Help Desk vs. Service Desk:
The Difference CIO's Need to Know About

Overview

The concept of a Help Desk is generally familiar both inside and outside of large organizations. In recent
years, however, the Service Desk has arisen as a distinct management strategy, and while the Information
Technology International Library (ITIL) has differentiated the two terms since 2007, there remains some
confusion about the definition, relationship and value of the two facets of IT support and management.

While virtually any technology user or manager can readily identify the value of a Help Desk, with its
tactical focus on end user productivity. The role of the Service Desk is broader and more strategic – easily
extending beyond the IT world to any organizational function that must holistically manage the processes
of problem reporting, dispatch and resolution. A Service Desk is more of a business strategy; a way to track
and manage processes, assets and costs to optimize both service levels and resource utilization.

This paper is designed to clarify the roles of the Service Desk and Help Desk in business environments, how
they individually provide business value, and how most organizations will benefit from implementing both
in a coordinated manner.

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