To ensure the best possible help desk software solutions for our readers, we use a rating system ranging from one to five stars. This allows us to objectively compare and contrast each solution against its competitors. Our ratings are not influenced by any third-party relationships. We assign weighted scores to each factor to come up with an overall star rating for each product.

When we rate help desk solutions on our website, we take into account the following factors.

Pricing

For pricing, we considered several factors, such as how much the software costs, is it a good value for the price and were there any hidden costs or fees. If a provider offered a free trial or a free version of its software, we gave bonus points for that. We also looked at how inexpensive a provider’s lowest-price plan compared to its highest-priced plan and how much benefit a user received by upgrading to a higher plan. This accounted for 10% of our weighted scoring.

Features

We wanted to know what kinds of features the software offers and if it had all of the features that users need. We broke features down into two categories: general features and additional features. For general features, these were features that we expected every software provider to offer, either as part of its regular plan or at least as a paid add-on. These included offering mobile apps―bonus points for offering software for both iOS and Android―plus self-service capabilities, asset management, social media connectivity, access to a knowledge base and community forum for assistance and the ability to work remotely.

For additional, or “nice-to-have” features, we focused on customer support. We were looking for chatbots or live chat options, support widgets, self-service ticketing and reporting dashboards. We wanted to see how responsive each provider’s customer support was and if it was available by phone, email or live chat. We weighted features at 50% of our total score.

Third-party reviews

Looking at third-party customer reviews on websites that included Capterra, G2 and Trustpilot, we looked at customer responses to using the software. We gave higher ratings to providers that had at least 300 or more reviews on these websites and then again to those providers that had positive reviews of at least 3.5 out of 5 on each site.to supply a complete picture of reality and reduce bias. These accounted for 10% of the total score.

Expert analysis

Factors that included ease of use made up the final aspect of our analysis by our panel of experts. When looking at ease of use, they wanted to know how easy it is to set up and use the software, if the interface was intuitive and if the software required any training to get started using it. Besides ease of use, other factors our experts considered were the overall popularity of the software, any stand-out features and the value for the money each provided. Altogether, these criteria make up 30% of the total score.

Augmented reality (AR) systems have long been used in gaming, but advocates have always insisted that they could do so much more, and they were right. In exact years, VR/AR systems have improved everything from neurosurgery to fashion, and now we have one for police work.

The Dutch police force, the Netherlands Forensic Institute, and the Dutch Fire Brigade are experimenting with an AR system developed by the Delft University of Technology. The system allows an officer to harness the knowledge of multiple experts without them needing to actually be present at the scene of an investigation.

Footage from a body cam on the officer is relayed to the experts, who can then provide clues and suggestions to the officer via notes that appear on a smartphone or heads-up display. This system could reduce the potential for contamination in crime scenes and make it possible for the most qualified expert to weigh in on a scene even if they are thousands of miles away.

The complete system is expected to be available in six months, and while it could prove very useful for examining crime scenes and gathering evidence, it won't be used to actively make arrests in the field — the notes and AR visuals have been found to be too distracting by the officers testing it.

A system like this one could one day be used to recreate crime scenes in court, but before that could happen, the technicalities of accepting AR evidence will need to be worked out by legislators. Until then, this new system will help officers in the first steps of an investigation while traditional methods remain in place for the rest of the process.

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Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process.

When you move, or rename an asset, the URL of that asset changes. This means if anyone has bookmarked your page or have a link to the asset in their printed material, their links won't work. Moving or renaming items is discouraged, but maybe necessary occasionally.

To move an asset:

1. Locate and click the appropriate asset. Once you are on the preview screen, locate and click More-->Move option. This opens another popup window.

   

2. On the next screen, select a New Folder. This opens a window that allows you to view folders within your site.

   

3. In the folder navigation window, you can choose from the list of Recent folders, or Browse to the new folder, or perform a Search.
4. Click the Choose button to confirm the appropriate folder and to close this window.

   

5. You'll go back to the Move page screen where you'll see New Folder field populated with the new folder that you just selected.
6. Locate and click Move button.
7. You are then taken to the page preview screen. A message at the top of the asset will confirming that the asset has been moved to the selected folder.

   

8. If you moved a web page or a file, go to More--> Relationships option and publish all assets that link to the asset that you just moved.

Note: If you're moving an asset that has been on the live site for a while, you might consider planning a redirect from the old URL to the new URL. Contact webcomm-support@northwestern.edu if you need help with this step.

Thanks to a variety of advancements in veterinary care and dietary habits, dogs are not just living better, but also longer. In 2020, nearly 50-percent of American dog owners had a dog age 7 or older. While dogs living longer is obviously a good thing, owners are now being forced to deal with more age-related issues than ever before. However, getting older doesn't have to be unduly hard on your pet thanks to Wuffes advanced dog vitamins and supplements.

Wuffes Multivitamins and Supplements For Dogs are formulated with the most effective and advanced ingredients to ensure your pup gets the help they need to ease into old age. From Glucosamine to D3, their team has spent thousands of hours studying every ingredient that goes into their products. They do this to ensure they make and manufacture the most effective blend for all of their products. That's why these next-generation Multivitamins and Supplements For Dogs include using premium ingredients that are made in the USA and are GMP verified.

Wuffes Advanced Hip & Joint Support

Did you know 70-percent of dogs suffer in silence with joint pain? The easiest way to help your pup before it’s too late is by adding Wuffes Advanced Hip & Joint support chews to their diet. These fast-release chews work to support and lubricate the joints of aging dogs. They also help aid in the strengthening of cartilage, tendon elasticity, and flexibility with active ingredients that have been formulated by veterinary experts to ensure your dog is getting what they really need.

Key Ingredients

Glucosamine - Proven to be effective in the reduction of pain and a significant reduction in joint inflammation while increasing joint mobility. It does this through the maintenance of synovial fluid, which helps lubricate the joints, reducing any friction and enabling easier movement.

Chondroitin – Chondroitin is a key structural component of cartilage and is part of a proteoglycan (a large protein molecule) that gives cartilage elasticity.

MSM - This is included because of its anti-inflammatory properties. As a result, it offers a huge benefit to dogs with joint stiffness, aching joints, tender joints, and arthritis.

Yucca Schidigera - Anti-arthritic properties plus it helps reduced Waste Odor.

Vitamin C - Helps in the production of collagen, which is vital for joint and bone health.

Vitamin E - Contain antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and pain.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Made from Salmon, stimulates cartilage growth, heart & brain function.

Omega-6 Fatty Acids - Made from Flaxseed - strengthens to the cell membrane, ensuring stronger joints and tendons.

Wuffes Advanced 17-In-1 Multivitamin

With Wuffes Advanced 17-In-1 Multivitamin you'll know your dog's getting the nutrition they need. Their all-around Multi-Vitamin formula is designed to help ensure a longer, healthier, happier life for your pet. This includes protecting their skin & coat, hip & joints, digestion, immunity, and heart health. Wuffes accomplishes this with a 17-ingredient formula vetted by veterinary experts to ensure your dog is getting what they really need.

Key Ingredients

Vitamin B12 – Helps promote a healthy nervous system and brain function, as well as the formation of blood cells.

Vitamin D3 – Helps regulate the calcium and phosphorous balance in your dog's body helping aid bone formation and muscle control.

Vitamin A – The vitamin in carrots that is responsible for good vision also helps with overall health and wellbeing.

Vitamin E – An antioxidant that helps defend against free radicals making it good for immune system health and a healthy skin and coat.

Manganese – Helps your dog produce energy, metabolize protein and carbohydrates, and to make fatty acids.

Iron – Helps oxygenate red blood cells, and promotes a healthy immune system & production of energy.

Wuffes Daily Probiotic

Your dog's gut needs healthy bacteria to thrive. Wuffes Probiotics have been formulated to provide a unique blend of vitamins, antioxidants & digestive enzymes to help balance good gut bacteria. Their probiotics are packed with vital ingredients that help balance gut bacteria, reduce digestive inflammation, soothe an irritated gut, increase healthy bowel movements, and aid in heart function. And it does all this with only 3-ingredients.

Key Ingredients

CFU - Proprietary Blend of 1 billion

250 mg of Prebiotic Fiber - Bacillus Subtilis, Bacillus Licheniformis, and Bacillus Pumilus

Guaranteed Analysis - Moisture (max): 4.82%, Crube Protein (min): 7.3%, Crude Fat (min): 11.0%, Crude Fiber (max): 3.9%

Wuffes wants you to feel totally secure about making your first purchase of their multivitamins and supplements. That’s right! They want you to feel comfortable knowing your pooch is getting the very best products. That’s why they back up each and every purchase with a 90-day, no BS warranty. So if you’re not happy with anything (and they mean anything), email them, and they will do whatever they can to make things right. Putting you at ease is also why they offer free shipping on every order.

So what are you waiting for? Order Wuffes dog vitamins and supplements today to ensure you're doing everything possible to ease your good boy into their senior status.

Futurism fans: To create this content, a non-editorial team worked with an affiliate partner. We may collect a small commission on items purchased through this page. This post does not necessarily reflect the views or the endorsement of the Futurism.com editorial staff.

To better understand which help desk solutions small business owners rely on, we reached out to the general entrepreneurial community to see what they like about the platforms they use.

One of the biggest players in the scene, according to our research, is Zoho Desk, which received Full Marks in our research but was edged out because its 24-hour, five-day customer service – which is less than some other vendors offer – is behind a paywall. Still, James Boatwright, CEO of Code Galaxy, said his company uses the service for its affordable pricing and its feature set.

“Our small business chose the competitively priced Zoho Desk because the Enterprise edition was $25 per user per month,” he told business.com. “Some of its handy features include VoIP and social media integration, support for multiple brands in the customer portal, data analysis of advanced SLAs, report scheduling, custom ticket templates, and live chat support – and, importantly, [it] seamlessly integrates with our other apps.”

The popular Zendesk platform would have been a strong candidate for a best pick had it not kept common features behind an additional paywall. For DebtHammer CEO Jake Hill, the decision to move from Zendesk to Jira hinged on the latter’s more extensive features. “We used Zendesk previously but moved to Jira because there was more support for customization and more options for automation.”

Jira also received praise from Ravi Parikh, CEO of RoverPass Campground Management Software. The platform’s flexible, multipurpose ticket management system was a major selling point for his company.

“We use Jira for general support tickets, as well as a means of reporting bugs in our management software,” Parikh said. “Jira makes it easy to separate out these tickets so the appropriate employees can handle them. In addition to providing a record of support interactions, it lets us easily escalate tickets with all of the necessary information so the customer’s issue can be resolved as quickly as possible.”

While most respondents said they wanted feature-rich help desk software, Jonathan Newar, CEO of Captain Experiences, said his company wanted a more “baseline” platform without the bells and whistles. To that end, his company relies on Freshdesk, which can be as robust or simple as you need.

“My need is mainly internal, so I keep things simple,” Newar said. “I need the help desk to route a trouble ticket, modify and close it, and keep a record of it. For me, Freshdesk was the way to go because it’s intuitive and customizable. It meets all our needs and leaves room for growth as well.”