Day 5.0 - Out with the old and in with the new.
Retiring Our Legacy SysAid Helpdesk and Embracing a Modern iTop Service Desk
After years of faithful service, we’ve officially retired our SysAid helpdesk platform and transitioned to a brand-new service management solution built on iTop (IT Operations Portal). This strategic shift marks a significant milestone in our IT operations, aimed at improving efficiency, transparency, and service delivery for both end-users and the IT support team.
Why We Moved On from SysAid
SysAid has served as our primary helpdesk system for several years. It provided a centralized platform for ticketing, asset management, and reporting. However, as our environment evolved, several limitations became apparent:
- Scalability concerns: Our growing needs demanded more flexibility and customization.
- Licensing costs: The cost model for SysAid was becoming less sustainable, especially with our need to integrate more functions and users.
- Limited extensibility: We required a platform that could integrate more seamlessly with our broader IT ecosystem.
Rather than continuing to patch around these constraints, we opted for a fresh start—one that would empower us to rethink how we manage IT services from the ground up.
Why iTop?
iTop is an open-source IT Service Management (ITSM) tool built around ITIL best practices. It offers:
- Customizable CMDB (Configuration Management Database)
- Flexible ticketing and incident workflows
- Native support for change management, problem management, and service catalogs
- Web-based interface with role-based access
- No license fees
The open-source nature of iTop means we now have complete control over our data and workflows—without being locked into a specific vendor’s roadmap or pricing model.
Our Migration Journey
The transition involved several key phases:
- Audit and Analysis
We reviewed our usage of SysAid—ticket categories, SLAs, user roles, historical data, and integrations. This helped us understand what we needed to replicate or improve upon in iTop. - Design and Planning
We took this opportunity to re-architect our helpdesk structure:- Streamlined ticket categories
- Defined clear escalation paths
- Aligned with ITIL processes more closely (e.g., separating incidents from service requests)
- Data Migration
We extracted historical ticket data from SysAid using export tools and transformed it to fit iTop’s data model. While not every legacy ticket was migrated, key datasets—open tickets, user records, and asset associations—were carefully imported. - Configuration and Customization
We customized iTop to reflect our organizational needs:- Created custom dashboards for technicians
- Defined email notifications and auto-assignment rules
- Integrated LDAP for user authentication
- Testing and Training
We ran a parallel test environment with sample tickets to validate workflows. End-users and IT staff were trained via short video tutorials and Q&A sessions. - Go-Live and Support
After successful testing, we switched off SysAid and made iTop our production system. A post-launch support window was established to resolve any teething issues quickly.
Early Wins
Since launching the iTop helpdesk, we’ve already noticed several improvements:
- Faster ticket triage and resolution
- Better visibility into asset relationships and ticket history
- Reduced support costs
- Higher end-user satisfaction, thanks to clearer communication and status updates
What's Next?
Our roadmap includes further enhancements such as:
- Integrating monitoring alerts to auto-create incidents
- Expanding the service catalog for common requests (e.g., software installs, hardware loans)
- Automating KPI reporting for leadership visibility
Conclusion
Transitioning from SysAid to iTop has been a rewarding journey. Not only have we modernized our helpdesk operations, but we’ve also laid the groundwork for a more proactive, service-oriented IT function. We're excited to continue building on this foundation to better support our users and adapt to future needs.
If you're considering a helpdesk overhaul or exploring open-source ITSM tools, we’d be happy to share insights from our experience.