IT Service Desk (ITSD) products range from simple call tracking/trouble ticketing (aka “help desk” products) to broad suite solutions encompassing call management, incident management, problem management, IT change management, configuration/inventory repositories, request fulfillment and self-service portals. In their technical platform, ITSD products include knowledge management (knowledge search capability) and workflow engines (managing automated escalation and notification). The most-sophisticated products also may link to dominant brands of corporate portals, external workflow engines, procurement modules and HR systems, or include these as proprietary features. These products integrate with operations management systems for links to event alerts, additional inventory repositories, configuration information and remote control. Product suites must have native support for Web self-service, password automation and e-mail (“native” means that the vendor either has built its own component or has licensed an engine and built value around it). The products must integrate with a range of communications tools, from telephony components to Web chat.