TECH COMPUTER CENTER
COMMERCIAL TICKET PACKAGE
OFFERINGS COMPARISON

Prepared by Ray Piworunas
Created -- 9 April 1997 Updated -- 30 April 1997 Expanded -- 7 May 2007

1. Introduction
2. Package features
3. DKHelp, V1.2
4. Clear Support, V3.3
5. Help Desk, 3.0
6. Action Request System, 3.0
7. Target Helpdesk, V5.2
8. RT: Request Tracker
9. HelpSTAR

The material for vendors 1 through 5 come from product reviews published in Service News . The dates of the review are given in the table below. In the TCC needs column:

• X means the feature is provided.
• P means we would prefer to have the feature but could live without it.
• ? means we're not sure the feature is needed.

Selection of the appropriate package should be made on how well it fits our needs (what the Package Features table is supposed to show). Price should only be used to see if we can afford what we need.

Note:
The prices shown are the prices mention in the review articles. They are suggested retail prices. Phone calls would need to be made for actual prices after the desired packages, and components of those packages, were selected.

Package Features

Ticket System Features
Feature	TCC				DKHelp	Clear Support	Help Desk	Remedy ARS	Target		RT	Help- STAR
	ticket	xt3	xt3 +	need
Overall Features
Problem tracking	man	X		X	X	X	X	X	X		X	X
Call management	man	man		X	X	X	X	X	X		man	man
Inventory management				X	opt		opt	X	X		extn	X
Training management					opt			X
Maintenance management		sep. app.		X		opt					extn	X
Internal database	flatfile				X	*2	X		X			MS SQL MSDE
External database	MySQL			X	*1	*3	*4	*5	*6		*11
Custom screens		re-code		X		X		X	X		X	X
Record maximum	unl	MySQL		unl	unl	unl	unl	unl	unl		DB lmt.	MS SQL MSDE
Windows client/server	email	web		C/S	C/S	C/S	C/S	C/S	C/S		XP	C/S
Unix client/server	email	email xt3		C/S		C/S		C/S	C/S		Linux	web
Macintosh client/server		web		C	C	C		C	C/S		OS X	web
Messaging						X	X	X	X
Import/export		MySQL		X	X	X	X	X	X
ODBC				X		X	X	X	X
API documented				X		opt		X	X		X
Global modify				P		X	X	X	X		extn
Ad hoc query				X		X	X	X	X		X	X
Full query				X	X	X	some	X	X		X	X
Standard reports	code			X	X	X	X	X	X		extn (*8) or use existing.	*9
Custom reports	code			X	some	some	opt	X	X		extn (*8)	*9
Graphic reports				P			opt	X	X		extn	X
Scanned images				P	opt	opt	X	X	X		attch	attch
Password security				X	X	X	X	X	X		X	X
Screen level security				P	X	X	X	X	X		roles
Field security				?		X	X	X	X		notes	notes
Chargeback			W.O.	P	opt	opt	X	X
Customer access		xt3	X	X				X	X		X	X
Database resynch							X	X	X
Remote access		web					X	X	X		X	X
Keyword access				P				X
Call Tracking
Call log, and track	L			X	X	X	X	X	X
Online call history				P	X	X	X	X	X
Caller config.		some			opt	opt	X	X	X
Resolution steps log		notes		P	X	X	X	X	X		X	X
Track time on call		X		X	X	X	X	X	X		X	X
Track time to solution	X	X		X	X	X	X	X	X		X	X
Track hist. by caller				X	X	X	X	X	X		X	X
Track hist. by call				P	X			X	X
Track hist. by equip.				P	opt	X	X	X	X		AT	X
Match prob. to expert				P	some	X	some	X	X
Open calls by email	X	X		X	X	X	X	X	X		extn	*10
Close calls by email	X			P				X	X		extn
Track open calls/tech.		X		X	X	X	X	X	X		X	X
Track all act. to sol.	X			P	X	X	X	X	X		X	X
Problem Management
Auto call escalate	no	no		X	X	X	X	X	X		X	X
Call assignement	semi	semi		X	X	X	X	X	X		X	X
Assignment leveling					X				X
Solution database	X			X	X	X	some	X	X		RTFM	X
Alert incoming call		X	X	X	some	opt		X	X		extn	X
Alert escalations				X	X	X	X	X	X		extn	X
Escalation levels	9	4		9	unl	unl	unl	X	unl		98	3
Track recurring problems				X	X	X	X	X	X
System call status				P	X	X	some	X	X
Problem analysis report		sep. app.		P		X	X	X			*8	*9
Priorirty levels	10	5		10	unl	unl	unl	X	unl		99	4
Asset Management
Standard configs.				P	opt	X	X	X	X
Client-specific config.				P	opt	X	X	X	X			X
Group configs.				P	opt	X	X	X
Inventory tracking				P	opt	X	X	X	X		AT	X
Repair history				P	opt	opt	X	X	X		AT	X
Purchase orders				P	opt	X	X	X			X	X
Knowledge Base
Keyword search	grep	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X		X	X
Decision tree search					some	X			X
Case-based search					lnk	lnk	X		opt
Edit call description	man	X	X	P	X	X					X	X
Full-text search	grep	X	X	X	some	X		X	X		X	X
Proprietary expert sys						X
Links
WWW		X	X	P		*7	email	X	opt		X	X
Lotus Notes							email	X
Network management				P			X	X	X
Asset management				P			X	X	X		AT	X
Email	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X		X	POP
Fax/Pager				page	X	X	X	X	X		extn	X
Telephony								X
External Knowledge base				P	opt	X	X	X	X
Other
Demo disk		na	na	na	X	X	X	X	X		dwnld	CDROM
Eval software		na	na	na	$25	NO	X	X	X		dwnld	CDROM
Implementation		up	1-3 mn.	TSTB			1-3 wk.	unk	2w-3mn		4-6 hr.	0.5 dy.
Customization		re-code	code	X		2-6 mo.	lmt	unk	X		X	X
Support focus	Int	I/E	I/E	I/E	I/E	I/E	Int	I/E	I		I/E	I/E

Notes:

1. Oracle, Sybase, MS SQL Server.
2. Quadbase.
3. Oracle, Sybase, Infomix, MS SQL Server, Novell NLM.
4. Oracle, Sybase, MS SQL Server, dBase-4.
5. Oracle, Sybase, Informix, Ingres, MS SQL Server, and flat file.
6. Oracle, Sybase, MS SQL Server, Gupta SQLBase, MS Access.
7. Option. Supports authentication of users to allow reporting of problems and searching of the knowledge base.
8. Reports use Crystal Reports.
9. Reports use Crystal Reports. Single user license include in Advanced Enterprise edition of HelpSTAR.
10. If user not in DB web-submission will create user as an "external" user.
11. Oracle 9i, PostgreSQL 7.3, MySQL 4. Access.
12. Asset Tracker .

Reviewed January 1996.
Company -- DK Systems Inc.
444 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois
60611
312/644-2700
FAX: 312/644-2703, 800/892-5332

Package	Unit	X	Total
DKHelp Desk (2-5 network users)	$5,495.00
DKInventory Manager for Windows (2-5 network users)	$5495.00
Help Desk \& Inventory Bundle (2-5 network users)	$8,495.00	*	$8,495.00
OnTrack for Training (2-5 network users)	$8,495.00
(selected pacakges) (based on 5 concurrent users)		*	$8,495.00

Reviewed February 1996.
Company -- Clarify Inc.
2702 Orchard Parkway
San Jose, California, 95134
408/428-2000
www.clarify.com

Package	Unit	X	Total
ClearSupport (plus, per concurrent user)	$15,000.00 $3,750
Diagnosis Engine (per concurrent user)	$1,500.00
Full-Text Search (per concurrent user)	$1,000.00
ClearEx-tensions (needed for customization)
Clear-Express Web Support
ClearQuality (per concurrent user)	$10,000.00 $2,500
ClearLogictics (per concurrent user)	$1,000.00
(tracks RMAs and orders)
ClearHelpdesk (plus, per concurrent user)	$15,000.00 $3,750	* *	$15,000.00 $18,750.00
CBR Express Interface (per server)	$5,000.00
Knowledgebase Utilities (per server)	$5,000.00
Network extensions (integrates with OVW)	$10,000.00
(selected pacakges) (based on 5 concurrent users)		*	$33,750.00

Reviewed December 1996.
Company -- Utopia Technology Partners, Inc.
125 E. Sir Frances Drake Boulevard
Larkspur, California, 94939
415/464-4500, 800/956-1301
FAX: 415/464-4510
www.utosoft.com

Package	Unit	X	Total
HelpDesk 3.0	$10,000.00	*	$10,000.00
Inventory
Audit (license compliance, version control, etc.)
Training Admin, 3.0
Change Manager
CBR Plus
(selected pacakges) (based on 5 concurrent users)		*	$10,000.00

Reviewed March 1997.
Company -- Remedy Corp.
1505 Salado Drive
Mountain View, California, 94043
415/903-5200
www.remedy.com

Package	Unit	X	Total
Action Request System (single server with three write licenses) (unlimited access for queries and submissions)	$6,500.00	*	$6,500.00
Flashboard
ARWeb
Change Management
Asset Management
OVW connectivity
(selected packges) (based on 5 concurrent users)		*	$6,500.00

Reviewed March 1996.
Company -- Applix, Inc.
112 Turnpike Road
Westboro, Massachusetts, 01581
508/870-0300
FAX: 508/366-2278
www.applix.com

Contact: Rollin Willis; rwillis@applix.com.

Package	Unit	X	Total
Helpdesk (five user licenses for Helpdesk,) (five QuikSolve licenses,) (Application Design, Forms Editor) (Detached Processor license,) (ODBC database connection,) (Crystal Report Writer,) (Remote control client license,) (one Knowledge-Pak by ServiceWare module,) (WinBeep,) (five days of on-site consulting,) (a five-day training class at Applix,) (and system documentation.)	$23,186.00	*	$23,186.00
SupportLink (allows up to 49 users to directly access) ( Helpdesk to report and query tickets)	$1,300.00	*	$1,300.00
Annual Maintenance (opt) (1 year for 18\% of current pck price)	18%
(selected packges) (based on 5 concurrent users)		*	$24.486.00

Reviewed May 14, 2007.
Company -- Best Practical Solutions LLC.
PO Box 441333
Somerville, MA 02144
FAX: 617/812-0745
Best Practical Solutions LLC .

Contact: sales@bestpractical.com.

Package	Unit	X	Total
RT Available as Open Source software.	$ 0.00	1	$ 0.00
Bronze Level Support   (opt) For companies processing fewer than 1,000 tickets per quarter in one ticket database. - Best Practical will respond to four separate incident support requests per quarter. - Best Practical will use reasonable efforts to respond to incident support requests within one business day of receipt of request. - Support requests come via e-mail, sent by your company's designated customer representative. - Installation support is not included. - Additional support (e.g. for additional ticket databases) available at $200 per hour for a minimum of four hours.	$ 1,500 per quarter. (Academic discounts are available.)
Training sessions cover:   (opt) - RT's system architecture - A guided tour of the RT source code - Extension mechanisms you can use to customize RT - How to tie RT into your existing authentication infrastructure - Building your own tools that talk to the RT backend - Automating common procedures - Customizing RT's workflow to match your own - How to write custom reports based on RT's data	$ 995.00
(selected packges)			$ 0.00

Reviewed May 14, 2007.
Company -- Help Desk Technology International Corporation.

1328 North Ferdon Blvd., # 315
Crestview, FL USA 32536
HelpSTAR

Contact: .

Package	Unit	X	Total
HelpSTAR
Annual Maintenance
(selected packges)

Last updated:   Monday, 14-May-2007 14:42:00 MDT
URL: http://www.nmt.edu/~ray/tickets/ticket_4/requirements.html