Service Desk Articles

Agentic ITSM

Agentic ITSM: Understanding the 4 Levels of AI Maturity in IT Service Management

Everyone is selling agentic AI, but the gap between the weakest and strongest versions is enormous. Manish Sharma of Rezolve.ai sets out a four-stage maturity model for AI in ITSM, from legacy retrieval through reactive assistants and process agents to true agentic systems that reason, act across connected systems, and catch problems nobody asked. He also gives you the questions to put to any vendor claiming agentic AI.
Ending the L1 vs L2 Escalation Wars

Ending the L1 vs L2 Escalation Wars: Rethinking IT Support Tiers

A ticket gets escalated, comes back marked “add notes before escalation,” gets reassigned, then returns with “should have been resolved at L1.” Meanwhile the end-user is still waiting. Eusoph Simba argues the ticket ping-pong between support tiers isn’t an escalation problem but a problem with how we frame support levels. He makes the case for treating every ticket as an issue to solve, escalating on capability rather than hierarchy, and a simple standard format that breaks the loop.
Neurodivergence in ITSM

Neurodivergence in ITSM: Why Being Called a “Legend” Feels Uncomfortable

This article by Daniel Breston is about neurodivergence in ITSM and was sparked (pardon the pun) by his attendance – and what he did and didn’t feel – at the Service Desk Institute (SDI) SPARK26 event.
What I Learned from SDI SPARK26

Superheroes, Service Desks, and Chaos Monkeys – What I Learned from SDI SPARK26

The Service Desk Institute held its annual SPARK conference in Birmingham in March. Vawns Murphy captures her pick of the best sessions, the presenters worth listening to a second time, and the practical takeaways that stood out over three days of talks. This article is her selected version of the event for anyone who couldn’t get there in person.
AI Help Desk Software

AI Help Desk Software: How LLMs, AI Agents & Chatbots Are Transforming IT Support

AI help desks powered by LLMs and AI agents are being rolled out to automate IT support, reduce Tier 1 tickets, cut operational costs, and scale support operations without adding headcount. Jeff Hume looks at where these systems are already delivering, what the current limitations look like, and how to think about them if you’re evaluating options for your own service desk.
The Hidden Cost of IT “Papercuts”: Why ITSM Automation Is a Business Continuity Strategy

The Hidden Cost of IT “Papercuts”: Why ITSM Automation Is a Business Continuity Strategy

It’s the small issues that eat away at your team’s capacity: password resets, access tweaks, profile changes, and “just a quick question” tickets that never make a headline but never stop arriving either. Lauren Okruch explains why the compounded impact of these papercuts is a real business continuity risk, and how ITSM automation delivers more upside on this class of work than the flashier use cases.
ITIL 4 Service Value System Explained

ITIL 4 and ITIL 5 Service Value Systems (SVSs) Explained: Guiding Principles, Practices, and Service Value Chain

Much changed in ITIL 4, and there’s a lot to get your head around. This article explains what the ITIL 4 service value system is and what it contains: the guiding principles, governance, service value chain, management practices, and continual improvement. It also covers how the SVS evolves in ITIL (Version 5) and what practitioners should watch for.
The MSP Agentic AI Execution Gap

The MSP Agentic AI Execution Gap in Service Delivery

70% of MSPs say they’re using agentic AI. Only 10% are primarily using it where it counts. And according to new Omdia poll data, MSP’s customers are already further ahead. The report digs into the execution gap, the cost of hesitation, and why investors are increasingly factoring AI maturity into MSP valuations.
Beginner’s Guide to IT Support Ticketing Systems

Beginner’s Guide to IT Support Ticketing Systems: How IT Tickets Really Work

The concept of ticketing systems might be alien to a new starter in IT support. This article explains how IT ticketing systems work, from ticket creation to resolution. A beginner’s guide to IT tickets, workflows, and best practices.
10 Common IT Help Desk Issues and How to Fix Them

10 Common IT Help Desk Issues and How to Fix Them (Step-by-Step Guide)

This article shares the 10 most common IT help desk issues, why they keep happening, and how IT support teams can efficiently fix them.
How AI Helps Service Desks

AI-Assisted Service Desks

If you’re wondering about AI-assisted service desks, this article and the videos it links to are for you. Discover how AI-assisted service desks transform ITSM, especially for lean teams – improving speed, experience, and scalability across the business.
ITIL 4 explained

ITIL 4 Explained: Framework, Practices, and Key Changes

Akshay Anand, Lead Architect for the ITIL update, gives the lowdown on ITIL 4: the new service value system, the four dimensions, the updated guiding principles originally found in ITIL Practitioner, and the change from processes to practices. ITSM changed with ITIL 4, and it will continue to change. This article covers what practitioners still need to know.
Context-Aware Remote Support

Context-Aware Remote Support – the Future of IT Service Management

No matter where an employee is, they expect consumer-grade speed and simplicity. However, their issues are increasingly intertwined with complex networks of devices, SaaS applications, VPNs, and networks that you may not fully control. In this article, discover how context-aware remote support closes the IT resolution gap, reduces MTTR, improves security, and transforms ITSM for hybrid work.
What is ITIL?

What Is ITIL? Complete Definition, Benefits, & Evolution (2026 Guide)

A short primer on ITIL 4 and ITIL v5 for anyone getting up to speed quickly. From what it is to the key elements that comprise the latest ITIL 4 service management best practice guidance, this article covers what practitioners need to know to work with the framework, plus where to go for the deeper detail once the basics are in.
ITSM Tools List

Comprehensive ITSM Tools List 2026: Compare Top ITSM Platforms

Are you looking for a new IT service management (ITSM) tool? If so, do you know what your options are? Here we provide an overview of 42 ITSM tools to suit organizations of all different sizes and ITSM maturity.