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Genting Stanley Casinos, the UK’s largest casino operator, is minimising its IT support risks after selecting House-on-the-Hill to supply its help desk software. The firm said House-on-the-Hill’s SupportDesk would provide an intuitive system to log calls for IT Support (700 users) and Gaming Machines Support (3,000 slot machines).
SupportDesk was chosen ahead of three other shortlisted suppliers – Axios Systems, BMC Service Desk and Touchpaper.
Technology sourcing and servicing company Vohkus, one of Stanley Casinos’ main IT partners, was instrumental in defining its requirements and recommending potential solutions.
Genting Stanley operates 46 casinos throughout the UK including the oldest in the country, the world-renowned Crockfords in Mayfair, London. Its Circus Casino at Star City in Birmingham is currently the largest in the UK with 35 gaming tables, 85 slot machines and 74 automated games.
“Our IT department needs to provide Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and remove any ambiguity away from the support process,” Max Lintott, Network and Systems Manager of Stanley Casinos Ltd, explained. “Gaming Machines Support had purchased an external call scheduling system at a high annual cost but this was proving to be ineffective and cumbersome to manage. We required a single point of logging that would provide clarity to the business.”
He said Manchester-based House-on-the-Hill was selected because its solution fitted the initial criteria, was IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL)-accredited, and provided a Blackberry application as well as flexible work flow parameters. Earlier this year House-on-the-Hill received PinkVerify™ Service Support certification, demonstrating that its products are compatible with IT management best practice according to ITIL, the de facto worldwide standard.
“The mandatory selection criteria within a logged call will quicken the processes of diagnosis and resolution, and there will be no ambiguity,” Lintott said. “SupportDesk will provide a foundation for publishing SLAs to the business. The system will provide a knowledge base for call queries, system weaknesses and training issues.”
He went on: “The system suits our requirements and scalability is available. House-on-the-Hill has provided a system that matches the more expensive systems on the market. We did not have to suffer the over-sell process which from a system procurement perspective was refreshing! The post-sale consultation and support process has also been maintained at a high level.”
Specialist help desk software firm House-on-the-Hill has launched a facilities management (FM) version of its successful IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) -based product.
Its SupportDesk FM solution "is an essential tool for effective facilities management, providing comprehensive help desk capabilities for improved work order management and service delivery," the Manchester company announced.
One of the first organisations to use the tool is South Downs College in Waterlooville, Hampshire, which has one of the country's best exam records. It is using SupportDesk as a facilities management tool, logging and monitoring Work Orders and ensuring smooth liaison with third party suppliers and contractors. Work orders are given unique numbers and can be categorised.
Configurable work flow allows automatic mailing of work instructions to third party suppliers. Extensive Service Level Agreement management permits monitoring of maintenance performance and alerting for breached deadlines. It can also be used to raise, authorise and track purchase orders.
"The FM version is a natural extension of the SupportDesk product, giving managers the opportunity to schedule Planned Preventative Maintenance tasks, reduce supplier costs and provide an all-round better service," said House-on-the-Hill Managing Director Iain Broadhead.
SupportDesk, which has now been sold in more than 40 countries. has been certified by PinkVerify(tm) as being compatible with IT Service Management best practice according to ITIL, the de facto worldwide standard.
One of Britain’s most technologically advanced colleges has selected House-on-the-Hill’s Help Desk software to improve IT services to staff and students.
House-on-the-Hill’s SupportDesk, which replaces an in-house system, “not only provided all the functionality we needed but also represented best value,” said Nick Smeltzer, Deputy Director of Information Systems and IT at Warrington Collegiate.
The college has some 10,000 students and more than 500 staff spread across eight buildings, and IT facilities distributed in 40 community centres including Warrington Wolves’ rugby league stadium. Last December it completed a £27m new build of its Winwick Road campus. It is the first English college to have an integrated Cisco voice, video and data network and is fully wi-fi enabled throughout.
Warrington Collegiate wanted a solution which was Web-based to allow the widest possible access, and required compatibility with its Novell network’s e-Directory database and Groupwise email system. SupportDesk will interface with a new telephony system - when users call in to report a problem their details will pop up automatically on IT Help Desk screens.
“We are at the forefront of a great deal of technology and needed a quick and efficient Help Desk product to go with this,” Smeltzer commented.
“The new product was recommended by another college which is also a House-on-the-Hill client,” he added. “I can now see what calls have been closed and those that are still open so it’s very helpful for monitoring calls status. User feedback has been positive. Whenever an issue has cropped up, House-on-the-Hill’s staff have responded very quickly.”
Leading building services contractor Haden Young has a new tool for making its service even more effective - SupportDesk Express - the Hosted IT Help Desk software from House-on-the-Hill.
The Watford-based firm, which employs some 1,400 people in a countrywide network of 10 offices as well as its sites, has adopted the hosted solution which it is using initially for logging and tracking IT issues and compiling action lists.
SupportDesk Express, which replaces a mainly manual system developed in-house, "is a powerful tool and has improved our control and accessibility," said Haden Young IT Director Mike Colquhoun. " It's very useful to be able to drill down and get relevant information easily and rapidly. The product will improve our service to the business."
The Manchester-based firm's SupportDesk Express solution allows clients to share space in its secure data centre and lease its leading IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) -based product. All security and back-ups are managed by House on the Hill.
"SupportDesk Express delivers the many benefits of our software but with the advantages of no installation of hardware or software," said Managing Director Iain Broadhead. "Employing an external server to host a Help Desk takes away much of the worry of running it."
Haden Young looked at several other systems before selecting House-on-the-Hill, largely because the product is Web-based and can be accessed by departmental staff no matter where they are.
"The product is excellent," Colquhoun added. "It does exactly what we expected it to do."
The firm provides integrated mechanical and electrical services for commercial, industrial and public sector buildings across the UK. Its staff support and complement industry-leading construction teams from project budgeting advice to commissioning. Projects include air conditioning, heating, plumbing and fire protection as well as power, lighting, data, security and building management.
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The world’s leading provider of adventurous skills development programmes for schools, World Challenge, has bolstered its safety and back-up provision through the introduction of a computer help desk system.
In an environment where safety is paramount, the Company has chosen House-on-the-Hill’s SupportDesk product to be installed for a most unconventional purpose, to help ensure the safety of 40,000 young people per year embarking on developmental expeditions to 40 destinations overseas or challenging adventure activities in the UK.
World Challenge is using the tool, more commonly installed on Help Desks to log and track IT and other problems, to record and monitor any reported incidents from its teams on expeditions around the globe.
“We have a fully manned operations centre running around the clock when teams are out on expedition,” Business Systems Analyst Josefine Fox explained. “If a team has any kind of problem, from a lost passport in Lima to altitude sickness at the top of Mount Meru in Tanzania, they notify the centre using state-of-the-art technology.
“House-on-the-Hill is then used to record these incidents and track responses, providing an historical record for analytical, risk management and legal reasons.”
World Challenge, which has its headquarters in London, works with over 800 schools and 40,000 students a year. Its educational programmes range from 20 month expeditions to one day adventure expeditions for 9 to18 year olds.
Fox said House-on-the-Hill had been strongly recommended by World Chanllenge's business communications consultancy. “Once we looked at the product we were so impressed that we didn’t feel the need to continue our search,” she added.
Implementation of SupportDesk will lead to improved integration with other World Challenge databases and improved remote access to the organisation’s incident log in the UK and overseas. House-on-the-Hill also provides a much improved reporting tool, allowing tailored database searches to be carried out for post-expedition follow-up and data analysis.
House-on-the-Hill Director Trudy Broadhead commented: “We are thrilled that this unusual use of our product is helping improve World Challenge’s already renowned high level of safety and support.”
House-on-the-Hill’s latest product is “highly competitive,” Network Computing magazine has reported.
In its review of SupportDesk Green, the specialist magazine also concluded that the solution “delivers a comprehensive support and help desk management system that is suited to both internal business use and for supporting external customers.”
Service Level Agreement (SLA) management was high up in a plethora of new features, it said.
“SupportDesk Green offers a complete set of tools for IT support staff and help desk engineers, allowing them to log and categorise calls, assign tasks, monitor their progress and track purchase orders ... Despite the plethora of features ... it delivers a very well designed interface that is easy to navigate,” Network Computing’s reviewer added.
SupportDesk Green has more than 100 brand-new features including major enhancements in capabilities for Incident, Change, Problem, Configuration and advanced Service Level Management.
The magazine said that “for such a large product we found installation surprisingly simple.”
It noted that earlier this year Network Computing said SupportDesk Green “can be upgraded and customised with an extensive selection of optional modules. Basing costs on the number of concurrent users makes it highly competitive.”
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One of England’s most successful colleges has chosen House-on-the-Hill’s SupportDesk software to make sure its facilities keep winning top marks.
South Downs College in Waterlooville, Hampshire, has one of the country’s best exam track records. In 2006 its ‘A’ level pass rate was 99% for the second year running.
It will use SupportDesk as a facilities management tool, logging and monitoring problems and ensuring smooth liaison with suppliers and contractors. Staff will be able to keep tabs on issues affecting them via an Internet browser.
“This will improve our overall service and accountability to our customers,” said Premises Manager John Shurmer. “It will give us an overview of outstanding work, and better and faster information for reporting purposes. The tool is adaptable, easy to use and reasonably priced. Premises helpdesk staff can also use it to raise works orders and email suppliers with new works, establishing an audit trail.”
House-on-the-Hill’s system replaces Track-it at the college which has more than 10,000 full and part-time students.
Trudy Broadhead, Director of House-on-the-Hill Software, commented: “It’s marvellous that after thoroughly testing the market such a successful college has given us such a high pass rate.”
Leading Welsh housing group Pennaf has selected another kind of House as its service desk software supplier.
Pennaf Housing Group, which also includes the Clwyd Alyn Housing Association and Ty Glas Housing Society, has installed House-on-the-Hill’s SupportDesk solution following its adoption of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), internationally accepted guidelines for best practice in IT Service Management.
“We needed an ITIL-compatible tool to allow us to better collect, store and analyse information,” said Director of Information Systems Mark Smith. “The new tool is enabling us to provide a more professional service to our customers and improve our operational efficiency.” House-on-the-Hill recently received PinkVerify™ Service Support certification, demonstrating that its products are ITIL-compatible.
The group’s service desk, based in St Asaph near Rhyl, serves 21 external sites and mobile staff as well as the organisation’s head office. It previously relied on a bespoke in-house database.
One of the reasons for choosing House-on-the-Hill was the ability to offer users the opportunity to serve themselves. The Manchester-based specialist’s Web portal allows them to register and track their own issues on-line.
Pennaf is also using SupportDesk to monitor internal Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and services provided by external hardware and software contractors. The solution is integrated with a Microsoft SMS server for asset management, creating a centralised Configuration Management Database (CMDB).
“The main reasons for our choice of provider were flexibility, speed and cost,” Smith commented. “This gives us ITIL-compliant and Pink-verified software at a very reasonable price.”
He went on: “Implementation has gone very well. Issues which have arisen have been addressed quickly and professionally.”
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International service desk software supplier House-on-the-Hill has announced a series of new customers in Africa, North America and Europe.
The Manchester-based specialist which has already sold its SupportDesk solution in more than 40 countries, said its latest clients included pan-African business communications network Afsat, South African telecoms management company MiDAS, Atlanta-based document management firm Image Information Inc., and the UK arm of top banknote printing organisation Giesecke & Devrient.
House-on-the-Hill has also added IT networks and security solutions company Santa Monica Networks in Latvia after selling its SupportDesk solution to the firm’s sister organisation in Lithuania.
Afsat, which operates under the iWay Africa brand, provides services in 26 countries across the continent. MiDAS, which has its headquarters in Sandton near Johannesburg, specialises in telecoms systems for hotels, hospitals and business. Munich-based Giesecke & Devrient is a leading supplier of banknote paper and printing, currency automation systems and smart cards.
“These new business wins reinforce our already formidable global presence and underline our growing international reputation,” said Iain Broadhead, Managing Director of House-on-the-Hill which recently received PinkVerify™ Service Support certification demonstrating that its products are compatible with IT management best practices according to the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL).
He added: “It does not matter where an organisation is based - it can have a tool to create and implement IT Service Management anywhere in the world.”
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IT support professionals overwhelmingly believe their employers are actively trying to motivate them in their jobs, according to a survey by international service desk software specialist House-on-the-Hill.
Some 80% of delegates interviewed at the Service Desk and IT Support Show in London in late April said their organisation was proactively seeking to motivate them and their colleagues in the IT department. Only 3% said their bosses were making no effort with the remainder undecided.
The main incentives were stated as training, personal development programmes, appropriate salary rises and performance-related pay.
“This is a very heartening response,” said House-on-the-Hill Director Trudy Broadhead. “It shows that employers take motivation of IT personnel very seriously and are doing a great job in putting effective measures in place to achieve this. Service desk staff and others involved in IT support can be undervalued. It is encouraging to see that most organisations appear to appreciate the benefits of looking after them properly.”
The survey also revealed that 71% of respondents believed the Service Desk and IT Support industry was heading towards ‘Software as a Service’ - the shift of applications to the Internet with suppliers hosting systems and renting out the service.
Around 52% of delegates said moves to Service Desk outsourcing were currently static, with 34% saying outsourcing was increasing and 14% reporting that it was decreasing.
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PinkVerify™ recognizes software tools that have been objectively assessed based on guidance provided by the United Kingdom’s Office of Government Commerce (OGC), and certified by a qualified Pink Elephant IT Service Management Consultant. Tools that are verified in Incident, Problem, Change and Configuration Management receive the PinkVerify Service Support logo, which designates tools that are compatible with IT management best practices according to the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL).
The announcement was made as SupportDesk Green, which includes more than 100 brand-new features, was formally launched at the Service Desk and IT Support Show at London’s Olympia.
“It is most encouraging that, following a rigourous evaluation by Pink Elephant, our new flagship product has been externally judged to meet ITIL standards,” House-on-the-Hill Managing Director Iain Broadhead commented.
“Certification is another major step in House-on-the-Hill’s development,” he added. “SupportDesk Green is already a particularly good value-for-money solution. This confirmation of its ITIL compatibility means organizations of all sizes can have increased confidence in our ability to provide a reliable, high quality tool that meets tough global standards.”
House-on-the-hill’s scalable products have been sold in more than 40 countries. SupportDesk Green includes new easy-to-use customizable features and a fully integrated Configuration Management Database.
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Leading international service desk software firm House-on-the-Hill has gone green with its latest product, saying the result will save users loads of energy.
‘SupportDesk Green’ has more than 100 brand-new features including major enhancements in capabilities for Incident, Change, Problem, Configuration and advanced Service Level Management, the Manchester-based company announced.
The solution, to be formally launched at the Service Desk and IT Support Show (SITS) at London’s Olympia from 24-26 April, includes features to align with the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL - internationally accepted guidelines for Best Practice in IT Service Management).
House-on-the-Hill, which has sold its products in 40 countries, has been supplying scalable service desk solutions for more than 14 years but ‘Green,’ which will succeed SupportDesk ‘Blue’, represents its most significant breakthroughs to date.
“The new solution contains a host of improvements and new easy-to-use, customisable facilities but stays true to our philosophy of functional design and extremely cost-effective high-end features, making it suitable for any size of business,” said Managing Director Iain Broadhead. “We believe it is a tier one product at a tier two price.”
Among the enhancements are a fully integrated Configuration Management Database, (CMDB), a financial depreciation module, the ability to configure log-ins to give access to advanced permissions, news items to alert users to important developments, an improved Service Level Agreement calendar, and an ‘Executive Dashboard’ which colour codes incidents depending on their urgency according to ITIL. A Web server allows customers to track their own incidents.
More than 30,000 separate service categories can be created. It can interface with popular IT tools such as Active Directory, eDirectory, Microsoft SMS, Centennial Discovery and LANDesk.
A feature of particular interest to engineers working off-site is that it also offers access from Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), Blackberries or mobile ‘phones.
House-on-the-Hill said most of the new features were the result of customer feedback.
“We have given the green light for an affordable service desk,” Broadhead added. “A lot of thought has gone into this new product which will save our users even more energy and boost their performance every working day.”
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Primary schools learning environment KnowledgeBox has selected House-on-the-Hill to provide Help Desk software which will improve technical support.
KnowledgeBox’ first and second line support teams in Harlow, Essex, will initially use the Manchester-based firm’s solution for incident management and fault resolution, Operations Manager David Paton said.
Part of Pearson Education, the world’s leading education company, KnowledgeBox (www.uk.knowledgebox.com) has servers in around 2,500 schools throughout the UK, delivering a huge digital library of thousands of resources for use across the curriculum. It includes updated material from a range of publishers including BBC Active, DK, Longman and Sherston.
“We looked at other solutions but for the application we wanted and the size of our business, House-on-the-Hill was ideal,” David Paton added. “I particularly liked its scalability and unlimited Web access which means it will be simple to add schools to allow them to track the status of their own calls.”
Iain Broadhead, Managing Director of House-on-the-Hill Software, commented: “We are delighted that KnowledgeBox has given our product such high marks and to know we will be playing a part in making digital learning in primary schools even smoother.”
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Manchester-based international Help Desk software specialist House-on-the-Hill Software Ltd has reported a record year for business with new customers including market leaders in leisure, education, housing, engineering and telecoms.
House-on-the-Hill Director Trudy Broadhead attributed the firm's successes in 2006 to the increased functionality and flexibility of its SupportDesk product as well as an improved website.
New clients won in the latter part of 2006 included European specialist holiday group Holidaybreak, Europe's largest dedicated supplier of educational products Findel, UK-wide housebuilder Barratt Homes, the Bield and Riverside Housing Associations based respectively in Edinburgh and Manchester, specialist nuclear engineering and design company INS Innovation, and fire detection and alarm supplier Gent by Honeywell.
The firm also gained business from the Sports Council for Wales, Sulzer Pumps (UK), Northern Ireland-based food company Dunbia, speciality chicken restaurant chain Nando's, and Avenir Telecom.
"This wide spread of new customers has underlined the growing popularity of our solutions across many market sectors," Trudy commented. "We have attracted the attentions of clients wanting bigger systems which have been accompanied by more consultancy days for installation and implementation. This could be attributed to our improved website which clearly presents the two configurations for external Customer Support and Service (CSS) and internal IT Service Management (ITSM)."
She said House-on-the-Hill Software was now competing successfully with all major Help Desk providers because of increased IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) functionality and comprehensive consultancy services plus prompt and approachable support.
"We may well have gained business from our rivals where customers have been left disappointed with their past vendor support," she added.
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A new Help Desk software service has been launched by international supplier House on the Hill - without any software installation required!
The Manchester-based firm’s SupportDesk Express solution allows clients to share space in its secure data centre and lease its leading IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) -based product. All security and back-ups are managed by House on the Hill.
“SupportDesk Express delivers the many benefits of our software but with the advantages of no installation of hardware or software,” said Managing Director Iain Broadhead. “Employing an external server to host a Help Desk takes away much of the worry of running it.”
The new service is aimed particularly at private and public sector organisations with modest budgets. Monthly payments mean the Help Desk can be accounted as operational rather than capital expenditure.
House on the Hill, whose on-site solutions are in use at over 1,000 sites in more than 40 countries, is offering free 30-day trials and says SupportDesk Express can be up and running in less than five minutes.
For more information call 0161-449 7057, email support@houseonthehill.com
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