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Zendesk Finds Enlightenment on the iPad

Zendesk, a Web-based help desk software provider, has not shied away from the mobile market, despite the traditional view of a help desk or customer service rep working at a desktop.

It has introduced applications for the iPhone, BlackBerry and Android and now, the iPad. This application is the best yet because of extra screen space the device provides, Zendesk COO Zack Urlocker told CRM Buyer.

“It is a very powerful platform, and we have designed the user interface specifically for the extra real estate on the screen — this is not a port from the iPhone,” he said. The result is an expansive view of the tickets that includes additional details about an account or customer.

Zendesk for iPad Ticket View

Zendesk for iPad Ticket View

Zendesk for iPad allows agents a real-time list of the tickets. They also can easily bookmark a ticket to respond to it later, or use it for future reference.

“The user can see all of the context around a customer situation with the iPad — his details or what else he has requested,” noted Urlocker. “The rep might see that the customer is a VIP or has other open incidents. On the iPhone or Android, the rep can only see one item at a time.”

Mobile Help Desks

Zendesk has been optimizing its application for the mobile environment because customer service agents increasingly are being equipped with such technology.

“It furthers productivity in that people are not chained to their desks,” observed Urlocker. “They can also bring their devices to meetings etc.”

The iPad, though, adds an element of fun in addition to the productivity enhancements. “People like using it,” Urlocker said. “It makes the job easier — especially when you are on the go.”

Tablets in the Enterprise

Zendesk for iPad also speaks to the rapid adoption rate of iPads in the corporate environment, Urlocker pointed out, citing a statistic offered by Apple: 80 percent of Fortune 100 companies today are testing or deploying iPad.

More than 25 percent of all tablet computers will be bought by enterprises in 2011, according to Deloitte, and that figure that is expected to rise in 2012 and beyond, Urlocker added.

With such growth in view, Zendesk will continue to optimize its application for the tablet devices that make the most sense.

When asked if Zendesk for Motorola’s Xoom was in the works, Urlocker declined to say one way or another, but he did acknowledge that “it would fit with the company’s overall strategy.”

However, “it is not something we have announced yet,” he said.

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