With the number of enterprises and small businesses embracing cloud computing, and the bring your own device computing concept on the rise, IT experts have to face more diverse working environments, as was the case just a few years ago.

With so many help queries to process, there’s a need for a solution to help manage the help desk while fixing other problems in the network.

ManageEngine, a division of the Zoho (News - Alert) Corporation in charge of designing and delivering enterprise IT management software solutions, has come up with the ServiceDesk Plus iPhone app to serve as an automated assistant to IT professionals.

With its voice/speech recognition capabilities, the app allows users to manage the help desk from anywhere. By enabling IT professionals to receive requests while on the go, the app increases technician productivity while sparing the company the pain of paying an extra employee to serve as an assistant.

In addition, the ServiceDesk Plus app simplifies the entry of data or commands to the system. By leveraging the capabilities of Nuance (News - Alert) Nina (Nuance Interactive Natural Assistant), the app allows users to perform intelligence-based tasks like searching for, editing, closing and relaying tickets, assigning and reassigning tasks and many more activities involved in help desk management, without touching the keyboard or mouse.

Up to date, the implementation of voice recognition input systems suffer from sluggish responses, requiring them to repeatedly articulate statements before the system can understand the command. However, Nuance’s heavy investment in voice recognition technology fosters the creation of elaborate voice recognition apps like the ServiceDesk Plus.

Though many IT experts still have doubts on the ability of Nina to take in the right command on the first attempt, players in the market are confident that Nuance can sufficiently comprehend specific commands from specific users.

With companies exploiting all the possible avenues to cut down on standing costs, laying off some employees and replacing them with intelligent innovations like the ServiceDesk Plus is an option many will not be taking up anytime soon.

There might come a time when meeting with your IT service desk guy talking fondly to his/her iPad while fixing a work station will not be foreign in the office.