Databus Issue: 2004 2 04/01/2004
President's Message
Oswaldo A. Galarza PresidentHelp Desk Applications
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Once, while interviewing for a district job, I was asked to describe how I would support their district staff and restructure the department to ensure appropriate support. The district was small, had no help-desk application software, and no positions classified as help-desk/support personnel. How would you have answered the question?
Unfortunately, this is not an unusual situation. Although most technology directors consider help-desk applications essential, these applications, which keep track of the requests that pass through a technology department, are not always present. Hence, the CETPA board has selected to focus this issue of DataBus on help-desk applications. We hope to bring you innovative information about this area of technology.
Technology department budgets have been cut back substantially and support for administrative applications has been reduced to a minimum. Help-desk applications and technology support for teachers and instructional areas have been removed from most general-fund funding models. Grants, which had supported technology, are quietly disappearing, while the technology deployed in most districts is sophisticated and requires extensive support. Without a useful and friendly help-desk application package, keeping track of our respective end-users can be very challenging.
There are many great applications on the market that facilitate and enhance help-desk support. Some of these applications are basic. My favorite help-desk applications include remote management tools, computer asset tracking, software metering tools, computer imaging capabilities, etc. In my experience, district personnel prefer Web-based applications and tools that allow remote support. They prefer not to write a book in order to enter a ticket, or have to “remember” yet another password. Moreover, what end-users really want is for those tickets to be resolved as soon as possible. This may explain my preference for remote management tools in any help-desk application package. Although remote management tools cannot resolve every problem, they go a long way in assisting understaffed departments in providing support to its users.
I hope you enjoy this issue of the DataBus. Please remember to mark your calendars for the 2004 CETPA Conference, “Digital Roundup,” at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento this November 17-19.
