diff --git a/helpdesk/settings.py b/helpdesk/settings.py
index 96026068..55849c74 100644
--- a/helpdesk/settings.py
+++ b/helpdesk/settings.py
@@ -118,6 +118,8 @@ HELPDESK_DASHBOARD_SHOW_DELETE_UNASSIGNED = getattr(settings, 'HELPDESK_DASHBOAR
 # hide empty queues in dashboard overview?
 HELPDESK_DASHBOARD_HIDE_EMPTY_QUEUES = getattr(settings, 'HELPDESK_DASHBOARD_HIDE_EMPTY_QUEUES', True)
 
+# show basic ticket stats on dashboard?
+HELPDESK_DASHBOARD_BASIC_TICKET_STATS = getattr(settings, 'HELPDESK_DASHBOARD_BASIC_TICKET_STATS', False)
 
 
 ''' options for footer '''
diff --git a/helpdesk/templates/helpdesk/dashboard.html b/helpdesk/templates/helpdesk/dashboard.html
index 3839b7d7..6d1790de 100644
--- a/helpdesk/templates/helpdesk/dashboard.html
+++ b/helpdesk/templates/helpdesk/dashboard.html
@@ -29,6 +29,29 @@
 </div>
 
 
+{% if helpdesk_settings.HELPDESK_DASHBOARD_BASIC_TICKET_STATS %}
+<br style='clear: both;' />
+<br style='clear: both;' />
+
+<table width='100%'>
+
+<tr class='row_tablehead' style="color: #fbff00;"><td colspan='2'><i>{% trans "Current Ticket Stats" %}</i></td></tr>
+<tr><td colspan='2'>- {% trans "Current average number of days until ticket is closed: " %}<strong style="color: red;">{{ basic_ticket_stats.average_nbr_days_until_ticket_closed }}</strong>. 
+{% trans "Click" %} <strong><a href="{% url helpdesk_report_index %}daysuntilticketclosedbymonth">here</a></strong> {% trans "for detailed average by month." %} </td></tr>
+<tr><td colspan='2'>- {% trans "Distribution of open tickets, grouped by time period:" %}</td></tr>
+<tr class='row_columnheads'><th>{% trans "Days since opened" %}</th><th>{% trans "Number of open tickets" %}</th></tr>
+
+{% for entry in basic_ticket_stats.open_ticket_stats %}
+<tr class='row_{% cycle odd,even %} row_hover'>
+<th style="padding-left: 20px;">{{ entry.0 }}</th>
+<td style="padding-left: 20px;"><span style="color: {{ entry.2 }};">{% if entry.1 > 0 %}<a href="{% url helpdesk_list %}?{{ entry.3 }}">{{ entry.1 }}</a>{% else %}{{ entry.1 }}{% endif %}</span></td>
+</tr>
+{% endfor %}
+
+</table>
+{% endif %}
+
+
 {% if all_tickets_reported_by_current_user %}
 <br style='clear: both;' />
 
diff --git a/helpdesk/templates/helpdesk/report_index.html b/helpdesk/templates/helpdesk/report_index.html
index 6159be06..6a8b2e85 100644
--- a/helpdesk/templates/helpdesk/report_index.html
+++ b/helpdesk/templates/helpdesk/report_index.html
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
     <li><a href='queuepriority/{% if saved_query %}?saved_query={{ saved_query }}{% endif %}'>{% trans "by Priority" %}</a></li>
     <li><a href='queuestatus/{% if saved_query %}?saved_query={{ saved_query }}{% endif %}'>{% trans "by Status" %}</a></li>
     <li><a href='queuemonth/{% if saved_query %}?saved_query={{ saved_query }}{% endif %}'>{% trans "by Month" %}</a></li>
+    <li><a href='daysuntilticketclosedbymonth/{% if saved_query %}?saved_query={{ saved_query }}{% endif %}'>{% trans "Days until ticket closed by Month" %}</a></li>
 
 </ul></li>
 </ul>
diff --git a/helpdesk/views/staff.py b/helpdesk/views/staff.py
index 80ee65b4..fe4e6108 100644
--- a/helpdesk/views/staff.py
+++ b/helpdesk/views/staff.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ views/staff.py - The bulk of the application - provides most business logic and
 """
 
 from datetime import datetime
+from datetime import timedelta
 import sys
 
 from django.conf import settings
@@ -78,6 +79,11 @@ def dashboard(request):
         ).order_by('status')
 
 
+    # calculate basic ticket stats if requested
+    basic_ticket_stats = False
+    if helpdesk_settings.HELPDESK_DASHBOARD_BASIC_TICKET_STATS:
+        basic_ticket_stats = calc_basic_ticket_stats(Ticket)
+
     # The following query builds a grid of queues & ticket statuses,
     # to be displayed to the user. EG:
     #          Open  Resolved
@@ -122,6 +128,7 @@ def dashboard(request):
             'unassigned_tickets': unassigned_tickets,
             'all_tickets_reported_by_current_user': all_tickets_reported_by_current_user,
             'dash_tickets': dash_tickets,
+            'basic_ticket_stats': basic_ticket_stats,
         }))
 dashboard = staff_member_required(dashboard)
 
@@ -934,7 +941,7 @@ report_index = staff_member_required(report_index)
 
 
 def run_report(request, report):
-    if Ticket.objects.all().count() == 0 or report not in ('queuemonth', 'usermonth', 'queuestatus', 'queuepriority', 'userstatus', 'userpriority', 'userqueue'):
+    if Ticket.objects.all().count() == 0 or report not in ('queuemonth', 'usermonth', 'queuestatus', 'queuepriority', 'userstatus', 'userpriority', 'userqueue', 'daysuntilticketclosedbymonth'):
         return HttpResponseRedirect(reverse("helpdesk_report_index"))
 
     report_queryset = Ticket.objects.all().select_related()
@@ -958,6 +965,8 @@ def run_report(request, report):
 
     from collections import defaultdict
     summarytable = defaultdict(int)
+    # a second table for more complex queries
+    summarytable2 = defaultdict(int)
 
     months = (
         _('Jan'),
@@ -1038,8 +1047,14 @@ def run_report(request, report):
         possible_options = periods
         charttype = 'date'
 
+    elif report == 'daysuntilticketclosedbymonth':
+        title = _('Days until ticket closed by Month')
+        col1heading = _('Queue')
+        possible_options = periods
+        charttype = 'date'
 
 
+    metric3 = False
     for ticket in report_queryset:
         if report == 'userpriority':
             metric1 = u'%s' % ticket.get_assigned_to
@@ -1069,10 +1084,23 @@ def run_report(request, report):
             metric1 = u'%s' % ticket.queue.title
             metric2 = u'%s %s' % (months[ticket.created.month - 1], ticket.created.year)
 
+        elif report == 'daysuntilticketclosedbymonth':
+            metric1 = u'%s' % ticket.queue.title
+            metric2 = u'%s %s' % (months[ticket.created.month - 1], ticket.created.year)
+            metric3 = ticket.modified - ticket.created
+            metric3 = metric3.days
+
         summarytable[metric1, metric2] += 1
+        if metric3:
+            if report == 'daysuntilticketclosedbymonth':
+                summarytable2[metric1, metric2] += metric3
     
     table = []
     
+    if report == 'daysuntilticketclosedbymonth':
+        for key in summarytable2.keys():
+            summarytable[key] = summarytable2[key] / summarytable[key]
+
     header1 = sorted(set(list( i.encode('utf-8') for i,_ in summarytable.keys() )))
     
     column_headings = [col1heading] + possible_options
@@ -1262,3 +1290,76 @@ def attachment_del(request, ticket_id, attachment_id):
     return HttpResponseRedirect(reverse('helpdesk_view', args=[ticket_id]))
 attachment_del = staff_member_required(attachment_del)
 
+def calc_average_nbr_days_until_ticket_resolved(Tickets):
+    nbr_closed_tickets = len(Tickets)
+    days_per_ticket = 0
+    days_each_ticket = list()
+
+    for ticket in Tickets:
+        time_ticket_open = ticket.modified - ticket.created
+        days_this_ticket = time_ticket_open.days
+        days_per_ticket += days_this_ticket
+        days_each_ticket.append(days_this_ticket)
+
+    mean_per_ticket = days_per_ticket / nbr_closed_tickets
+    return mean_per_ticket
+
+def calc_basic_ticket_stats(Ticket):
+    # all closed tickets - independent of user
+    all_closed_tickets = Ticket.objects.filter(status = Ticket.CLOSED_STATUS)
+    average_nbr_days_until_ticket_closed = calc_average_nbr_days_until_ticket_resolved(all_closed_tickets)
+
+    # all not closed tickets (open, reopened, resolved,) - independent of user
+    all_open_tickets = Ticket.objects.exclude(status = Ticket.CLOSED_STATUS)
+    today = datetime.today()
+
+    date_30 = date_rel_to_today(today, 30)
+    date_60 = date_rel_to_today(today, 60)
+    date_30_str = date_30.strftime('%Y-%m-%d')
+    date_60_str = date_60.strftime('%Y-%m-%d')
+
+    # < 30 
+    ota_le_30 = all_open_tickets.filter(created__gt = date_30)
+    N_ota_le_30 = len(ota_le_30)
+
+    # > 30 & < 60 
+    ota_le_60_ge_30 = all_open_tickets.filter(created__gte = date_60, created__lte = date_30)
+    N_ota_le_60_ge_30 = len(ota_le_60_ge_30)
+
+    # > 60
+    ota_ge_60 = all_open_tickets.filter(created__lt = date_60)
+    N_ota_ge_60 = len(ota_ge_60)
+
+    # (O)pen (T)icket (S)tats
+    ots = list()
+    # label, number entries, color, sort_string
+    ots.append(['< 30 days', N_ota_le_30, get_color_for_nbr_days(N_ota_le_30), sort_string(date_30_str, ''), ])
+    ots.append(['30 - 60 days', N_ota_le_60_ge_30, get_color_for_nbr_days(N_ota_le_60_ge_30), sort_string(date_60_str, date_30_str), ])
+    ots.append(['> 60 days', N_ota_ge_60, get_color_for_nbr_days(N_ota_ge_60), sort_string('', date_60_str), ])
+    
+    # put together basic stats
+    basic_ticket_stats = {  'average_nbr_days_until_ticket_closed': average_nbr_days_until_ticket_closed, 
+                            'open_ticket_stats': ots, }
+
+    return basic_ticket_stats
+
+def get_color_for_nbr_days(nbr_days):
+    ''' '''
+    if nbr_days < 5:
+        color_string = 'green'
+    elif nbr_days >= 5 and nbr_days < 10:
+        color_string = 'orange'
+    else: # more than 10 days
+        color_string = 'red'
+
+    return color_string
+
+def days_since_created(today, ticket):
+    return (today - ticket.created).days
+
+def date_rel_to_today(today, offset):
+    return today - timedelta(days = offset)
+
+def sort_string(begin, end):
+    return 'sort=created&date_from=%s&date_to=%s&status=%s&status=%s&status=%s' %(begin, end, Ticket.OPEN_STATUS, Ticket.REOPENED_STATUS, Ticket.RESOLVED_STATUS)
+