topdesk magazine 2008 issue 3
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October 2008, Issue 3, Volume 10
Looking Towards the Future of Development / TOPdesk on Tour Report /
SaaS Security / TOPdesk on the Go / Trends
New GenerationSoftware
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New software
If you want to start using a new piece of software, you mostlikely nd yourself a CD and click setup.exe. You wait for a bit,
restart your computer and youre ready to go. This is, however,
only one of the possibilities. In the past few years, other ways
of using software have presented themselves.
For instance, you do not always have to locally install
software to be able to use it. In some cases, the application
is installed on a central server in the organization and is
then accessible from your PC, laptop or PDA. Its web-based
software, and all you need in order to work with it is abrowser and login data. In addition, the amount of online
software and number of SaaS services are growing. With SaaS,
you not only outsource the installation of the software, but
also its maintenance.
This relatively new form of software inuences the way in
which software is developed and marketed. Functionalities
that are common in a windows environment turn out to
be difcult to programme in a web interface. One example
of this is the right-click menu. Security also plays a big role,especially for SaaS services. If you entrust your condential
information to a third party, it is all the more important that
these data are secure.
This edition of TOPdesk Magazine explores the possibilities,
challenges and risks associated with the new generation of
software. What should you look for when choosing a SaaS
provider? What is the latest in the world of SOA? In addition,
we reveal how the development department at TOPdesk
combines the possibilities of web-based software with thefunctionalities of a windows interface and how they use
mangos to make it all happen.
Enjoy!
Niek Steenhuis
TOPdesk Magazine, a service management
platform, discusses subjects that are topical in the
world of professional service desks in IT, facilities
and other service providing organizations.
TOPdesk Magazine is intended for managers,
service desks employees, facilities organizations
and electronic city councils - anyone who is
involved with supporting customers on a dailybasis. This concerns both the processes and the
technology behind these services.
Want to comment? Go to
www.topdeskmagazine.com
COLOPHON
TOPdesk Magazine is a TOPdesk publication
tel: +31 15 270 09 00
email: editorial@topdesk.com.
Editorial board Amanda Dirkse, Niek Steenhuis
EditorsMartin Beijering, Carrie Brandt, Rianne vanDijk, Fred Epe, Miriam de Hoogh, Johanna Kirn,
Henrieke Korten
Translators Carrie Brandt, Clare Donald, Fred Epe,
Niek Steenhuis
Lay-outCathy van den Berg, Louise van der Laak
Website Erik Pols, Glen Young
This magazine is printed on FSC-certifed paper,
using an eco press with cadmium-free ink for all
colours and distilled water instead of alcohol.
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4 News
6 Looking Towards the Future of
Development
10 TOPdesk on Tour
13 TOPdesk on the Go: PDA Module and
Barcode Scanner
14 SaaS Security
16 Service Management for
Citizen Support
18 Trends: Cuil Developments in Software
20 Tips + Tricks
10
ContentsOctober 08
14
13
6
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TOPdesk expands services package
TOPdesk plays a critical role in the business processes of
an increasing number of organizations; therefore, it is of
utmost importance to guarantee the continuity of the
software. In reponse to this, TOPdesk has extended its
services package with the following services:
Emergency support;
Onsite Application management;
Extended help desk opening times (per week).
If you would like more information on these services, pleas
contact TOPdesk UK on +44 20 8846 8516 or at info@
topdesk.com or TOPdesk Deutschland on +49 631 624 00-0
or at info@topdesk.de.
TOPdesk Consultancy clients areofcially satised customers
Research from the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands
has revealed that the majority of TOPdesk clients are
satised to very satised with their experiences with
TOPdesk Consultancy. The combination of quality, reliability
and expertise demonstrated by TOPdesk consultants
prompted this positive evaluation.
The researchers surveyed 250 clients of TOPdesk
Consultancy. Consultancy services focus on improving
service management processes and implementing the
TOPdesk application.
This is a big compliment for our Consultancy department,
comments Sander Jerphanion, Head of Services at
TOPdesk. We think it is important that a consultant not
just implements a technical tool, but assists the client in
optimizing his or her work processes in a no-nonsense
manner. It is great to see that the client recognizes and
appreciates this.
Upcoming Shows
This year, the IT Service Management Forum (itSMF) event
will take place from Monday 10 November to Wednesday
12 November at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole, in the
United Kingdom. This three-day event offers a wide variety
of service management knowledge to suit all levels. Titled
Driving Real Value, this years programme will be jam-packed
with seminars, workshops and interactive sessions. TOPdesk
will be exhibiting on all three days at stand P12. Drop by to
make acquaintance or get answers to all those questions
youve been dying to ask.
For more information on the show, please visit http://www.
itsmf.co.uk or email a member of staff from TOPdesk UK at
info@topdesk.com.
From Tuesday 21 to Friday 24 October, TOPdesk will be
attending the Systems fair the leading Business-to-
Business trade show for IT, Media and Communications a
the New Munich Trade Fair Centre in Munich, Germany. Thi
years motto is Ideas for better business, and exhibitors wi
be attending from across Europe as well as further aeld.
Five staff members will be representing TOPdesk at the fair
on all four days. Visit us at stand 530 in hall A2 with all you
queries or just to say hello. For more information on the fai
please visit: http://systems.de/link/en/19137019 or email a
member of staff from TOPdesk Deutschland at
info@topdesk.de.
News
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Column: Facilities
In a short time, TOPdesk has grown from being
just an IT service provider to a major player in the
facilities market. Entering into the facilities market
from IT may seem like an illogical step, and manyclients have asked us how and why we have done so
Account Manager Martin Beijering explains why for
TOPdesk, it was a very logical step.
TOPdesk has been established on the facilities mark
for a long time. The processes involved in providing
IT and facilities services are, for the most part, the
same; therefore, TOPdesk can also be an excellent
tool for facilities. Development and sales progressed
rapidly in 2006 and, consequently, a separate
Facilities sales team was created. This enabled us
to gather our facilities knowledge and experiences
into one place, and provided TOPdesk employees
who have an interest in facilities management with
an opportunity to focus on the facilities sector. For
instance, I have an architectural background from
the Technical University in Delft and have always
been interested in facilities management and the
construction industry: as a researcher for Rabobank,
as a freelance designer and as an assistant project
leader in Cambodia. Joining the Facilities team was
therefore an ideal way for me to apply the things
that I have learnt.
The Facilities team also has many benets forclients: our specialized knowledge helps us to better
address client concerns. There is a growing demand
among clients for one application that can be used i
multiple departments, in order to ensure a clear and
simple way of working and providing information.
To make that a reality for our clients, we work closel
with the Facilities team of TOPdesk consultants
and the developers. From product design to
implementation, we do our best to serve the facilitie
sector.
And it works. TOPdesk is not just seen as being good
enough for facilities, but as a complete service
management package that is widely applicable. At a
recent help desk show, we spoke with a client about
TOPdesks facilities possibilities. Afterwards he asked
us, And can we also support our IT department with
TOPdesk? Well, that is a sign that were doing a goo
job.
Martin Beijering is an Account Manager for the
Facilities team at TOPdesk.
TOPdesk employee joins SaaS expertpanel at Computable magazine
Xander Orth, Account Manager and Press Ofcer at TOPdesk,
has joined the SaaS expert panel at Computable magazine.
The creation of a SaaS expert panel stemmed from the
desire to pioneer a new SaaS discussion. Although thisservice is gaining popularity across Europe, there are still
many questions on the subject. What exactly does SaaS
involve? Is it really safe? What does the future hold for SaaS?
By publishing articles and responses thereto, the SaaS expert
panel is fuelling the SaaS discussion and attempting to nd
answers to these questions.
In 2007, Xander Orth, on behalf of TOPdesk, conducted
research into the need for a SaaS service management
tool in SMEs (small and medium enterprises). His research
revealed that SMEs are not yet entirely sold on the SaaS
idea. While most SMEs view SaaS in a positive light, they
are reluctant to actually purchase a SaaS service. As an
Account Manager, Orth currently plays an advising role in
the marketing strategy of the SaaS product from TOPdesk:
TOPdesk as a Service.
TOPdesk employee takes homeOlympic gold
At the Olympic Games in Beijing, Manon van Rooijen, a
TOPdesk help desk employee, won a gold medal with
her swimming relay team. She and her team beat the
United States and Australia, who won silver and bronzeconsecutively, in the Womens 4x100m Freestyle Relay. With
a time of 3:33.76, the Dutch girls beat the Olympic record.
During the 4 x 100 metre freestyle heat, Van Rooijen swam
with her team to place themselves in the nal.
Upcoming Shows
8 - 10 October HIT@HealthCare Brussels, Belgium
21 - 24 October Systems Munich, Germany
27 - 28 October ITSMF Jaarcongres Nijkerk, Netherlands
10 - 12 November ITSMF Conference Birmingham, UK
12 - 13 November Tooling Event Utrecht, Netherlands
14 - 17 January BETT Show London, UK
4 - 5 Feburary Legal IT Forum To be announced
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Roel: To answer your rstquestion: after 15 years of
software development, we have
landed in the fourth generation of
TOPdesk software an extensive
web application with a very
advanced and user-friendly
interface.
the ease of a self service desk intoa desirable step in the direction
of attaining better service
management. In 2005, TOPdesk
Enterprise 4, the rst TOPdesk
version to be entirely web-based,
was released on the market.
The product was released as our
agship, for those clients who
The development of theTOPdesk web interfaceSince 1999, a web interface
has been available for the
windows applications of
TOPdesk Operational 2, TOPdesk
Professional 3 and lite. During this
period, internet use in the business
world increased rapidly, turning
How far has 15 years of development brought TOPdesk software? How is TOPdesk
involved in developing software geared towards the future? We spoke to Roel Spilker,
one of the senior software developers at TOPdesk, to nd out. His job is to research the
technical possibilities of TOPdesk and keep up to date with market trends. He and his
colleagues are responsible for planning the next steps in the development of TOPdesk
software.
TEXT:AMANDA DIRKSE
Looking Towards the Future of
Development
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wished to work with an MS SQL or
Oracle database and in particular
need to be able to support a large
numbers of callers.
Roel: In 1999, the step towards
an entirely web-based application
was still a very distant dream
for TOPdesk; however, we
certainly had the future in
mind when developing the
software. There were many extra
requirements, ideas and dreams
for the development of the next
generation of software, the web-
based application TOPdesk 4.
User-friendliness, however, has
always remained a top priority. We
want everyone to be able to work
with TOPdesk software, without
having to install additional
programmes or be confronted with
unnecessary costs. Thats what
we mean by service management
simplied. The development of
TOPdesk 4 then also involved a
signicant investment in time for
research and development. Many
functionalities that are typical of a
traditional windows environment
were not available in a standard
web application for a long time.
However, we did not want that to
be an excuse for a poor interface.
We have therefore paid a lot of
attention to the design of the
interface. And although we
are continually working on the
improvement of the interface and
from a technical point of view there
is still a lot more possible we are
very satised with the result.
Roel: Alongside user-friendliness,
the idea of the standard application
is of great importance for our
development strategy. We believe
that the same problems are evident
A Person card in TOPdesk Enterprise 4.0.9 (left) and 4.1 (right). In the 4.1 version, an entire module with cards that were
made with Mango was available for the rst time. All cards in the Supporting les module (Person, User, Operator, etc.)
have been ported to Mango.
Cards in Mango function more dynamically, bringing many advantages:
When browsing through cards, the card itself does not refresh, only the values in the card do. This means that cards can
load more quickly and the image on the screen is easier on the eye.
You can edit an open card directly; you dont need to rst click the Edit button in order to change details on a card.
When lling in a card, it is immediately obvious which elds are mandatory or contain an invalid value. These elds will
turn red in a Mango card.
User-friendliness has always remained
a top priority.
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in many business processes and
that by developing one good
application numerous companies
can optimize their service processes.
This in turn makes TOPdesksoftware a very affordable or
possibly even cheap application.
We can guarantee our clients that
the software is stable and functions
as it should. Finally, we can release
updates on a regular basis meaning
that our clients will always have the
newest functionalities and technical
improvements.
TOPdesk and MangoFor several years now, TOPdesks
development team has been
working on its own framework,
Mango, in which to build TOPdesk
software. Roel: We made this
decision with the future in mind
it didnt simply appear out ofthe blue. We were involved with
a number of problems and had
many ambitions, which could not
be resolved or achieved with the
working procedures that we had
at the time. Web browsers were
the main problem as every browser
interprets and displays HTML
differently. What is considered
necessary code in one browser
cannot be read in another.
Nowadays, everything can be
programmed; however, this has
two very signicant disadvantages.
First, developers need to spend
a large amount of time learning
the dialects of browsers, which
also slows down the development
of the software. The second
disadvantage extends from
this because the chance that a
developer makes an error in the
code with these various dialects
is much greater than when heor she can focus entirely on one
programming language.
These factors combined were the
reason why we decided to begin
developing Mango four years ago.
After a long period, during which
we had to develop the framework
ourselves, weve reached the
point where we can create new
and existing cards in Mango.
Mango not only eliminates the
disadvantages for our developers,
but helps us to deliver solid and
reliable software to the client. Our
developers programme all cards
in Mango in the same way. In
small and quick steps, we delivermodules and functionalities so
that the client can directly prot
from the improvements and will
receive a much more dynamic
application. One signicant
improvement is, for example, the
ability to validate elds in cards in
less time. In the past, the user had
to save the card in order to check
whether all elds had been lled in
correctly. When entering data in a
Mango card you can immediatelysee which data are still missing
or are incorrect, without having
to rst save the card. This enables
people to work much faster.
Web browsers and webapplicationsThe development department is
keeping close track of the newest
developments in the world of web
browsers and web applications.
Roel: Increasingly, frameworks
are being introduced, whichenable us to incorporate deluxe
functions in browsers such as
Flash, Flex, Air, Google web toolkit
and Google Gears. These allow
you to submit more than just links
and forms; you can adjust tabs,
right-click menus and pages by
entering different values. Such
developments in the area of web
applications are also often referred
to as Rich Internet Applications
(RIA). TOPdesk Enterprise has been
able to do this for years now, but
not until recently was it known as
RIA.
Another trend is Prism, which
is a spin-off of Firefox. Roel:Prism enables you to use a web
application when not online. The
recently released Google browser,
Chrome, works along the same
lines. As a result the application
that you use within these browsers
resembles more closely a windows
application than a web application,
whereby users dont become
confused by the possibilities and
impracticalities of web browsers.
Nowadays, much more is possiblewithin web applications than a
few years ago. Many users do not
expect, for example, that useful
right-click menus are available
and will therefore not use them
intuitively. This is a real shame and
goes at the expense of the user-
friendliness of an application. It is
A web application should not be an excuse
for a poor interface.
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interesting for us to experiment
with these sorts of tools because
we can then capitalize on the
intuitive expectations of the user.
The futureThe most important objective
for TOPdesk is to improve the
support of service processes for
organizations increasingly with
our software. Mango has now laid
the foundations on which we will
continue to build our software.
The challenge of software
development in the Netherlands
is not always in the technology
itself but also in nding suitable
developers. Roel: We are very
careful when selecting new
colleagues. The inow of new
developers is limited; however,
that is most likely not the result
of the work atmosphere. A survey
of companies in the Netherlands
in 2007 by Intermediair Magazine
revealed that TOPdesk is an
excellent employer, and we even
achieved the highest score for thecategory: enjoyment at work.
However, many other Dutch
organizations also seem to be
having trouble nding suitable
developers. Roel: Although we are
primarily involved in expanding
our team in Delft, we are also
looking towards developers
from other countries. The
internationalization of TOPdesk is
enabling us to set up development
teams abroad. On the German
market, for example, an increasing
number of qualied developers
are looking for a job. In our
German ofce in Kaiserslautern,
a development team of eight has
been hard at work for the last year.
The expansion of the development
team is certainly helping us to
attain results. Alongside this, we
are also looking towards Central
Europe.
So, what else can we expect from
the technology in the future? Roel:
In the coming years there will be
more than enough opportunities
to make the web applications even
more advanced and we will try
to take full advantage of these.
However, there may come a time
when web browsers are no longer
adequate for the requirements
that are set for applications. If
and when that time comes, we
will, thanks to Mango, be able to
develop cards for either native
windows or traditional non web
applications.
THEME
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TEXT:HENRIEKE KORTEN
Co-organizer Kirsten Crown
explains the origin of the
TOPdesk on Tour idea: In 2006,we organized a symposium in
Rotterdam. Days like these give
us the opportunity to show new
functionalities and the benet
they can be to our customers. We
want to organize a symposium
every eighteen months, but
in 2007 we chose a different
approach. Although the symposium
was rather large-scale, we wanted
to operate at a more regional level.TOPdesk on Tour was the ideal
solution. 250 people attended the
rst TOPdesk on Tour, which was
spread over several days.
Kirsten: Because of the success
in 2007, TOPdesk on Tour was
organized for a second time.
However, we went about a few
things differently than before. For
instance, every day was given atheme and we also organized an
exclusive day with guest speakers.
TOPdesk employees presented
the latest trends in the eld of
service and facilities management
and explained the implications
of these for businesses. Each
speaker also presented examples
TOPdesk on TourMeeting Customers throughout the Netherlands
From 27 May to 19 June, TOPdesk travelled throughout the Netherlands with TOPdesk on
Tour. Approximately 450 customers and visitors attended one of the afternoon sessions,and 75 people visited the facilities-themed TOPdesk on Tour in Amersfoort, making this
the most popular day of the tour. In contrast to the rst TOPdesk on Tour, there was also
a special day in Rotterdam, which included presentations from external experts.
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Knowledge base is set-up and how
the procedures have been drawn
up.
Kirsten: This year we introduced aspecial TOPdesk on Tour day, which
included nine presentations from
guest speakers within the four
themes: Business IT Alignment,
Compliancy, Management sourcing
and Organizational design of the
service.
One of the most valued
presentations was from Glenn
Timmins of Smurt Kappa Group.
Under the theme Compliancyhe explained how Change
management has helped his
organization to comply with
the strict requirements of the
Sarbanes Oxley Act. Using very
clear examples, he shared a
number of useful experiences with
the audience.
Another popular presentation
concerned Management sourcing.
Frank Willems of Twijnstra Gudde
explained the changing role of
the IT organization and how achange approach helps to control
management sourcing. Kirsten:
The exclusive day was a rst and I
am very pleased with the outcome.
The speakers were denitely the
crme de la crme of their eld and
discussed very important themes.
The subjects were unrelated to
TOPdesk, so for us it was also a
surprise as to how it would turn
out.
The days concluded with network
groups. These discussion groups
offered visitors the opportunity
to exchange ideas on the theme
of the day and share experiences
from the eld. Kirsten: We
deliberately chose not to assign
themes or participants to a group.
on how TOPdesk can be used to
achieve these. Presentations on
ITIL3, Conguration management
and practical experience from
customers were the most well-received. All presentations can be
found on the TOPdesk Extranet.
The presentation TOPdesk in
practice discussed two customer
cases. Sabrina de Baets of NIBC
Bank explained the importance
of Change management and its
set-up in TOPdesk. In 2006, after a
negative outcome of an audit on
the use of Change management,
she made every effort to betterorganize and utilize the module.
During her presentation, she
gave an account of the success of
her efforts. In addition, Evert de
Rijke of the District Water Board
explained how knowledge is
secured using the Knowledge base
in TOPdesk. He described how the
Kirsten Crown opens TOPdesk on Tour in Haarlem
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However, the survey that was sent
to all visitors revealed that some
customers did feel the need to sit
down with clients from similar
organizations. Therefore we willlook into other organizational
possibilities at the next TOPdesk
on Tour.
Individual discussions with clientsalso provided input. Kirsten:
I have spoken to a number of
customers whose companies use
Professional and they expected
that most of the presentations
would be regarding this version
of TOPdesk. This was not the case,
however. The Enterprise version is
our nest product and allows us
to show the latest developments
and possibilities. Professionalis still very important to us,
but it is simply less suitable for
presentations on the latest trends.
Next year, Kirsten and hercolleagues will organize another
symposium, followed by a TOPdesk
on Tour in 2010. Kirsten: Just like
this year, we will assign themes to
each day as this worked out very
well. I expect the TOPdesk on Tour
to grow even more. Its a great
opportunity for us to inform our
customers of new possibilities and
tips for their modules. And for us
it is a good way of getting to knowour customers and their needs.
TOPdesk Consultant Ard van Spelde discusses Enterprise with two visitors during TOPdesk on Tour
The exclusive day was a frst and I am very
pleased with its outcome.
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Despite their job title, many service
desk employees do not necessarily
sit behind a desk all day. Their work
often requires them to visit clients
on location. And this is certainly the
case for eld technicians. Withoutmobile access to their service desk
applications, employees have to do
double the work: they rst need
to manually record all necessary
information while on location, and
then again in the actual application
once they have returned to their
computers. Providing employees
on the go with mobile software
will save them time and enable
them to focus on other tasks. This
will increase the efciency of your
service desk. Mobile software
is also the ideal solution for
managers who travel frequently,
but still want to monitor the
activities of their employees.
The TOPdesk PDA module enables
your employees to register callswirelessly while on location. The
incident is entered immediately
into the TOPdesk database,
thereby keeping the database
completely up to date for all
service desk employees. You can
also use the PDA module to view
conguration items.
And to make it easier for your
eld technicians to quickly scan
conguration data on location,TOPdesks barcode scanner
solution is very handy. The barcode
solution allows employees to scan
various objects, locations and
assets in your organization using
barcode scanners. The data can
then be entered into TOPdesk and
analyzed further in the form of
reports. You can also create and
print barcode labels with TOPdesk.
Like the PDA module, the barcode
solution is an ideal way to increase
the efciency of your department,
thereby saving your organization
valuable time and money.
TOPdesk on the Go:
PDA Module and Barcode ScannerThe days of being tied to your ofce so that you can access software on your computer
are over. The new generation of software is providing us with increasingly more ways to
mobilize ourselves. These days, you can access most software from just about anywhere
in the world via your laptop, PDA or mobile phone. TOPdesk is certainly no exception.
TEXT: CARRIE BRANDT
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stored in different geographical
locations. A number of providers
employ underground back-up
data centres or store back-ups at
locations that are hundreds of
kilometres apart in order to protect
data from natural disasters or other
calamities. Legislation regardingdata protection must be veried
if a provider is located outside of
the EU. Regardless of a providers
location, the client must remain the
owner of the data after the contract
expires. In some cases, outsourcing
security to experts can become a
positive side effect of acquiring a
SaaS service, especially for small
companies that do not have large
automation departments.
A suppliers reliability is also largely
determined by the availability of
the service. As a rule, providers will
only guarantee the availability of
the software and not a working
internet connection. This needs
to be taken into account when
establishing a service level
In order to develop a clear picture
of a provider and to make a
well-considered choice, we have
divided the criteria into three
categories: the integrity of the
provider, the security of the data
and the availability of the service
as guaranteed by the provider.
Crucial business data belong in
trustworthy hands. In any case,
these data should not end up
just anywhere. Not only does the
method of handling sensitive
information need to be taken
into consideration, but also the
continuity of the SaaS service.
The continuity is determined
by the future outlook of the
provider. SaaS software is notsomething you purchase for just
a couple of months; you need a
business partner that will not
go bankrupt in a years time.
General information can provide
indications of a providers integrity.
Aspects to consider include the
experience a provider has in the
SaaS arena and its client portfolio
preferably one with clients
similar to your own organization.
Financial information, such as a
providers annual returns and its
predicted growth as a business can
also be of help.
Besides a providers integrity, the
security measures that a provider
follows must also be investigated.
The SaaS provider must clarify,
in detail, its security strategy to
protect data from unauthorized
persons as well as in the event of
natural disasters. However, the
information about these measures
must not be publicly accessible, for
example, on the internet, in order
to prevent it from being misused.Besides the risk of damage to or
loss of hardware, there is also a
chance that the software is lost
due to viruses, malware and other
external causes. To reduce the risk
of data leakage (the loss of les) as
much as possible, back-ups of the
data must be frequently made and
SaaS Software as a Service is a growing offshoot in the world of web
applications. This form of service, in which software is, in a sense, leased out,
means that clients do not only entrust their application to external parties, but
also their data. It is therefore necessary to choose a supplier that is trustworthy
and reliable. How, then, do you make an informed decision when selecting a SaaS
provider?
SaaS Security: Criteria for Selecting
a Provider
TEXT:JOHANNA KIRN & XANDER ORTH
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agreement (SLA) for availability.
In the SLA, it is advisable to strive
for availability for 99% of the
month, as opposed to 99% of the
year, as establishing an SLA basedon availability for an entire year
could involve a lengthy downtime
period, which the provider could
then claim as part of the allowed
downtime, without exceeding the
1% allowance.
If you take these criteria into
account when selecting a SaaS
provider, then there are no security
or reliability reasons not to
purchase SaaS services. You can ndadditional information about SaaS
in general in the SaaS edition of
TOPdesk Magazine (October 2007)
at: www.topdeskmagazine.com.
TOPdesk also provides a SaaS service: TOPdesk as a Service. At
TOPdesk, we are thoroughly aware of the risks associated with an
online application and for this reason have invested a lot of time
and energy into ensuring that TOPdesk as a Service is as secure
as possible. We use SSL certication, which is also used by banks
for internet banking, to ensure data integrity, encryption and
authentication. The Dell servers are also continuously creating
back-ups. Should something happen to the productivity of one
environment, then a back-up system will immediately take over.Finally, the data centres also support the security of SaaS services.
These centres are located in Haarlem, the Netherlands (Evoswitch)
and Schiphol-Rijk, the Netherlands (Easynet). By investing in the
latest re safety, cooling and anti-theft technologies, we have
taken every precaution to ensure that TOPdesk as a Service is as
safe and secure as possible. You can nd more information at
www.topdesk.com/saas.
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16/2016 TOPDESK
Lack of communicationCommunication within
governmental organizations is
a complex process. Due to the
large diversity of incoming calls,
many different departments
are needed to process the calls
prociently. For example, an
application for a passport requires
different expertise than does a
complaint about a fallen tree.
Each department is specialized
and has, therefore, a distinctset of rules and communication
procedures. Some departments
receive requests and comments by
telephone, while others deal with
letters. Furthermore, the various
departments are often separated
physically from each other. All
these different aspects mean that
effective communication betweendepartments is vital. TOPdesk
consultants have noticed that
internal communication within
governmental organizations is
often lacking or ineffective. This
in turn leads to a situation where
departments become isolated
from one another and employees
are not kept up to date on what is
happening in other departments.
One TOPdesk consultant came faceto face with an example of this
situation at a local council. After
TOPdesk had been implemented
in the Citizen Affairs department,
it came to light that the software
had already been installed
within the same local council.
The Environmental Management
department, to which most CitizenAffairs calls are forwarded, was
using the same application with
a nearly identical set-up. All calls
were being recorded and processed
twice in different versions of
the same system. Call resolution
therefore took longer than was
necessary and both the status and
the person responsible for the
call in the other department were
unclear.
Information sourcesBesides communication issues,
the multitude of information
sources creates a challenge.
Detailed information is needed for
the registration and processing
of incoming calls. Citizens must
be identied by name, while
Service Management for
Citizen SupportTo improve customer service, many governmental agencies
are looking to digitalize their services and procedures.
TOPdesk consultants have noticed this trend as a result
of the growing number of government agencies that are
using TOPdesk software to support their citizens. While
the desire to digitalize citizen support services exists,
the reality is that many are resistant to the change.
Communication problems, a plethora of information
sources and a paper-dependent corporate culture ensure
that the implementation of a digital tool does not always
produce the desired results.
TEXT:MIRIAM DE HOOGH
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addresses need to be complete
and spelt correctly. Furthermore,
information about citizen
records, applications, procedures
and policies is required. Thisinformation is often classied
within different systems. A change
must therefore be carried through
multiple times, which certainly
does not add to an organizations
overall efciency.
Post-it notesThe largest barrier to digitalization
is perhaps the current corporate
culture within governmental
organizations. The paper culture
that still exists in many local
councils is striking: a large portion
of work procedures are dealt with
on paper. Calls are registered on
notepads, many colleagues use
post-it notes to communicate
and booking locations is done in
writing. Involving IT in relatively
simple processes is considered
inefcient and unnecessary.
A culture like this can hinder
the digitalization process. Not
only may there be resistance to
the introduction of IT tools, butusing new systems can prove to
be challenging for some. Using
IT demands a new mindset; if
the mindset is not adjusted, then
the application will not be used
optimally and the digitalization
will not save anyone any time.
A wide variety of local councils
have already employed TOPdeskto keep track of their calls.
Upon closer inspection, the calls
appear to be neatly entered in
the application, but are often
still printed out. When calls are
transferred to other colleagues,
it does not always happen in
TOPdesk; the calls are instead
printed out and placed on the
relevant colleagues desk.
Playing catch-upMany governmental organizationsare currently playing catch-up
in the digitalization arena. The
problems that they run into can
often be solved with IT tools.
Registering calls in a centralized
system, to which multiple
departments have access, will
improve communication between
departments. The various
information sources can be linked
together, so that changes can
be introduced and monitored in
one place. And while there is still
talk of the beloved piece of paper,e-culture is steadily on the rise.
One of the local councils that
implemented TOPdesk has involved
the software in their entire
service restructuring process.
The local council has been set
up with a front ofce, a back
ofce and a eldwork ofce. The
calls rst arrive at the reception(front ofce), where they are
categorized and sent to the correct
department. The department
secretary (back ofce) assigns the
call to the correct operator, who
resolves the call or sends it to a
eld technician (eldwork ofce).
The eld technicians receive a
work note or an automatic text
message when a new incident is
logged. Everyone, except for the
eld technicians, works in TOPdesk;
the communication related to
logging and processing calls is,
for the most part, digital. Since
every department works with the
same application, it is clear to
everyone who is handling a call
and what the status is. The entire
process has been claried, and
the communication between the
departments of the local council
now proceeds smoother than ever.
TOPdesk plays a large role in the
rising trend of the digitalization of
citizen support. Many local councils
already use TOPdesk Professional forCitizen Support. Moreover, TOPdesk
Enterprise 4.2 is currently being
adapted to the various needs of
Citizen Support organizations.
Calls are registered on notepads,colleagues use post-its to
communicatie.
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18/2018 TRENDS
business applications by 2010. It
seems the SOA trend has only just
begun.
Another thing to look out for in
the coming weeks and months
is Cuil (pronounced cool). This
so-called Google rival, created by
former Google employees, boastsa search index that spans 120
billion pages a number that is
supposedly three times that of
its rival. Is bigger really better
though? Plagued by crashes due
to overwhelming trafc, its 28
July launch was certainly less than
spectacular. So far, users have
been largely unimpressed by Cuils
seemingly random, irrelevant
search results. Although Cuils
method of sorting search resultsinto idea categories, coupled with
its complete user privacy claim do
indeed have potential, its nal fate
has yet to be determined.
As far as the service management
software world is concerned,
SaaS applications are continuing
Service-oriented architecture,
or SOA, has received a lot of
attention in the past few years.
SOA is an architectural concept
that promises to go beyond linking
and import/export capabilities
by bridging the gap between
various software applications and
thereby providing consumers withbetter, more advanced services.
The possibilities of such software
integrations are endless.
Many recent SOA success stories
have involved Google Earth. For
instance, Flickr, the popular online
photo sharing application, has
been integrated with Google
Earth, enabling you to view the
location of a photo. Likewise,
Earthify is a new applicationthat has integrated housing ads
from Craigslist, a popular online
community in the US, with Google
Earth so that users can see the
exact locations of homes on the
market. However, many software
engineers hope to take SOA much
further in the years to come. They
envision a future in which our
lives are transformed by SOA: for
example, by web services that
communicate with each other as
well as with various electronic
devices via radio-frequency
identication (RFID). Still, others
ask why progress on the SOA
front has been so slow. SOA maybe suffering a similar fate to
renewable energy: the technology
is certainly available, but for social,
political and economical reasons it
has not been implemented often.
The causes behind the so far
lacklustre progress of SOA are
difcult to pinpoint. Some critics
point to conicting technological
approaches and even a lack of
consensus on a proper denitionof SOA. Others assert that it is a
people problem, involving poor
management plans and resistance
to change. Whatever the cause
may be, a recent study by AMR
Research showed that SOA growth
doubled in 2007 and will be used
in more than 80 percent of large
Needless to say, innovation in software has fuelled profound changes in the way we live
our lives and go about conducting business. Current and future software trends will
undoubtedly continue to do so. What, then, are the latest software trends, and what
can we expect from the newest generation of software? This article explores current
developments in SOA, Cuil, SaaS and more.
Cuil Developments in Software
TEXT: CARRIE BRANDT
Trends
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to grow in popularity. The
benets of SaaS applications are
certainly attractive; maintenance
and upgrades are included,
no installation is required,the application is accessible
worldwide and payment is on a
monthly basis as opposed to a
large initial investment. However,
questions have been raised about
the security of SaaS, of which you
can read more about in SaaS
Security: Criteria for Selecting
a Provider in this edition of
TOPdesk Magazine. Regardless,
Saugatuck Technology researchers
estimate that, by 2012, at least 70
percent of businesses with more
than 100 employees will use at
least one SaaS application. The
service management industry cancertainly expect to see more and
more demand for SaaS applications
in their software.
To end on a lighter (or darker?)
note, some scientists are now
predicting that human and
articial intelligence will merge
to form a sort of super being
that is radically smarter than
the average present-day Homo
sapiens. For example, Dr. Ray
Kurzweil, a well-known futurist
and inventor, predicts that by the
2030s humans will have become
essentially non-biological creaturesthat can upload their minds onto
the internet, live in various virtual
worlds and even avoid aging and
death. If Dr. Kurzweil is correct, and
the new generation of software
helps us to achieve such feats, then
there will be a quite a few more
Trends worth discussing in the
future
TRENDS 1
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tips +tricksSorting overviews
Version: Enterprise 4 & Professional 4
You can sort lists in overviews by clicking at the top
of columns. Most users already know this; however,
you can take this sorting a step further. Imagine,
for example, that you want to sort incidents; rstly,
according to the clients site and then within each site,
according to the caller. This can be done as follows:
First click at the top of the Caller column. The
overview will now be sorted according to the caller;
Then click on the top of the Site column. The
overview will now be sorted rstly by site, and
secondly by caller.
The incidents will now be grouped alphabetically
according to site. Within each site group, the incidents
will be listed alphabetically according to the name of
the caller.
This is one way to adjust the layout of your overviews
to your own preferences. You can also, for example,
sort incidents according to the type of call, and withinthat group, according to status. You will then be able
to see all requests, malfunctions and user queries
grouped separately, with each group being sorted by
status.
Quickly edit multiple cards
Version: Enterprise 4 & Professional 4
On some occasions, you may wish to be able to adjust
several cards at once. For example, if a large delivery
of laptops has arrived, you would need to update the
CMDB by adding serial numbers to the hardware cards.
To speed up the process and save a few clicks, you can
do the following:
Open an overview of the cards that you want to
adjust;
Open the rst card by holding down the CTRL key
and double-clicking on the card; the card will open in
an editable mode;
Change the necessary data;
Instead of saving, go directly to the next card;
TOPdesk will ask you if you want to save the card.
Click on Yes or press Enter;
The next card will open immediately in the editable
mode, so that you can quickly move on.
This trick can be used in many different situations.
You can add a new email address to a series of Personcards, for example. Or, if you have purchased a new
module such as Change management, you can add the
Change manager role to a series of Operator cards.
As of TOPdesk version 4.1, many cards are being created
in Mango, the framework developed by TOPdesk. These
cards open in the editable mode by default, enabling you
to work faster. In the long run, the intention is to create
all TOPdesk cards in Mango; until then, you can use this
trick to save time.
TOPdesk UK limitedt +44 (0)20 8846 8516e info@topdesk.co.ukw www.topdesk.co.uk
TOPdesk Netherlandst +31 (0)15 270 09 00e info@topdesk.nlw www.topdesk.nl
TOPdesk Deutschland GmbHt +49 (0)631 624 00 0e info@topdesk.dew www.topdesk.de
TOPdesk Belgiumt +32 (0)3 292 32 90e info@topdesk.bew www.topdesk.be
TOPdesk Canada Corporatt +1 416 800 2118e info@topdesk.caw www.topdesk.ca
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