Translate technical expertise into an effective career in computer user support with the help of Knapp's A GUIDE TO SERVICE DESK CONCEPTS, 4E. This trusted, contemporary guide introduces the latest developments, research, resources and trends as they happen in computer user support. Readers explore the various types of service desks and gain a solid understanding of the diverse roles and skills required. This edition also reviews the processes and technologies that ensure the service desk is operating effectively and examines how today's leading organizations measure service desk success. The author references the very latest ITIL 2011 best practices, leading quality and IT service management frameworks and standards to ensure this edition presents the most recent information regarding the role of outsourcing and certification in the service desk. New case studies and projects as well as updated chapters highlight the evolving role of the service desk and how technology trends, such as cloud computing, virtualization, mobile technology and consumerization, are impacting the service desk. New material also examines the current emphasis on self-help and the effects of self-healing capabilities within newer generation technologies.