HP Service Anywhere taps technologies like HP Universal Configuration Management Database, which manages services, applications and hardware across the IT environment. HP's Universal Discovery software populates and maintains the new service. In other words, IT admins can depend on automatic discovery and dependence mapping of relevant IT elements.

"Customers of all sizes are looking for cloud -based IT service desk solutions that are easy to implement and configure," said George Flansburg, operations management practice lead at ResultsPositive, an HP partner. "HP Service Anywhere is a simple-to-implement service desk SaaS offering that allows both mid-size and large customers to be up and running within weeks."

Adding Social Collaboration

With increasing pressure to prevent service downtime and maximize employee productivity, HP is betting organizations will turn to agile IT service desk solutions that help resolve incidents rapidly while adapting to changing enterprise requirements. HP's cloud-based solution is Service Anywhere, which works to cut costs and overcome complex service desk solution deployments and upgrades.

Practically speaking, HP Service Anywhere handles inbound requests and IT service configuration information, as well as incident, problem and change management. The Software-as-a-Service solution also sports social collaboration for sharing and recording advice and communications. Social collaboration can improve first-call resolution rates, shorten handling times and reduce escalations by immediately alerting and engaging the right people to resolve issues.

Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT, said as the cloud continues to evolve, vendors are targeting technologically complex processes like service desk solutions as opportunities for development. And that's the core value proposition for HP's new cloud-based Service Anywhere solution.

"Basically, the company is packaging its considerable technical experience and expertise as an easily scalable, pay-by-user service that promises to improve customer satisfaction," King told us. "Clients who adopt HP Service Anywhere should see a marked enhancement in service desk quality, and will also be relieved of managing in-house service desk infrastructures and upgrades and ensuring that workers stay current with the technologies they support. All in all, HP's Service Anywhere should benefit both the company and many customers."

Tapping Best Practices

HP Service Anywhere relies on Information Technology Infrastructure Library best practices, such as incident management, problem management and change management, to get the job done.

The solution also uses new process-designer technology that is 100 percent Web-based, 100 percent user-interface-driven and codeless. HP Service Anywhere promises efficient process work flows using the same codeless configuration approach.

HP Service Anywhere will be available worldwide directly from HP or via its ecosystem of channel partners. Entry-level pricing is expected to start at $89 per user per month.