What is Helpdesk?

A helpdesk is the function, and the software, that receives, organises, and resolves support requests from users, usually for IT issues like password resets, hardware faults, or software problems. It acts as a single point of contact: a user reports a problem by email, form, or phone, the request becomes a ticket, and an agent works it through to resolution while the history is recorded.

Why it matters: a helpdesk stops requests getting lost in personal inboxes, makes workloads visible, and produces data on volumes and resolution times. It is often distinguished from a broader service desk, which also handles service requests and links into wider ITSM processes. Tools such as workro desk add SLA timers, email-to-ticket capture, and a knowledge base so a small team can run support in a structured way.