BMC Helix ITSM replaces Remedy. It is a broad suite of ITSM, tools with strong integrations to other BMC tools and in-built ITAM. The product is used mainly by global brands and is offered in on-premise and SaaS configurations.
N/A
IBM Control Desk
Score 10.0 out of 10
N/A
IBM Control Desk (formerly IBM Smart Cloud Control Desk) is available standalone or as a component of the IBM Service Engage cloud or on-premise suite of IT management software. Meant for enterprises, the IBM Control Desk is an ITIL service desk.
Control Desk is a rebranded version of Tivoli's Service Request Manager. This is a somewhat complex enterprise-level product competing with BMC's Remedy and ServiceNow.
Large complex organisation, with complex technology that needs to manage Technology Services. It is very flexible and able to manage a large complex environment but the knowledge required to set this up correctly (foundation data and configuration) is the key factor for success. It can integrate with many other systems and tools and integrate data from many sources - whether that be AWS cloud, or an on premises bespoke system. I would not recommend for a Small Organisation without the resources to set up and maintain the underlying foundation data and configuration.
For companies or persons who want to critically monitor the IT assets in their systems, IBM Control Desk is the program that will make them swiftly identify mistakes and provide possible solutions for them. Furthermore, IBM Control Desk is a straightforward communication program between the ICT department and the end users, where they articulate a challenge and it is immediately sorted out. IBM Control Desk monitors even the functionality of the software in the systems.
Integration with monitoring software like SolarWinds. where Remedy can transform notifications to work orders and assign to respective teams.
Detailed Customization capability to fit the exact needs of the organization.
Change management calendar, which integrates change orders from all organization departments and facilitates the scheduling process of project managers.
It can be offered as a cloud-based service, where you don't need to worry about server maintenance or database backup.
The interface (ironically). My company has made an attempt to replace the "classic" Remedy interface with some more functional, modern, but Remedy set to a particular look and feel (and consequently, functionality)
The API is hidden from the user: There exists an API for Remedy, that would make my job TONS easier, as I like to perform actions on Remedy in bulk (and therefore - programmatically). Exposing a user API is very much mainstream these days, so Remedy relying on its interface to perform ITIL is very limiting
By extension- the result of Remedy's interface is that it becomes very "click-happy": little buttons, and links stuffed into every corner of the screen, with options API logically together. API is old, but it still feels very rushed.
The primary tool for most of my ITIL operations is: searching. API of searching goes into finding assets, checking in equipment, finding users, tickets, etc. What Remedy could very much benefit from a "Google" -like interface
At least Remedy is all contained in a single platform, so the interface is consistent. Also, the most heavily performed functions are generally usable. However, to use some of the more advanced modules can be a bit more cumbersome (such as Change Management and CMDB (Not Including ADDM)). So, overall BMC Remedy ITSM is better than some applications like CA SDM or HP SM, but not quite on par with ServiceNow.
The support is good in overall resolving the issues and even in the deployment phase. We are able to use it in production without any trained in-house engineer as the support team gets the job done. We can say that experts completed the deployment for us, and now it is functional.
The lack of support from IBM is a concern that should be addressed and something to keep in mind for those thinking about acquiring IBM Control Desk. This problem can be solved by hiring an experienced consulting company that helps you implement, customize and adapt the solution to your specific needs instead of acquiring it directly from IBM.
The decision to select BMC Remedy was made prior to my employment. We did conduct an RFC process for a new ITSM platform and BMC was considered but not selected. We looked at several platforms and ended up choosing Ivanti Service Desk (previously LANDESK) due to the features, ease of customization and price.
Ease of configuration is a credible feature from the application, as we have the flexibility of personalizing the software for our needs. Also, IBM Control Desk captures the software problems and issues us with extensive answers for them. The communications that IBM Control Desk makes between the company's ICT department and the users is fruitful and speeds the business operations.
When I was in Management discussion calls, and all the team is happy while using BMC Remedy so I don't find any specific negative impact on our organization.
I really enjoy Smart IT as the tool of choice for our incident management team.
Visibility of tickets is key. All support staff users can see tickets in consoles they have access to.
Due to our company being highly focused on IBM Maximo implementation and support, IBM Control Desk is a necessary tool for tracking and support of said Maximo implementations.
By implementing IBM Control Desk as the main resource for support, the investment made has been very satisfactory and has brought us an increase in response time and management of tickets.
