Help desk systems can bring joy to enterprise IT users or they can be the bane of their existence. There is a huge range of features and capabilities among systems, and getting the best tools for any particular organization can take a lot of consideration. Jack Wallen at TechRepublic offers 10 factors to think about before selecting a help desk system.

Wallen recommends spending some time considering how difficult a system will be for employees to use. Some help desk tools are "insanely difficult," he writes, while others are quite user friendly. A system that is too complicated for your users may cause more problems for the organization than it solves.

For some organizations, a web-based ticketing system might be better than an email-based system. Email submissions may be easier for users, but a web portal can give an IT department a stronger sense of control over how and when help requests are sent. Email compatibility, ticket management capabilities and back up ease are also features that might help make a help desk system a good fit, Wallen advises.

For more:
- see Jack Wallen's post at TechRepublic

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