Is the IT enterprise helpdesk an endangered species?

The IT helpdesk could be extinct by 2027 according to a new survey of 1,000 global IT workers which finds that 79 percent believe the current service desk model will be unrecognizable within three years, with 77 percent saying new technologies will render it 'redundant' by 2027.

The study by digital employee experience company Nexthink shows 87 percent of IT workers also report that, with digital transformation having greatly expanded the size and complexity of enterprise IT environments, incident response is 'economically unsustainable' unless helpdesks have significant proactive capabilities.

However, while the evolution of the service desk is seen as inevitable, there's uncertainty as to what comes next. Nearly all respondents (96 percent) also say that new technologies -- particularly those around AI and automation -- make them excited about the future of end user computing (EUC). The same percentage argue that the rapid evolution of EUC makes it an attractive future career route. However, 68 percent say they fear these technological changes could impact their own career prospects.

"The ultimate value of any technology is how well it enables people to do their jobs and how it impacts overall company productivity," says Yassine Zaied, chief strategy officer of Nexthink. "Right now, businesses are spending billions on digital transformation yet seeing mixed results at best. Whether it's underperforming devices, failed adoption projects, or botched migrations, business efficiency is constantly being halted by poor digital experiences. IT is going to be the nexus for all productivity enablement moving forward, and this research shows that IT workers are already looking to make that transition. The only question is whether executives will provide the resources investment needed to support them in this journey."

The research also finds that while IT workers believe that existing roles will retain or increase their relevance in the coming years, 92 percent feel that the service desk will evolve into the 'experience desk' in the coming years and that this will require significant technological change. The three most important upskilling areas identified are an understanding of the employee experience (58 percent), generative AI skills (57 percent), and an ability to deliver technological training and instruction (53 percent).

"Efficiency isn't merely a technical problem, it's about the day-to-day human experience," adds Zaied. "Simply trying to fix problems as they arise means playing a losing game of whack-a-mole. Instead, organizations need to take a holistic approach employees digital experience by building better functioning environments that can improve productivity, rather than impeding it."

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