a few months; not years.

During the first year, you may update your software as frequent as versions are released. After the first year, your help desk software will run just fine. It will not shut down. You just won't be able to install any new versions. But again, your help desk software will continue to run just fine!

All, As you may or may not know, this Free Help Desk Software Edition grants a full year of software updates. Web Help Desk is actively developed and feature enhancements are added quite frequently, as you will see in the version log at: Web help desk software updates Since the original posting in this thread, Web Help Desk has released a new update version (v9.1.12). Feel free to update your current version and see just how easy it is. The version log page is an RSS page that we encourage subscription, so that you may stay abreast of the latest version: RSS Feed Link Enjoy and feel free to continue comments on the solution. Our endusers are our most valued assets.

Cheers Russ!