Using Chat and New Technologies for End User Support

Notes
Advantages to users:
- accessibility to users
- ability to tap a wide variety of resources
- time to completion is faster when you're using remote control
- instant help
Advantages for IT providers:
- platform to collaborate with other IT professionals
- ability to multitask (read email, etc.)
- integration with remote control technologies
- ability to service multiple customers
- logging of conversation
Disadvantages:
- Too easy for users to contact IT
- Complexity / cost to implement
Requirements / Concerns:
- need quick and easy access to provide help
- screensharing and remote control
- something that can be used for all IT professionals at Stanford
- Need to be integrated
- Be able to help users when they are ready to be helped
- Generic interface for the chat client (web front end to jabber client)
- wait queue for the users waiting for help
Agent-to-agent chat avail only in Remedy today
Customer-client-in perhaps 18 months 
LogMeIn remote sessions -has chat functionality 
Need for remote support AND chat - time to resolve is way faster when you take control and provides training while a client watches. 
Adobe Connect is not working at a granular level like LogMeIn
Needed- a pool of people ready to give answers and escalate in chat. 
Desire to have cross-support group assistance on chat.
Does it make sense to bring remote control in house? General consensus is to use it a third-party like LogMeIn.
Discussion of pros and cons of major third-party remote tools
Desire to have a similar experience across campus for remote support 
Join.me, Meebo are other tools for remote support offered as a freely avail tool.
LogMeIn time to connect is getting down to one minute.
Could the University offer a remote support package?
Vision: Help form that would start a ticket, could offer chat and remote support with integration in Remedy. Ability to provide timely response and resolution. 
Support models would need to change to have availability for chat. Users would need to provide enough info to make service actionable. Have more self-service knowledge base. 
Article shared that chat has been seen as slower. 
Chat may help address having to chase users down after ticket submitted. 
Chat is not appropriate for all support issues. For example, Tier 3 issues would not be suitable. 
Requirements need to be built. It is not sounding as though Remedy will have the full set of requirements needed. Example: countdown provided for next available support person. 
We need a chat environment that will allow each group to do the support that we are doing in our groups today. Not one entry for the whole University. 
Action: mailing list to create requirements and share interest for vision. 
Action: create a brainstorming group for req's building and looking at licensing/policy. Kim will talk to Chris Lundin.