24 TOPDESK MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2016

Patrick Mackaaij
is a marketeer at team Worcade.

Is your TOPdesk up-to-date?

Every time a new version of TOPdesk is released, you may wonder: what are the most
important reasons to upgrade to the new version? You are probably especially interested
in whether the new functionalities justify the purchase.
TOPdesk developers spend months working on new functionalities

New versions

based on the latest insights. Theyd love to let you use them sooner,

TOPdesk regularly releases new versions in order to keep up with the

instead of saving them all up for a new generation of our product.

latest technological advancements, market changes and trends. New

In order to give you access to new features more quickly weve

changed the way we deliver software. We are leaving behind

versions are also needed to solve errors and maintain connections with
hardware and software from third parties.

product generations like TOPdesk 5 for which we would save up

If you use TOPdesk SaaS, your version number is no longer relevant

major new features. From now on, you will receive new features as

in most cases. Its just like with LinkedIn, Gmail or Facebook, where you

soon as theyre ready. For this subscription model you pay a monthly

also dont know what version youre using.

fee rather than a fee for each upgrade, so you always have access to
the latest TOPdesk version.

Market changes and trends

In order to keep meeting our customers demands, we at TOPdesk work

Continuous deployment

according to the latest market changes and trends. Examples of this

are cooperation between supporting departments (shared service

With Continuous Deployment, we can release a new TOPdesk version

management), resolving calls as closely to the end user as possible

to you every day. This way we build new functionalities in TOPdesk

(shift left) and cooperation between suppliers outside an organization

step-by-step. You can see these steps at releasenotes.topdesk.com.

(chain integration).

New versions are first rolled out in our test environments, and
after that in our own production environment. From there a version

Bugs and security issues

is rolled out to customer groups, starting with customer who have an

Automated tests ensure the quality of our software, but programming

acceptance environment on TOPdesk as a Service (SaaS) and then

is done by people. Because of this TOPdesk will never be flawless.

SaaS production.

Depending on the impact of an error, we will solve it as soon as possible.

If there are any significant errors in a version, we will hold back

Security issues are a special category. We try to solve these very quickly.

delivery of that version to the next group in line. Do you manage

In recent years weve dealt with security issues concerning Java and

TOPdesk on premises? Then youll receive a version that works well in

HTTPS (Poodle and Heartbleed). For security reasons, its important that

our production environments a few times a year.

you switch to the latest version of our software as soon as possible.

TOPDESK MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2016 25

Consultancy and Support

Updating the acceptance environment (optional)

TOPdesk product generations follow a cycle from full support to

Are you using an acceptance environment? Start by updating it with

extended support and finally to end of life. In the continuous

the latest data from your production environment (database and files).

deployment cycle any specific version of TOPdesk is supported for

If youre not using an acceptance environment yet, then everything

18 months.

should be fine if you simply store a backup of your TOPdesk database

As this article is being written, TOPdesk 5 (released in 2012) is in

the extended support phase. This means that were still releasing new
versions to keep it compatible with new version of supported web

and software. If anything goes wrong during the update, you can easily
return to what you had before.
If TOPdesk is considered critical to your organizations workflow,

browsers, operating systems and database servers. We also still fix

we recommend having an acceptance environment installed. An

serious flaws and security issues.

acceptance environment lets you test new functionalities, check

After the extended support period, TOPdesk 5 will move to End of

life and then we wont release new versions anymore. This phase will
be announced a year before it starts.

whether a customer solution still works and see which errors have
been fixed in the new version.
You can request an acceptance environment for SaaS. When we roll
out a new version, your acceptance environment will automatically be

Updating TOPdesk
Do you use TOPdesk on-premises? Check Help> About TOPdesk to see

updated a few days earlier than your production environment. Do you

use TOPdesk on-premises? Check help.topdesk.com to find out how to
set up an acceptance environment.

whether youre using the latest version. You can download the latest
version via the TOPdesk Extranet. As this is being written, the latest

Updating the production environment

version is 5.7 SR5. Updating TOPdesk can be done within a day or even

When you prepare to update the production environment, you can

a half day.

use your experiences with the new version from the acceptance
environment to create a plan. The updating process can be divided into

Preparing for the update

these general steps:

The processing time of an update to TOPdesk depends on the impact

the changes will have on your organizations processes, and the on any

1. Deactivate any customer solutions or add-ons.

customer solutions you may have.

2. Shut down TOPdesk.

3. Create a backup of your TOPdesk database and software.

1. Check whether your IT infrastructure meets the system

4. Install the new TOPdesk version in the same location as the

requirements. You can find the system requirements at

old version.

help.topdesk.com.

5. Start TOPdesk again.

2. Read the update manual and check for important changes.

6. Install new versions of any customer solutions or add-ons you have

This manual is included in the download for the latest version.

7. Make functional changes if needed

3. Check whether you use any customer solutions or add-ons. Your

TOPdesk application administrator can see whether any bespoke

The first time you start TOPdesk after an update may take a little

work is activated.

longer because TOPdesk automatically updates your database to

the latest version.

Customer solutions and add-ons have to be built again for each new
version of TOPdesk. If you want your customer solutions to be updated
for a new version you will need to confirm the order.

26 TOPDESK MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2016

Editorial
Download this issue and more at www.scribd.com/TOPdesk
The TOPdesk Magazine covers subjects that are topical in

TOPdesk as a Service

the world of professional service desks in IT, facilities and

Is your TOPdesk version older than 5.7 SR5? Or would you like

other service providing organizations. TOPdesk Magazine

a consultant to help your update TOPdesk? Consider getting

is intended for managers, service desk employees, facilities

TOPdesk as a Service so you never have to worry about managing

organizations and electronic city councils anyone who

and maintaining TOPdesk.

is involved with supporting clients on a daily basis. This

About half of our new customers choose TOPdesk as a Service. Of all

our customers, about 25% lets us take care of technical maintenance.

concerns both the processes and the technology behind

these services.

We make sure that your TOPdesk remains up-to-date and we take

care of IT infrastructure such as the operating system, Java and the

TOPdesk Magazine is a TOPdesk publication,

database server.

+44 (0) 207 803 4200, editorial@topdesk.com

Editors-in-chief and copy editors: Acacia Kooij, Nicola van
de Velde

On-premises

SaaS

Translators: Fijke Roelofsen, Laura van Rosenberg, Nicola van

de Velde
Contributors: Martin Beijering, Elisette Daams, Fiona IJkema,
Tom Knippenberg, Patrick Mackaaij, Wolter Smit
Layout: Denise van Rijst
Illustration: Frank van Klink
Photography: Aad Hoogendoorn, Menno van der Bijl

A print run of 10,000

6.9

6.8

6.7

6.x

5.7

5.6

5.5

5.x

6.10

6.9

6.8

6.7

6.x

5.x

Quarterly magazine
Languages: Dutch, English

Division of TOPdesk versions managed on-premises

vs. managed by TOPdesk (SaaS)

Copyright 2016 TOPdesk. Although this publication has

been produced with the utmost care and attention, the
writers cannot be held responsible in any way for any

The diagram above shows that most of our TOPdesk SaaS customers

damages that may occur due to errors and / or deficiencies

use the latest TOPdesk version. Half of our on-premises customers work

in this publication.

with a version thats over a year old. TOPdesk SaaS customers that have
an older version usually have a customer solution or add-on.

Official TOPdesk partners: 3Fifty, AskRoger!, Bomgar, DDC,

Delta-N, Gartner, IBIS Software, Mavim, Nexthink, OGD,

Okta, Partners in Technology, Plandatis, RES Software,
Servitect, Scope4mation, Snow Software, Testersuite,
The Backbone, TimeTell, Tools4ever, Victa