The IT consultancy techconsult published this year’s study on service management in October. “Professional User Rating: IT Operations” (PUR-IT Ops) evaluated solutions and services in the area of service management. techconsult assessed solutions from a variety of providers in terms of different factors such as “client lifecycle management” and “inhouse IT service desk.” But what do these terms mean? And what exactly makes a well-functioning client lifecycle management and user-friendly IT service desk?

Client lifecycle management

The term “client lifecycle management” (CLM) describes an approach that revolves around centralized management and control of the entire IT infrastructure in the workplace. IT administrators have to take care of different tasks such as inventory checks, license management, software distribution, patch management, and support.

• Inventory checks involve taking stock of all PCs and connected devices in the company.
• License management refers to the administration of software licenses.
• Software distribution relates to the processes required to install software on a computer.
• Patch management guarantees security. Patches can be used to contain security breaches and block the path of malware programmers.
• Support most definitely takes up the most time in CLM, as users with IT problems need to be attended to and supported.
  
  

An efficient CLM has to meet different criteria. Companies that offer CLM pursue the goal of managing a growing number of endpoints while working with almost the same resources. To pull this off, the inventory check must be carried out efficiently. Ideally, it should be automatic. User-friendliness is a must. The solution must deploy operating systems and software as consistent as possible. It is also important that the software is updated quickly. On top of all that, good CLM should offer effective, all-round protection against cyberattacks. And last but not least, CLM should solve users’ problems as fast as possible.

It is precisely these points that make Matrix42’s CLM solutions a winner in techconsult’s eyes. They are easy to use and consistent across the board. Aside from this, Matrix42 focuses on automating routine tasks, which significantly speeds up processes like software updates. The fact that it offers reliable protection against cyberattacks is also a major advantage.

IT service desk as part of CLM

Matrix42 was also able to win over techconsult with the high service standard of its solutions in the “Inhouse IT service desk” field. The consultancy awarded Matrix the rating of “Champion” in this area too. The IT service desk forms an important part of CLM. This is the first point of contact for all customer and employee service requests. Users turn to the IT service desk for different requirements, and in the event of failures or other incidents. “Ticket management” plays a central role here.

A software (ticketing system) that receives, confirms, classifies, and edits customer requests forms its core. A well-developed service desk is user-friendly and scores points with efficient ticket management – including automatic ticketing, intelligent prioritization, and forwarding to a technician. It also offers support to help users solve problems on their own. Advanced service desks allow the direct assignment of rights and passwords by means of Active Directory. These are just some of the features that modern solutions offer. The benefits are tangible for customers and employees alike.