Have you ever thought of creating a request from another application?
ServiceDesk Plus API interface helps you to integrate with your external applications. Now you can raise their request through external applications (Network Monitoring or ERP applications) or your own html form. ServiceDesk Plus has made the request creation simpler by its ability to log a request without logging in with the new API integration. This API also allows updating, assigning/pickup, closing or deleting request.
Now Some Technical facts!!!
SDP API integrates through Http post method for all request operations. The field values to be set in Request will be added as parameters in HttpRequest details. The form needs to be submitted to /servlets/RequestServlet (as http://machine_name:Port_Number/servlets/RequestServlet). Fields not available in request parameter will be set as empty (or default).
To view more about the configuration, click here
We just kick started ManageEngine Euro Roadshow today at Copenhagen, Denmark. First, Copenhagen is a beautiful place that looks exactly like one in the post cards. I had a “Alex in Wonderland” feeling all weekend as we went around Kobenhavn. [as they call it here]
We had a packed conference hall with people running out of chairs [its a good problem]. Draware, our partner in Denmark had excellent arrangments.
Girish just finished his presentation About ManageEngine and Network Performance, Server Performance or Business Performance. Denmark got a taste of cost efficient IT management software- ManageEngine. Gibu also introduced the need for application management from the perspective of serving users better.
Me and Rajavel are taking over the afternoon.
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| From Copenhagen |
Phew, finally we have a QA validated build that is ready to be rolled out as 7.5 Beta. Hold on, QA validated does not mean that the product is 100% tested. Our QA has unearthed a lot of bugs and we are fixing them daily. For this beta release, we have just made sure that the new functionalities that are added will work properly without major hiccups.
Two of the things that we didnt concentrate on this release are the reports module and internationalization.
We have about 300 registrations so far for the beta build. We will be sending the beta links in batches.
Last time when 7.0 beta was released, some customers installed it and started using them in their live environment. That caused a lot of problem for both of us, since upgrade patch was not be available for Beta builds. To avoid such problems, we have made some changes to the 7.5 Beta build so that you cannot apply a license to that installation.
Hi. I am Shan and I am Development Manager for ServiceDesk Plus. Most of the time I am the guy who is blamed for the delays in shipping even if there are a lot of scope creeps. I found that the main problem was that you (as users) are unaware of what is going on with the development team and what we do.
Here is my journal as we progress
Performance, Performance and Performance:
Our main focus for 7.5 is performance, quality and stability and it is not a overnite job. Creating such an environment and reproducing problem scenarios are getting to be a challenge. Our QA team is working in parallel to make sure we don’t repeat the mistakes we did in some of our servicepacks. Now-a-days QA team is reluctant to compromise on anything, siting that “for any problem, customers are not blaming development, but blaming only us”..
You, our customers are important
In the earlier 7.0 release we could not give the upgrade pack to the existing customers on the same day the release was made and we learnt a good lesson from it. We could understand your frustration and do not want to make that mistake again. We are working on the upgrade pack in parallel and this time will make sure we release both on the same day.
The site based implementation is back breaking
Initially we thought 7.5 should be an easier one with focussed team working on Asset features. The other key features include site based segmentation, request form customization, solutions enhancements, technician availability calendar. With Purchase module enhancements brought in a hotfix itself, we expected a smoother release as planned.
Not surprisingly we underestimated the time for some of the features which is now causing the delay. The multi site support is the main culprit for the time delay. When we took up the functionality, we thought that it could be completed in around 2 months. Myself and the developer were optimistic over the completion of the feature within the time !! We were proved wrong as it had a lot complications during the implementation phase which need to be addressed.
Phew, AssetExplorer is in…finally
The another key thing which kept us waiting is the completion of Asset Explorer 5.0 release which has support for remote desktop, multi site support for Assets and other enhancements. These have to be integrated into SDP 7.5. Now we are almost finished with the release of AE 5.0 and started on integrating with SDP. It could take us a couple of weeks to integrate it into SDP 7.5.
Integrating ServicePack’s
We are also currently integrating all issue fixes from service packs 7001 to 7019 to the 7.5 release. With a hotfix getting released every month, the amount of merge and testing gets higher. Release delay costs us here too !!!
Now we are into integration phase.
We are determined to give a good quality, reliable and a stable 7.5 release.
Further moving ahead, unlike 7.5, we look to go for shorter release cycles (3 - 4 months). Will plan that delay of one feature should not affect the release cycle and the worst case should be, that feature moved out of the release. This release model requires features to be build separately and integrated once completed. This could involve more integration effort, but lesser impact on release. This model was recommended by my higher ups for long time, but… may be time to look into that model.
I will look to update whenever a task (say Asset explorer integration, issues integration,..) on 7.5 got completed.
Have you tried reading an ITIL book, it’s perfect cure of insomnia. Yes, most ITIL books have all the information but [with all due respect] they are boring!. I sat through a couple of boring classes and delivered even boring presentations. Then it occurred to me, why not try to make it interesting. I tried writing an ITIL Handbook with a few cartoons. A few readers got back to me saying it is interesting.Try it , you will like it!
Bem-vindo para India. WEG - one of the Brazil’s largest companies is coming to India.
WEG Announces New Plant In India
[Thanks Jaime for sharing the news]
WEG’s runs ServiceDesk Plus, with 1000 technicians working on it. I have to thank them for helping us perfect ServiceDesk Plus with robust performance and scalability. The biggest challenge in the getting the meeting right was the language. Everyone knew only Brazilian Portuguese and we knew only English. Luckily we had one friend who knew both. [Thanks Claudio, for saving the meeting]
WEG is in Jaragua Do Sul, Brazil - well actually Jaragua Do Sul is in WEG. The company has such a big plant that a town is built around it. I am sure we’ll win WEG over again, in our home ground.
Interesting Point: WEG had an interesting way to solve the speeding problems and accidents in its campus. Almost 90% of mini-vans and cars plying within the campus had women drivers. To be specific, it was moms who had their kids photos in the dashboard and they were never speeding… anytime!
That was my statement to every visitor who came to our booth at the Pink Elephant show that ended yesterday. And one of the things that I noticed is that everyone has a problem. But the most common two types I came across was -
So am I claiming that ServiceDesk Plus solves everyone's problems? Of course not. I am sure there is a long way for us to go too. But at least, we believe the customer should get a chance to try the product - see for himself, if the tool is going to work for him. Some questions you should ask when looking for a tool are:
Don't fall in for the marketing talk..not even ours. Check us out for yourself and see if you like ServiceDesk Plus. We even provide free support during evaluation. You have the right to choose and make your own decision.
ServiceDesk Plus website just got a complete makeover and we tested it out on random visitors. The logs & stats shows that they like it, but we need more than that… your views.
Drop your views here
Hope you are finding it easy to navigate and find the information you want. I was not really involved in this operation as I was gearing up for the Pink Elephant Conference , the men behind the show are Dev from Opmanager and Ashish from SDP team.
Integration Tab: This new tab is for all those who thought ManageEngine is a helpdesk software company. ManageEngine offers complete Enterprise IT Management Solution. http://manageengine.com/
Check out how other ManageEngine products integrate with SDP
SDP Integrates with OPManager - Network Monitoring Software
SDP Integrates with AppManager - Applications Management Software
Wanna meet the ServiceDesk Plus team? Or do you have any questions/comments for us? Or maybe you are visiting Las Vegas for the Pink Elephant show? You can come meet us at Booth 510 and 512 at the Pink Elephant Conference and Exhibition on 18 - 21 Feb.
If you would like to attend the show, we have some free passes up for grabs. Send me a mail at “ashish [at] adventnet [dot] com” and I will get them out to you.
Cheers!
Thanks to everybody who turned up at our booth at Gitex, Dubai. It was great meeting you all. We had a wonderful time and a lot learnt too.
Here are some photos from the event:
We will be contacting you if you gave us your contact information at Gitex. In case you want us to reach you earlier, please drop me a line at ashish[at]adventnet[dot]com.
