ESUP-Portail Helpdesk 1 ESUP RPI - “A common work of both our nations” Or A Queue with a View Gary Schwartz Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Jasig 2011 Denver, CO

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk You’re probably wondering why I’m here 2

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk Why I’m Here – Part I Chair of Bedework Steering Committee President of CalConnect, the Calendaring & Scheduling Consortium Jasig Board Director, Communications & Middleware Technologies, RPI 3

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk Why I’m Here - Part II ESUP Portail Consortium HelpDesk software is a Jasig Incubator project RPI is deploying the first English language version of the ESUP Portail Consortium HelpDesk software 4

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk Another Gift from France “A common work of both our nations” The quote derives from Édouard René de Laboulaye, whose remarks were (allegedly) the inspiration for the Statue of Liberty. 5

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk Why I am here - Part III “Hi Gary. The incubation committee is considering terminating the incubation of ESUP Help Desk. It seems to be a very worthy application but lacks community, developers, a stateside interest with the exception of RPI. I wanted to let you know and give you the opportunity to protest and make a case for continuing incubation. We are all ears if you think there is a good reason to keep it incubating.” 6

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk Is it me, or is there an elephant in the room I think there’s a good reason, but the real question is “Do you think there is a good there is good reason to continue incubation?” Does higher ed need OSS HelpDesk software? 7

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk ESUP Portail Consortium Over 80 French universities (IHEs) OSS projects for education and Research Collaborating with Jasig Helpdesk is one of the projects –Used by over 40 universities –Jasig Incubator project since April 2009 Alain Mayeur, leader and a founder of the ESUP-Portail consortium, is here today. 8

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk Can be deployed as –Servlet –Portlet : uPortal ready as distributed –Stand alone application built on familiar technologies - CAS, JavaServer Faces, etc Jasig incubating project 9 HelpDesk

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk 10 Academic and Research Computing Helpdesk Primarily assist students – 20,000 contacts / yr Laptop program – Computer Store, Computer Repair, Help Desk Student staff managed by professional staff –IT staff provide Level 2 support Web site - Not the only help desk in our division

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk 11 Helpdesk Software Goals for Users Users submit service problems through the web Help users to easily categorize their problem Inputs tailored to problem categories Users track, modify, and close their own problems to keep users updated problem status View FAQs and search a KB without authenticating View important notices without authenticating Submit problem reports without authenticating

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk 12 Helpdesk Software Goals for Staff Manage problems: Assign or Claim, Ask for more info, Close, Reopen, Audit Available to users without loading users Update support teams and problem categories Maintain FAQ and knowledge base Customize branding Post important notices easily Quick tickets (problems resolved immediately)

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk Quick Tickets Touchscreen 13

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk 14 Helpdesk Software Evolution at RPI Applix –Too fickle, expensive maintenance; retired w/o a replacement NextStep (hosted solution) –Start-up, expensive, limited functionality, discontinued Request Tracker –In use at some RPI locations, but not the right features ESUP Help Desk

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk 15

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk 16

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk 17 User View

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk 18 User View

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk 19 User View

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk 20 User View

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk 21 Consultant View

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk 22 Consultant View

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk RPI’s Plans Production for fall semester Continue to clean up interface –Fewer icons –Reduce crowding on certain pages –Improve English phrasing Add quick tickets functionality Add important notices 23

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk What’s Good Has much of the functionality RPI is looking for Well written - strong core features Easily customizable –Branding –Content –Language Comprehensive reporting capabilities 24

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk What’s less good Sample database not available in English Internationalization is more than string translation –“Manager”.NE. “Manager” Interface looks dated Forms are really pseudo forms Don’t know who is champion/lead developer Adding functionality requires Java experience 25

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk Would you like fries with that answer? 26 Touchscreen interface for HelpDesk staff?

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk References portail.org/display/PROJHELPDESK/esup-helpdesk+- +user+support+at+establishment-level portail.org/display/PROJHELPDESK/Papers+and+pres entations portail.org/download/attachments/131103/helpdesk- jasigSpring2009.ppt?version=2&modificationDate=

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk 28 Let’s talk 1.Do you think there is a good there is good reason to continue incubation? 2.Does higher ed need OSS HelpDesk software?

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk Additional Screenshots 1 29

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk Additional Screenshots 2 30

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk Additional Screenshots 3 31

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk Additional Screenshots 4 32

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk Additional Screenshots 5 33

ESUP-Portail Helpdesk Additional Screenshots 6 34