Among the IT Service Management (ITSM) contenders stand BMC Helix vs. Ivanti, two formidable platforms vying for supremacy. However, what if there exists a third alternative that surpasses both options in terms of functionality, adaptability, and overall impact?
In this blog post, we’ll embark on a comprehensive journey to compare BMC Helix and Ivanti, analyzing their core features, strengths, and potential limitations. We’ll also introduce a standout performer – InvGate Service Desk. With its streamlined functionalities and a strong emphasis on digital transformation, this service desk software presents organizations with a distinctive opportunity to elevate their IT operations to new heights.
Let's begin this ITSM tools comparison.
Table of contents
- TL;DR
- What is BMC Helix?
- What is Ivanti?
- Considering InvGate Service Desk as an ITSM solution alternative
TL;DR
- BMC Helix offers stable cloud hosting and adaptability but faces issues like missing features in updates and integration inconsistencies.
- Ivanti Neurons is recognized for customization and user-friendliness. However, it has drawbacks, such as a complex backend, limited ready-to-use features, and subpar support.
- InvGate Service Desk, in contrast, offers robust ticketing and ITSM capabilities, user-friendly no-code/low-code options, and comprehensive reporting.
Most looked-at features by buyers
When considering IT Service Management solutions, potential buyers focus on particular features that align with their organization's needs. It is essential to understand these desired functionalities to make well-informed choices.
Let's explore the key aspects prospective buyers commonly assess when comparing ITSM tools.
- Ticket Management system - Buyers highly value a comprehensive Ticket Management system within the help desk software. This functionality enables efficient tracking, assignment, and resolution of customer inquiries and support requests.
- Seamless integration capabilities - Integration with other systems and applications is a critical requirement for buyers, as it ensures smooth data flow and automated processes. The ability to integrate with existing tools (particularly ITAM tools) and platforms is greatly appreciated for improved efficiency and a unified user experience.
- Scalability and personalization - Organizations with evolving needs prioritize solutions that can adapt to their growth and allow customization. The ITSM solution should enable the creation of custom fields, workflows, and extensions/plugins to cater to the organization's specific business requirements.
- Informative reporting - Buyers seek help desk software with powerful reporting tools like dashboards and reports, providing valuable insights into their IT operations and performance. This data-driven approach facilitates informed decision-making and continuous service improvement.
- Customization and adaptability - Buyers value software solutions that offer the flexibility to personalize the platform according to their business requirements. This ensures the software aligns with their unique workflows and processes, resulting in higher user satisfaction and overall effectiveness.
- User experience and interface - Ease of use and an intuitive interface are crucial factors for buyers. They appreciate a user-friendly platform with an intuitive design that enhances user adoption and productivity. Mobile accessibility is also important for organizations with remote or mobile workforces.
- Support automation and Workflow Management - Buyers actively seek software solutions that offer automation capabilities to streamline routine tasks like ticket routing, approvals, and escalations. These automation features contribute to increased efficiency and productivity.
- Efficient IT Asset Management - Users prioritize software that offers robust IT Asset Management capabilities to help them maintain accurate inventories and optimize resource utilization within their organizations.
- Cost and support - Buyers take into account the solution's cost-effectiveness, including licensing models, subscription plans, and additional costs for features or users. The availability of reliable customer support, comprehensive documentation, and accessible training resources also influence the decision-making process.
- Self-service portal and knowledge base - The inclusion of a self-service portal is highly valued as it empowers end-users to independently resolve common issues and find relevant information without requiring direct assistance.
- Streamlined IT service catalog - Organizations often require a simplified IT service catalog that provides a centralized platform for users to request specific IT services or resources. This feature simplifies service requests, improves visibility, and aids in effective service delivery management.
- ITIL compliance - Adhering to ITIL best practices is a priority for many organizations. Buyers may prioritize solutions that support ITIL processes, including Incident Management, Problem Management, Change Management, and Asset Management.
What is BMC Helix?
BMC Software provides BMC Helix ITSM, a Service Management platform designed to address organizations' challenges in handling their IT services. The platform offers a wide range of features and capabilities aimed at simplifying IT processes and improving user experiences.
BMC Software is a well-established American multinational IT company, founded in 1976 and headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company specializes in delivering software solutions and services for efficiently managing IT operations. Their product portfolio includes IT Service Management, IT Asset Management, IT Operations Management (ITOM), and DevOps solutions. By offering these products, BMC helps organizations automate processes, manage assets, and enhance overall IT performance.
What users like from BMC Helix
Users have conveyed positive feedback regarding BMC Helix, as evidenced by Gartner reviews. Now, let's explore these advantages in detail.
- Stable and reliable cloud hosting - BMC Helix ensures a stable and dependable cloud hosting environment, guaranteeing consistent performance and uptime for users. This reliability enhances the overall user experience and minimizes disruptions.
- Enhanced features and customization - Users appreciate the platform's evolution, which brings forth new features and improved integration with third-party vendors. The ability to customize the platform to adapt to specific company needs is highly valued, offering a clean and tailored user experience.
- Customer-focused and user-friendly interface - BMC Helix places a strong emphasis on customer satisfaction, delivering a user-friendly experience. The Digital Workplace portal stands out with its modern and intuitive interface, enhancing user engagement and ease of use.
- Responsive support - Users find the SAAS group to be responsive and helpful, providing timely support. The customer success team is proactive in ensuring successful implementation and usage of the tool, further enhancing user satisfaction and adoption.
What users don’t like from BMC Helix
Despite its strengths, BMC Helix has also faced criticism from customers, as reputable sources like Gartner have reported. Let's explore some of the concerns that have been raised.
- Limitations and missing features - Some users have pointed out limitations and missing features, particularly related to customization in SmartIT and certain capabilities in newer versions of BMC Helix. These missing elements hinder the platform's full potential for certain users.
- Support issues and lack of SLAs - Resolving issues with BMC Helix can sometimes take a considerable amount of time, and dealing with back-end teams can be a frustrating experience for users. Concerns have been raised about support policies and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) in the SAAS environment.
- Inconsistent experience and poor cross-platform integration - Users have reported experiencing inconsistencies and a lack of seamless integration across different modules of the platform. This fragmentation in the user experience hampers productivity and makes it challenging to work efficiently.
- Complexity and training requirements - While customization is appreciated, some users find BMC Helix to be complex and require extensive training. This complexity can deter adoption and hinder efficiency for certain users.
- Unpredictable licensing costs - Users have mentioned that licensing costs for BMC Helix can be unpredictable and inflexible, making it challenging for organizations to budget and allocate resources appropriately.
- Outdated UI and mid-tier user experience - The user interface of BMC Helix is considered outdated and not user-friendly. Additionally, the mid-tier user experience is reported to be unsatisfactory, negatively impacting usability and overall efficiency.
- Integration and cross-platform challenges - Though not specified in detail, users have mentioned facing issues with integration and cross-platform functionality, suggesting that improvements are needed in this area.
- Complicated report and dashboard creation - The process of creating reports and dashboards in BMC Helix is considered complicated by some users, making effective data analysis and reporting more challenging.
What’s BMC Helix’s argument over Ivanti?
While both BMC Helix and Ivanti have their respective merits, BMC Helix aims to position itself as a superior solution in the ITSM landscape. Here are the key points of BMC Helix's argument over Ivanti.
- Cloud hosting and stability - BMC Helix has a stable and reliable cloud hosting environment, ensuring consistent performance and uptime for its users. This reliability enhances the overall user experience and minimizes disruptions.
- Enhanced features and customization - BMC Helix continuously evolves to introduce new features and improved integration with third-party vendors, offering users an ever-expanding suite of capabilities. The platform's robust customization options allow users to tailor the solution to adapt to specific company needs, providing a clean and tailored user experience.
- Customer-focused and user-friendly interface - BMC Helix prioritizes customer satisfaction, offering a user-friendly interface across the platform. The Digital Workplace portal, with its modern and intuitive design, enhances user engagement and ease of use, making it easier for users to interact with the system.
- Responsive and proactive support - BMC Helix users benefit from a responsive and helpful SAAS group, ensuring timely support and assistance. The customer success team takes a proactive approach to guarantee successful implementation and usage of the tool, further boosting user satisfaction and adoption.
What is Ivanti?
Ivanti Neurons for ITSM, created by Ivanti, is a comprehensive Service Management solution targeted at large-scale enterprises. It offers both cloud-based and on-premise deployment options, covering the entire service delivery lifecycle, from request capture to issue resolution. The platform is built on industry standards and incorporates 11 ITIL 4-certified practices, providing a strong foundation for meeting organizations' Service Management needs.
The primary objective of Ivanti Neurons for ITSM, which is part of the broader Ivanti Neurons platform, is to enhance operational efficiency by replacing manual processes with automated workflows. This digital transformation leads to improved efficiency, compliance, and security within the organization.
Ivanti, the technology company responsible for developing Ivanti Neurons, specializes in managing and securing Everywhere Work environments. The company strongly emphasizes enhancing the digital employee experience (DEX). Since its inception in 1985, Ivanti has been headquartered in South Jordan, Utah, and boasts a dedicated workforce of approximately 2,500 to 4,999 professionals.
What users like from Ivanti
According to reputable evaluations, including Gartner's analysis, Ivanti Neurons for ITSM has received positive feedback from users in various industries, such as IT Services, Healthcare and Biotech, and Finance. Let's explore some of the advantages that customers have highlighted.
- Flexibility - The system permits users to create individual group function modules and adjust workflows according to their specific requirements.
- Ease of use - Users praise the system for its user-friendly nature, especially in ticketing, equipment access, and call stacks. They find it intuitive and easy to navigate.
- Customization - Users highly value the extensive customization options, which allow them to tailor the system to their specific needs.
- Cost savings - Some users have observed that Ivanti offers cost savings compared to other similar products they have tested.
- Automation - Users appreciate the platform's automation capabilities.
- Customer service - Ivanti's customer service is frequently commended for its collaborative approach and understanding of customer needs.
What users don’t like from Ivanti
While users highly appreciate Ivanti's robust capabilities and transformative impact on IT service environments, there are areas that users feel could be improved, particularly in user interface and complexity. Based on analyses from reputable sources like Gartner, let's explore some of the criticisms that have been raised.
- Limited integration - Certain users have expressed frustration over the limited integration capabilities of Ivanti with other tools.
- Complex backend - Users have found the platform's backend to be complex, with options scattered across different areas, making navigation challenging.
- Lack of out-of-the-box features - Some users feel that Ivanti lacks certain features that they would expect from a solution at its level of sophistication.
- Outdated appearance - Some users have noted that the product has an old-fashioned look, which may impact the overall user experience.
- Poor documentation - Users have criticized the provided documentation, stating that it is outdated and insufficient.
- Inadequate support - Some users have faced difficulties with Ivanti's support function, such as identifying the root cause of problems and assigning the appropriate agent.
What’s Ivanti’s argument over BMC Helix?
Ivanti confidently presents its case against BMC Helix, aiming to highlight its strengths and differentiation points. Let’s delve into the core aspects that Ivanti puts forth as advantages over its rival.
- Flexibility - Ivanti showcases its ability to empower users with unparalleled flexibility. The platform allows for the creation of individual group function modules and seamless adjustments to workflows, catering to specific organizational requirements.
- Intuitive user experience - Ivanti places a strong emphasis on user experience, particularly in ticketing, equipment access, and call stacks. Users praise the system's intuitive and user-friendly nature.
- Extensive customization options - Ivanti's comprehensive customization options stand out, granting users the freedom to tailor the system to their precise needs.
- Cost-effectiveness - Ivanti claims to offer significant cost savings compared to similar products in the market, positioning itself as a financially astute choice.
- Emphasis on automation - Ivanti prides itself on delivering a platform with robust automation capabilities. Users appreciate this aspect, which streamlines processes and enhances operational efficiency.
- Collaborative customer service - Ivanti's customer service is highly regarded for its collaborative approach and keen understanding of customer needs.
Considering InvGate Service Desk as an ITSM solution alternative
While BMC Helix and Ivanti are major contenders in the IT Service Management industry, it's essential to consider alternative solutions that closely match your organization's specific requirements. In this context, InvGate Service Desk emerges as a compelling option that warrants careful consideration.
Now, let's explore the comprehensive features of InvGate Service Desk that make it a valuable choice for fulfilling your organization's ITSM needs.
Robust Ticketing and Incident Management
InvGate Service Desk excels in providing powerful features for efficiently tracking, collaborating on, and resolving tickets. IT teams benefit from automated ticket routing, customizable workflows, and SLA Management, enabling them to handle and prioritize incidents effectively.
Strong self-service capabilities
InvGate Service Desk provides robust self-service functionalities, including a user-friendly portal, an extensive IT service catalog, and a knowledge base. These features empower end-users to independently resolve common issues, access various IT services, and utilize self-help resources, reducing the workload on IT staff.
Cost-effective solution
InvGate Service Desk offers a cost-effective solution without compromising functionality. It provides a comprehensive range of ITSM features at a competitive price point, making it an appealing choice for organizations seeking affordability without sacrificing capabilities. Compared to alternatives like BMC Helix and Ivanti, InvGate Service Desk strikes a balance between cost and functionality.
Fast ROI and ongoing innovation
InvGate Service Desk ensures a fast return on investment through efficient implementation processes. Within weeks, organizations can start experiencing the benefits of this robust ITSM solution. Additionally, regular feature updates keep users at the forefront of technology without incurring additional costs.
Exceptional user experience
InvGate Service Desk prioritizes delivering an exceptional user experience through meticulous design and adherence to UI/UX best practices. Its intuitive interface promotes quick adoption and minimizes the need for extensive training, ensuring a user-friendly design that maximizes productivity.
Customization and flexibility
InvGate Service Desk offers flexible deployment options, allowing organizations to choose between on-premise or cloud-based solutions. This adaptability ensures the platform can cater to the specific requirements of different sectors and industries.
Simplified configuration and setup
InvGate Service Desk offers a streamlined configuration and setup process using a no-code/low-code approach. This user-friendly approach allows both new and experienced users to implement the system without extensive technical expertise, enabling organizations to leverage its powerful ITSM capabilities quickly.
Comprehensive Asset Management
By integrating InvGate Service Desk with InvGate Insight, organizations gain a holistic view of their IT ecosystem, leading to improved service delivery and reduced downtime. InvGate Insight offers features such as IT Asset Discovery, Inventory Management, Software License Management, and maintenance schedules.
ITSM focus with ESM extension
InvGate Service Desk is purpose-built for ITSM and seamlessly extends its capabilities to Enterprise Service Management (ESM). It enables operational departments to enhance their processes and fully embrace the benefits of digital transformation, facilitating streamlined workflows and comprehensive digital transformation initiatives across all departments.
Comprehensive reporting and analytics
InvGate Service Desk provides extensive reporting and analytics functionalities, allowing organizations to gain valuable insights into their IT operations and performance. The platform offers ready-to-use reports and customizable dashboards, empowering IT teams to analyze data, identify patterns, and make informed decisions to enhance their services.
ITIL-certified readiness
InvGate Service Desk has obtained the esteemed ITIL4 certification from PINK Elephant, demonstrating its commitment to upholding ITSM excellence. Whether organizations are starting their ITIL journey or managing complex operations, InvGate Service Desk offers a user-friendly and feature-rich experience aligned with industry best practices.
Next steps
In the ever-evolving landscape of IT Service Management, making the right choice between BMC Helix vs. Ivanti is of utmost importance for organizations seeking optimal efficiency and customer satisfaction.
However, in this quest for the perfect ITSM solution, you should consider other alternatives, such as InvGate Service Desk. With a wide array of features designed to streamline IT operations and enhance Service Management, InvGate Service Desk can revolutionize your business processes and improve overall efficiency.
Request our 30-day trial to interact with the platform's capabilities, witness its seamless integration, and evaluate how it aligns with your unique requirements.
