BMC Helix ITSM (Remedy) vs. InvGate Service Desk

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.

This is well suited for someone who is looking for a basic help desk system (like we were). This product will get you out the door, but after owning it for several years now we have begun to look for more. The hardest part is that you cant get to raw data to use with other BI tools. If you want major customizations you will be limited

Incentivized

• 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.

Incentivized

• Set-up of system.
• GUI is user-friendly.

Incentivized

• 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

Incentivized

• The database for back-end is clunky and cryptic, and it is very hard to access data.
• The reporting functions are really lacking.

Incentivized

We have been customers of BMC for well over 7 years now and our corporation is tightly integrated with BMC and multiple solutions they offer us.

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.

Incentivized

This is one area where they need a lot of help, especially for being selling an ITSM. The service desk is located in Brazil, and they have very few individuals that speak English. Multiple updates over the year have broken the language of the system and tickets have come out in a foreign language. Support is unable to fix issues that occur where downtime occurs. Updates are too fast. Revisions happen 3-4 a week.

Incentivized

Satisfied because I didn't have to do it!

Incentivized

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.

Incentivized

At the time of comparison, InvGate had a better price and way quicker set-up time to get it up and running

Incentivized

Again, always room for improvement, but a very stable product none-the-less.

Incentivized

• 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.

Incentivized

• Upfront, it had a very good ROI compared to a homegrown system that was being used.
• Allows users to submit issues to get MFG back up and running.

Incentivized