Product FAQ

General Questions

1. Is Alloy Navigator based on ITIL?

Alloy Navigator is based on the ITIL, the leading best-practices guideline for IT Service Management.

2. Why is it relevant that Alloy Navigator is based on ITIL?

ITIL is widely recognized as a system of best practices for IT departments and Service Desks. In accordance with the ITIL framework, Alloy Navigator is designed to help your organization implement a help desk and asset tracking system that is aligned with the unique objectives of your business.

3. Will our organization need to change the existing procedures and practices in order to implement Alloy Navigator?

No. Using software that is based on the ITIL approach will help you rapidly improve the efficiency of IT services delivery, regardless of the existing procedures and practices in your organization.

4. Do I need to learn about ITIL to correctly implement Alloy Navigator?

No, knowledge of your own practices and business priorities is important to implementing Alloy Navigator, but it does not matter whether these practices follow ITIL or not. Besides, our Professional Services can provide the necessary assistance in planning and implementing Alloy Navigator to meet the unique needs of your organization.

5. Where can I find information on ITIL?
• ITIL community pages
• Official British Government ITIL site
• ITSM Portal
• ITIL and ITSM World Directory
• ITIL Survival
• Wikipedia
6. What size organization is Alloy Navigator targeted towards?

Organizations in all size ranges that want to streamline their IT service support processes and manage their IT assets more effectively can benefit from Alloy Navigator. Competitively priced, Alloy Navigator is comprehensive enough to handle the most complex of business processes, but flexible enough to support the current need of your business. The ease of implementation and maintenance means that it is suitable for even small IT shops with only a single technician, as well as large and distributed organizations with dozens of IT staff.

7. Will I be able to take a gradual approach to implementing Alloy Navigator?

Yes. IT industry best practices indicate that new IT processes should often be implemented gradually, and Alloy Navigator is designed with this approach in mind. While the different modules of Alloy Navigator are tightly integrated, there are few interdependencies, so you can implement them in the order that suits you.

8. Will I be able to receive assistance with planning my Alloy Navigator implementation?

Yes. Our Professional Services staff is here to provide the support, training, and consulting you may want to gain maximum value from your Alloy Navigator deployment. Our staff members are not only experts in using our own software products, but are seasoned IT veterans with solid theoretical knowledge and extensive real-world experience in IT practices.

Migrating from Asset Navigator

1. Will I be able to upgrade or migrate from Asset Navigator to Alloy Navigator?

We have worked diligently to ensure that our existing customers have an effortless transition to Alloy Navigator. This includes the ability to transparently migrate your Asset Navigator V4.5 database. If you are using an earlier version of Asset Navigator (prior to 4.5), you should upgrade to version 4.5 first.

2. Will Alloy Software continue support for Asset Navigator?

Alloy Software will continue support for Asset Navigator V4.

3. How will upgrading to Alloy Navigator benefit my organization?

The benefits of upgrading to Alloy Navigator are outlined on the Upgrade Benefits page.

4. What is the cost to upgrade to Alloy Navigator?

The upgrade price depends on several factors including the number of technicians that will be using the product, number of computers in your inventory, version of Asset Navigator you a currently registered for, etc. Please contact our sales team so they can analyze your requirements and provide you with a price quote.

5. Will I be able to modify default reports included with Alloy Navigator or design my own reports?

Alloy Navigator integrates with Crystal Reports XI, the industry standard for reporting and charting. If your organization already owns a license for Crystal Reports, you can leverage this license to design or modify reports. Otherwise you can buy an appropriate license through Alloy Software or directly from Business Objects. Please contact our sales team for further details.

6. Can Alloy Software help me plan and implement my upgrade?

Yes. Our specialists can thoroughly examine your current practices and business priorities to develop strategic and technical plans for the migration.

New Customers

1. What are the key features of Alloy Navigator?

Key features of Alloy Navigator are described on the Features Summary page. From there, please download the Alloy Navigator Data Sheet to learn more about its features.

2. What is the cost of Alloy Navigator?

The price depends on a number of factors including the number of technicians that will be using the product, number of computers in your inventory, and selected product modules. Please contact our sales team so they can analyze your requirements and provide you with a price quote.

3. Will I need to buy database server software to use Alloy Navigator?

Not necessarily. You can use the freely distributed copy of MSDE 2000 or Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition. This is generally sufficient to host the Alloy Navigator database in environments with less than 1000 computers and 10 technicians. Even if you have a larger environment, these editions may still be sufficient. Please contact our sales team for help with analyzing this feasibility.

4. Is separate report designer software required to generate reports?

Alloy Navigator integrates with Crystal Reports XI, the industry standard for reporting and charting. The Crystal Reports Viewer is included with Alloy Navigator. It provides the ability to generate and print standard reports included with Alloy Navigator.

If you wish to modify existing reports, or design your own reports, you would need to have an appropriate license from Business Objects.If your organization already owns a license of Crystal Reports, you can use this license to design or modify reports. Otherwise you can buy an appropriate license through Alloy Software or directly from Business Objects. Please contact our sales team for further details.