Is it possible to use Jira as a help desk solution without plugins or Service Desk?

[Mark Newell]

We have been using Jira to record and track issues and a different 3rd party for our Help Desk Solution but we'd like to transition completely to Jira. It would be ideal if we could do that without having to install a plug-in or using Service Desk. Does anyone have experience in doing this? Is this even a possibility? If so can you point me to documentation or more information to that will assist me in setting this up.

If this isn't possible can you please let me know what out best options might be?

Thanks in advance.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist- · Accepted solution]

It depends on what you want from it.  The core of a service desk is an "issue tracker", so yes, you can build a service desk on plain Jira.

But the stuff around that is not what issue trackers do - portals, SLAs (defining and reporting on them), agent queues, simplification for end users, etc.  You will need to do a lot of config and coding to replicate any of those functions even partially.  Plus, every person will cost you money (whereas service desk gives you free "customers")

I have done it, before we had service desk.  It relied on a LOT of code and addons when there was something that did it, and was nowhere near as useful as Service Desk.

[Jimmy Seddon]

I agree with Nic.  We were forcing Jira Core to act like Service Desk before I found out about it at the Summit. 

I think what it really comes down to is do all the users who will be submitting issues have a Jira license already or not.  If they already have licenses you might not see the full benefits of Service Desk. 

I know that personally all of our users have licenses but I will still be looking to get Service Desk in our instance as it takes away some of the custom maintenance I have made to get that working off my administrative plate as a number of the things I have done become "Core Features" of Service Desk. 

Just my two cents.

-James