This product roundup is a representative list of AS/400 help desk software and includes vendors who responded to NEWS/400's request for product information. For more in-depth information about help desks and AS/400 help desk software, see "Help Desks: Timely Relief for End-User Problems," page 43. For a complete list of help desk products and vendors, see the System Software and Programmer Tools product and vendor directory, page 64.

AS/400 Products

Aldon/Response Manager

Aldon Computer Group

$5,000 per five users

Call-management and problem-reporting system that provides a central site for tracking problems, solutions, users, inventory, and other important end-user support information.

AS/400 Helpdesk Manager

Threshold Computing, Ltd.

£4,500

Flexible, comprehensive package that provides call logging, user-definable setup, automatic call escalation and tracking, remote call logging, and search facilities.

ICQ/400

Realistic Computer Solutions, Inc.

$5,000-$8,000

Fully integrated database system for help desk management; incident and procedures management; equipment (hardware and software) tracking; time, cost, and project management; and customer and vendor records management.

PeekPlus

Bytware, Inc.; SoftOptions International, Ltd.

$950

Remote support product that lets you view, diagnose, and support problems displayed on another screen; lets you see what an end user is typing, keystroke by keystroke. Also lets you record screens to a file for training, auditing, and documentation and includes electronic "chat" facility with pop-up windows.

Problem Management Plus

DCS Software & Services

$2,995 (includes license, 24-hour phone support, and free upgrades for one year)

System that tracks any type of problem and includes an automatic escalation monitor for prioritizing problems. Product is menu driven and user configurable and includes security and time-accounting features.

Problem Manager

Premier Systems, Ltd.

No price provided

Fully integrated productivity tool for help desk system administrators that facilitates logging, tracking, and reporting of outstanding tasks.

The Prospector

Penta, Inc.

$7,500 per five users

Integrated corporate-customer contact-management package featuring a help desk for maintaining and tracking customer and prospect needs, comments, and problem resolutions.

Q-Chase

CASE Worker, Inc.; Computer Software, Ltd.; Q-SYS, Ltd.

No price provided

A comprehensive and powerful product to support help desk and problem management, used by "blue-chip" companies worldwide.

Response Manager/400

A.H. Technology Pty., Ltd.

No price provided

Problem-management solution that lets help desks respond rapidly to end-user problems and complaints. Lets you access information about customers, suppliers, previous calls, problems, and solutions; provides automatic problem escalation; supports service agreements; includes reporting.

SOLUS/HDMS

SOLUS/HDMS

£7,000-£25,000

Problem/inquiry system that provides logging, tracking, escalating, and reporting functions. Incorporates a knowledge tool for fast, comprehensive equipment registry.

SDM-SupportCenter

Silvon Software, Inc.

$4,000-$15,500

Knowledge-based help desk application that records, routes, responds to, and reports on internal and external calls.

Support/Manager

MBA, Inc.

$1,750-$4,250

Product that lets a help desk employee instantly capture reported problems or requests online; provides automatic problem escalation and field and screen tailoring and lets a system administrator or end user perform dynamic keyword searches.

Task Master/EX

Advanced Symbolic Systems, Inc. (ASSI)

$2,495-$2,995

Fully integrated help desk and project management system for MIS staff and end users that manages the entire help request through the project life cycle. Lets you manage user requests, open issues, and projects.

TurnOver Project-Driven Change

Management System

SoftLanding Systems, Inc.

$5,000-$17,500, based on AS/400 model

Product that provides an integrated approach to handling user problems and requests by closely knitting help desk, project management, and change management functions in one product.

Wide-Scope

Crystal Software, Inc.; A.H. Technology Pty., Ltd.

$1,000-$5,000

System that provides remote terminal support, letting a help desk employee access other jobs, view a user's screen images, execute commands, and exchange messages with any remote terminal.

Window User Reporting System/400

(WUPS/400)

Financial Technologies, Inc.

$995

Problem-management system that uses a hot key window and provides fully automated problem reporting with a recording feature that acts like video camera; reports on problem status.

AS/400-PC Products

Clientele for Windows

AnswerSet Corporation

$695 per concurrent user; $6,195 per 10 users

LAN-based help desk product that offers customizable screens and is based on Microsoft's Access database; supports ODBC for AS/400-PC data exchange.

Lysis Shared Information System 2100

Lysis Corporation

$35,000 for 10-user license

Client/server software that lets less-skilled staff access expert knowledge to answer customers' questions; offers a graphical interface.

Profile 400

Redd Resources, Ltd.

£5,000 and up

Call-management product with modules for inventory and asset management, time recording, contracts, knowledge base, order processing, and work flow management. Also includes e-mail interfaces and full reporting and search facilities.

SDM-SupportCenter/LAN

Silvon Software, Inc.

$4,000-$15,500

LAN version of SDM-SupportCenter. Also features user-definable screens with drag-and- drop field positioning.