2026 Schedule

The service desk didn't just evolve because of technology—it evolved because the business demanded more.
In the early 1990s, the service desk existed to answer phones and fix broken hardware. Today, it is expected to deliver digital experience, enable productivity, manage risk, support revenue, and communicate in the language of the business. Yet many organizations still operate with outdated mental models of what support is for.
This session takes attendees on a fast-paced, decade-by-decade journey through the evolution of the service desk—from reactive break/fix to proactive, experience-driven service management—while examining how business stakeholder expectations changed at each stage. Attendees will learn why modern service desks struggle when they cling to legacy assumptions, and how to realign operating models, metrics, and skills to meet today's business demands.
This is both a history lesson with a purpose and a strategic roadmap for the future of service and support.

Takeaway

A clear evolution model: how the service desk moved from call handling to experience orchestration.
How stakeholder expectations shifted: what the business valued then vs. what it expects now.
Why friction exists today: common gaps between modern expectations and legacy support models.
Metrics that matured: volume → speed → experience → business impact.

Provided will be a future-ready checklist: what service desks must evolve to next to stay relevant.