· On March 25, 2021, Zammad will take the next step with its version 4.0 and release new reporting options, helpful integrations, a mentions / watch function, and an improved responsive design. Thus, the open-source solution is increasingly positioning itself as a clear alternative to the big players on the market.
Today, Zammad introduced version 4.0 of its helpdesk and IT support solution. The developers have focused on features for use in an enterprise environment, improving collaboration and reporting. Key highlights include "mentions" and significantly more comprehensive reporting. Service agents can now tag colleagues directly in the body text of an existing ticket for joint problem-solving. This relieves the second-level support, and more complex requests will quickly reach the appropriate contact person. In addition, Zammad customers can now create organization-specific reports and evaluations with just a few clicks and export the information they contain or integrate it into external dashboards. This is made possible through the integration of Grafana and Kibana. Organizations can, for example, evaluate resolution times and service quality, identify recurring issues and the associated problems, or provide management with a report on the utilization of their service desk.
PCO AG has already tried the new functions of Zammad 4.0 in the beta phase and is pleased with the increase in efficiency they have seen: "In our large team, the Mentions feature leads to a significant increase in productivity, as agents now stay informed even without being assigned a ticket, and can provide immediate assistance. It's also easier for our agents to find tickets that take longer to process and to add information to them," says Tobias Riedl, Customer Support at PCO AG, developer and producer of high-end camera systems.
The numbers show that Zammad is on the right track with its strategy: "We have been able to increase the number of customers and sales by 80 percent per year for the fourth year in a row, and our entire team is very proud of this result," says Martin Edenhofer, founder and CEO of Zammad. "We started Zammad four years ago in the very competitive market of helpdesk solutions. Reliability, innovation and trust are what count most for success. We have received a lot of positive feedback and have been able to impress with regular innovations, top support and our long-term Zammad foundation."
A list of all features and changes can be found in the release notes.
Zammad is a web-based helpdesk and support system. It works with any modern web browser and has various features that allow organizations of any size to receive, process, and efficiently resolve requests. The key advantage: Thanks to its intuitive user interface, Zammad can be used without expensive training. The modern web app bundles all requests in one central location, so that employees or teams can receive enquiries in many different ways, such as email, phone, Slack, chat, Facebook, Telegram, or Twitter, answer them, or delegate them to their colleagues. A modernly designed dashboard informs management in real time about the current numbers, provides information about existing tickets, their processing status, and the latest actions. Customers can also view the status of their requests at any time.
Zammad 4.0 is already available and, as open-source software, completely free of charge for self-hosting. At https://zammad.org/, in addition to the source code, ready-made installation packages for CentOS, Debian, Ubuntu as well as ready-made Docker containers can be downloaded.
Zammad's cloud solution can be found at https://zammad.com/ and is available in various configurations. Depending on requirements, customers can opt for the Starter, Professional, or Plus packages, book them online, and go live within a very short time. The cloud version of Zammad is hosted exclusively in German data centers and is also available with a Data Processing Agreement and ISO 27001 certification.
Prices range from EUR 5 to EUR 26 per agent per month, depending on the package and payment method. For operation on company-owned servers (On-Premise), Zammad offers various support packages. Prices start at EUR 2,499 per year. Further information on prices and services can be found here.
Launched in October 2016, the open-source software is based on current web technologies such as WebApp/HTML5, WebSockets, and REST in the frontend and relies on Ruby on Rails in the backend. Thanks to its fully comprehensive REST API, Zammad can be easily implemented in existing system environments. In addition, solutions such as Slack, Asterisk, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Active Directory (LDAP), Clearbit, sipgate.io, Placetel, Twilio (SMS), GitHub, GitLab, i-doit, Monit, Nagios, Zabbix, Check_MK, and Icinga can be integrated into Zammad.
Zammad is (and will forever remain) open-source software. The associated source code is licensed under GNU AGPLv3. It is available for download on GitHub and can be used free of charge and developed further independent of manufacturers. The owner is the Zammad Foundation. By taking this step, company founder Martin Edenhofer has ensured from the outset that the software remains open-source and that users are free to decide at any time whether they want to host it on their own server systems or operate it from a cloud provider of their choice. You can find more information about the Zammad Foundation here.
Zammad is the most popular open-source helpdesk and customer support platform for businesses of all sizes and industries. The numerous smart features and integrations set Zammad apart from other vendors. The ticketing system is based on the familiar use of web browsers, tablets, or smartphones and can be easily operated by everyone. Behind the project is an experienced team of developers led by Martin Edenhofer, who already launched the successful ticket system OTRS in 2001, among others. Zammad GmbH's customers include DeLonghi, the Swiss large-format printer manufacturer swissQprint, Gansel Rechtsanwälte, the photo printing specialist myposter, the Linuxhotel in Essen, and one of Germany's leading media companies.