Show all/Hide all

What is the OTRS Community and which role does it play?

The OTRS Community is an innovative resource pool of over 4,000 experts working together to enhance OTRS. Their common goal is to share their knowledge and deliver the result, OTRS, as open-source software globally and free of charge. All members of the Community contribute to the success, introducing their cross-sectoral expertise to the open source project OTRS.org on a voluntary basis. Highly-qualified developers, IT managers and service & support staff collaborate in the Community. In particular they take active part in the fields of developing individual features, porting the software solutions to various platforms, international translation and quality assurance.

What is OTRS Inc.

OTRS Inc. (download company profile) is the source code owner of OTRS and the commercial arm of the open source project OTRS.org. OTRS Inc. offers comprehensive business support for the software, which comprises consulting, software development and application support. Additionally we collaborate with the OTRS Community to enhance the publicly available standard software OTRS. In this context, we coordinate collaboration within the open source project and ensure software quality in the long-term.

What is open-source software and what advantages does it offer?

The Open Source Initiative (OSI) uses the term open source for software with license agreements matching the following three characteristics:

• The software's source code is available in a human-readable and comprehensible form.
• The software may be copied, distributed and used without limitations. There are no usage limitations as to the number of users or installations. No obligation to pay a licensor arises upon copying and distribution of open-source software.
• The software may be altered and distributed in the changed version. As the source code is available, everybody can modify the software without great effort. The dissemination of the software is permitted and no license fees apply. Open-source software physically "lives" from the active collaboration of users in the development.

The terms "open source" and "free software" are often used synonymously. The term "free" in this context refers to the openly accessible source code and the unrestricted use of the software. Open-source software is not necessarily free of charge as license fees may apply. OTRS is published under the GNU General Public License; users can access the source code, use the software without limitations and can download it for free on the internet. No license fees incur for OTRS.

What is the GNU General Public License (GPL)?

The GNU General Public License (GPL) is a license issued from the Free Software Foundation with a copyleft for licensing free software. As integral parts of the license, GPL grants the following four freedoms to everybody:

• The program can be used without any limitations and for every purpose. It is explicitly permitted to use the software commercially.
• Copies of the program may be distributed free of charge or with costs as long as the source code is delivered as well or is made available upon request to the recipient of the program at cost price. The recipient has the same liberties as the provider, e.g. anybody buying a copy has the right to distribute it commercially or free of charge. No license fees may be charged. Nobody is obliged to distribute copies, neither at large nor to any specific person, but if doing so, these rules must be obeyed.
• The functioning of the program may be studied and adapted to individual needs.
• Also modified versions of this program may be distributed under the rules stated above and the source code of the modified version must be made available to the recipient. Modified versions must not be published but if they are published, it has to be under the rules stated above.

How safe is open-source software?

Thanks to the availability of the source code and an active community, security holes in open software are generally detected much faster than in the case of closed-source software. Security problems identified can be remedied within no time with a patch release. Also, the nearly complete lack of active elements and the possibility to encode all E-mail based communication (S/MIME and PGP) provide a high degree of security.

Show all/Hide all

Which services does OTRS Inc. provide?

OTRS Inc. offers support during the whole project cycle, from evaluating the software during the run-up to the application support of the running system.

Consulting

Software development (individual adaptations & feature requests)

Application support & Software-as-a-Service

We plan to replace our help-desk system - what support can we get?

The migration of legacy systems (e.g. BMC ARS Remedy, Touchpaper, HP Service Center or the like) is common practice in our projects. In close collaboration with you we define your requirements for mapping your processes and organization and map them exemplarily on our software solutions. The scope of the integration with your existing system landscape is defined and the requirements of an individual software adaptation specified. During installation and configuration, processes and data of your legacy system are migrated to OTRS as far as possible.

We want to migrate processes and data to a higher version?

The upgrade to a higher release version of OTRS is one of our consulting services. In the run-up, we check with you whether you want to combine the upgrade with hardware changes and to what extent individual adaptations of your current release have to be ported to the higher release. We gladly present you the new features of the current release in an evaluation workshop and concertedly develop the requirements for an optimized configuration of your new system.

Is it possible to have OTRS customized to our requirements?

Of course it is! Your feature requests, new modules or the adaptation of existing modules and functionalities are realized by our software development expert team. Depending on the scope of the functionalities to be developed, we either build up a functional and technical specification for you or implement your specifications. In the run-up, a detailed quotation provides information on the estimated expenditure.

Do you offer support services for the standard software?

Of course we do! Choose one of 5 different service packages individually tailored to your platform and requirements. Our portfolio comprises the entry level package just as 24/7/365 application support for business critical application areas. It goes without saying that our support team works in compliance with ITIL.

Do you offer support for customized modules of the standard software?

If your OTRS version differs significantly from the publicly available standard version, a code review is necessary, which we are pleased to offer. This applies just as well if we conducted the adaptation of your OTRS. If your code review is positive, we will gladly offer you a support contract on the basis of an individual agreement.

Do you offer support services for ISPs?

Yes, if you want to provide OTRS to your customers as an internet service provider we gladly offer you a support contract on the basis of an individual agreement.

Where to get answers without having a support contract?

The mailing lists for OTRS, OTRS::ITSM and SIRIOS are helpful sources of all kinds of information. This is where users discuss diverse topics connected with the software solutions.

Do you offer hosted standard software (SaaS)?

Yes. We offer the hosting of OTRS tuned to our application support contracts in collaboration with our partner. Software as a Service (SaaS) means that all services are obtained from one source. Customers benefit from a single point of contact (SPOC) for all questions about infrastructural aspects and the software OTRS.

How long does the software provision take you in the SaaS model?

It takes 2-3 days to prepare the software on the server. If you want individual adaptations to be conducted, the run-up to provision depends on how our development team plans and realizes your individual adaptations.

Do you offer training courses for your software?

For administrators and (key)users we provide in-house training courses alongside projects, which are based on your individual system configuration. Our training center also offers open seminars on the same topics, based on the publicly available standard version of the software solutions.

How long do such training courses last?

Administrator training courses for OTRS usually last 3 days. Administrator training courses for OTRS::ITSM usually last 3-4 days. The (key)user training courses last 1 day.

Does the price of training courses depend on the # of participants?

No. However, the number of participants per training course should not exceed 8-10 to ensure learning success.

What connection exists between ((otrs)) and the beaches?

Traditionally each release of OTRS is named after one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, such as Ipanema, the famous beach in Rio de Janeiro, which was suggested by Marten Mickos, CEO of MySQL AB. Obviously, emotions and a special attitude towards life are attached to this tradition, concepts which most people do not associate with software.

We consider beaches first of all as places of creativity and freedom. Diving into their atmosphere stimulates our mind and helps us to develop intelligent solutions. It motivates us and helps our experts to successfully translate their potential and the technical specifications into creative processes and products. It is, however, just as important for us to integrate you, our customers and the community with the process of development and enhancement of OTRS because every idea emerging and every new business case catered for in OTRS development contribute to the growing value for all users.

Freedom, in terms of the free (of license fees) availability of the software and the freedom of use, enhancement and distribution as conferred by the GNU General Public License (GPL), additionally to the personal creativity of all those involved, is one of the most important drivers of this development. Thousands of users all over the world evaluate our software and contribute to its continuous enhancement. OTRS is an international success story!

Welcome to your beach - ((enjoy))

Show all/Hide all

Queries about consulting, development & support/SaaS services

enjoy(at)otrs.com

Phone: +49 (0)6172 681988 0

Fax: +49 (0)9421 56818 18

 

Queries from job applicants

Jobs(at)otrs.com

Phone: +49 (0)6172 18076 52

Fax: +49 (0)9421 56818 18

Queries from the press

PR(at)otrs.com

Phone: +49 (0)6172 681988 0

Fax: +49 (0)9421 56818 18

Show all/Hide all

What is OTRS?

OTRS (Open Ticket Request System) is a help desk system ("service desk", in ITIL terminology). It supports the intuitive logging of incidents & service requests by customers or your service staff, their processing within your service organization and cross-process communication with your customers, service staff, service management and external service providers. The use of a help desk system aims at improving the service quality, shorter response times and lower service costs due to a more efficient IT support of your service organization.

What is OTRS::ITSM?

OTRS::ITSM is worldwide the first open source ITIL^® compliant IT service management (ITSM) solution on the market. It is far more than a solution just supporting the service desk: With OTRS::ITSM the whole IT service organization can be adapted to match the requirements of your business processes and your IT organization can thus make an important contribution to the business success of your company. At present, OTRS::ITSM supports the ITIL processes incident management, problem management and configuration management, which are usually the first processes to be introduced in the course of ITIL initiatives. Also, OTRS::ITSM offers an integrated configuration management database (CMDB). In the CMDB, your IT infrastructure is mapped and administrated. A big advantage of the CMDB compared to simple inventory solutions is that the CMDB records relationships and interdependencies between the configuration items (CIs). Such CIs are the components of your IT infrastructure, services, SLAs, documents, organizational units, users, etc. Hence it is the central fundament of IT service management as only the CMDB provides all information about the current state of your IT infrastructure that is necessary to provide the IT services agreed upon.

What is SIRIOS?

SIRIOS (System for Incident Response in Operational Security) is an incident processing system for computer emergency response teams (CERT). CERTs have to log requests and incidents, process them and respond as soon as possible. This is especially true for the creation of advisories and the processing of incidents. Also, known vulnerabilities of systems and networks must be documented. CERT-Bund, the CERT of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), uses SIRIOS, a system developed by OTRS AG in collaboration with BSI.

Which connection exists between OTRS & OTRS::ITSM/SIRIOS?

OTRS::ITSM and SIRIOS are modules based on OTRS which must be installed separately. OTRS::ITSM requires an OTRS framework in release version OTRS 2.2 or higher. SIRIOS currently requires an OTRS framework in release version OTRS 2.1.

In how many languages is OTRS available?

In 26 languages: German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Portuguese (Bras.), Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Schwedish, Finish (Suomi), Czechislowakian, Polish, Russian, Slovakian, Bulgarian, Arab (Saudi Arabia), Persian, Chinese (Sim.), Greek, Ungarian, Vietnamese, Turkish, Estonian, Catalan.

Which customers use OTRS?

Get an idea about our customers and have a look at the reference list on our homepage.

Is OTRS ITIL compliant?

The IT service management solution OTRS::ITSM, based on OTRS 2.2 is 100% ITIL compliant. The help desk system OTRS is ITIL ready and the ITIL processes incident management and problem management can be mapped in a way which is nearly ITIL compliant.

Which advantages does the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) offer?

IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), a public compilation of IT best practice recommendations, is the accepted de-facto standard for practical, efficient IT service management (ITSM). ITIL aims on designing clearly structured, service-oriented processes to align the IT organization's procedures to the requirements of the users - the "customers", in ITIL terminology - and shape the proceedings in such a way that the customers' business goals are supported in the best possible way.

Do you provide an online demo for your software solutions?

Yes. The OTRS Online Demo system.

Do we have to pay license fees for your software?

No. All OTRS::ITSM and SIRIOS modules based on OTRS, and OTRS itself are published under the GNU General Public License and no license fees apply.

Where can I download the software?

Software-Download

Alternativ download source:

OTRS Open Source Projekt

Where can I find manuals for the software?

Download the manuals for our software.

What is the OTRS Package Manager (OPM)?

From version 2.0 on, OTRS is composed of a central framework and several add-on packages to extend the system optionally. To facilitate installation of the various components they can be installed or removed comfortably via the administration interface of OTRS using the package manager. Packages must be in opm format (OTRS package manager) to be added or removed via the package management, no other formats are supported.

On which platforms can OTRS, OTRS::ITSM and SIRIOS be used?

OTRS is platform independent. Being a web application, OTRS does not require a client but can be used with every popular XHTML browser. Please find an overview of the platforms supported by OTRS in the system requirements.

Which hardware do you recommend for operating your software?

Please consult the system requirements for hardware recommendations.

Do I need a client for operating OTRS?

No. OTRS is a web application and does not require a client but can be used with every popular XHTML browser.

How often do you publish new releases?

Major releases (OTRS 2.0) are published about once a year. Minor releases (such as OTRS 2.2) are published about every six months. Every 4 to 6 weeks patch level releases (such as OTRS 2.2.1) are published.

Which possibilities exist to integrate OTRS with third party solutions?

OTRS provides generic XML or SOAP interfaces for integration with third party solutions such as CTI equipment, ERP or CRM systems. A separate OTRS module exists for the integration with network and system monitoring solutions such as Nagios. Our development team will be delighted to realize new interfaces for you upon request.

Is OTRS integrated with Network-Monitoring solutions?

Yes, the OTRS modul SystemMonitoring provides an integration with all popular Network-Monitoring solutions e.g. Nagios, OpenNMS, HP Open View, IBM Tivoli and Microsoft Operation Manager. Incidents identified by the Network-Monitoring solution will be sent to OTRS by e-mail which automatically will create a ticket and send notifications to all responsible recipients (e.g. 1st level support, Incident Manager).

How can we submit suggestions for new features or report bugs?

Use OTRS Bugzilla, a documentation solution for bugs and feature requests to comfortably report bugs you have identified in the published software and to make suggestions for new functionalities. You can also send a short E-mail to enjoy(at)otrs.com.