The Columbus, Ohio-based division of Time Warner Cable Inc. said it plans to upgrade its help desk software to include asset management capabilities.

The new version of Toronto-based Help Desk Technology Corp.'s software, HelpStar 8.0, will help Time Warner Cable track its IT equipment from purchase to the end of the product life cycle, helping streamline an already existing process, according to Bill Myers, network administrator for the cable operator's Columbus division.

The asset management feature in HelpStar 8.0 comes in addition to a range of other features that Myers already uses to support a six-person help desk, which in turn supports about 1,000 Time Warner personnel in central Ohio. Most of the personnel run a call center used to serve Time Warner Cable customers.