When talking about the advantages of the SaaS Service Desk, vendors often (appropriately) focus on Return on Investment, through the elimination of the infrastructure and maintenance costs associated with the service desk.  However, this neglects one of the most powerful selling points of the SaaS approach when applied to the Service Desk; specifically that it supports our mobile, distributed workforce much more effectively than the traditional approach.

First, let’s understand when we’re talking about the Mobile Workforce, we’re really talking about two different communities:

• Supporting the Telecommuting/Mobile End-User
• Supporting mobile Service Desk personnel

The SaaS model provides a huge benefit for the service desk supporting a mobile end-user base.  By putting the end-user or Self Service interface to the service desk on the web, SaaS puts the ability for end-users to enter, track, and correspond with tickets on any computer with a browser that they can access.   It’s outside the corporate firewall, so no complicated VPN software, or security set up is required for end-users gain access to the service desk.  Think through the scenario… A travelling sales person needs to get a laptop repair scheduled.  His/her laptop isn’t working, but they can still get all the information to the Service Desk to schedule the call via the publicly available computer located in their hotel’s business center.

A similar benefit is given to mobile service-desk personnel, however this time it extends to the ability to “work tickets” at any computer connected to the internet.   How many times has the person needing to update information on a ticket, or even get contact information for a user calling in found him/herself at a family member’s house on the weekend, without their company laptop.  But with SaaS, they can again get at the information they need to at least perform initial response to the call via whatever computer they can access, improving customer response times, even when support personnel are caught away outside business hours.

These benefits are in contrast to the traditional implementation, which usually involves setting up additional web server(s) in the corporate DMZ.  Handling all the security issues of poking holes through the corporate firewall to make the service desk visible to the web are also a concern in these instances.  Meanwhile, the SaaS model gives all of this functionality, accessible through a simple internet connection, “out of the box”.

So why should you be worried about this?  We’re living in a recession after all, right?  In the 2009 US Hiring Forecast by CareerBuilder.com, seven major hiring trends were identified.   Two are of great interest…

31% of US Employers say they plan to provide more flexible work arrangements in 2009.  40% of which include telecommuting.

13% of employers are also indicating that they are planning on adding “Green Jobs”.  Telecommuting is one of the most efficient ways to make a job “Green” by eliminating the carbon footprint associated with commuting.

So is your Service Desk organization ready to support a more mobile workforce?  As you consider your service desk software options is this part of your thinking?  Maybe it should be…

Vernon Palango is the Principle Consultant for InteQ Corporation’s On Demand ITSM & ITIL Solutions organization. www.inteqnet.com