Password problems swamp help desks

Internal help desks are being prevented from delivering their full potential because up to 80 per cent of calls come from users who have forgotten their passwords.

According to a survey conducted by IT service management software company Axios Systems, help desks are increasingly clogged with problems caused by staff either forgetting their passwords or entering them incorrectly.

More than a third of the survey's respondents said that password problems or queries represented between 40 and 60 per cent of all help desk calls.

A further 22.5 per cent said password issues accounted for between 20 and 40 per cent of calls, with 6.5 per cent putting the figure at between 60 and 80 per cent.

"The results show the central importance of having a system for rapid resetting of passwords," said Ailsa Symeonides, sales and marketing director of Axios Systems.

Howard Kendall, founder of the Help Desk Institute, explained that forgotten passwords placed a burden on already overstretched support staff.

"It's a fairly major irritation. But the customer is king and until the help desk can apply pressure on the business, nothing will change."

Automatic password reminder systems could significantly reduce the number of support calls logged for password-related queries, Kendall suggested.

Analyst Meta Group estimates that each support call costs around $25 (£16).

The survey was conducted among 200 delegates at the annual conference of the UK IT Service Management Forum (itSMF).