Today, IT departments everywhere are being challenged to contribute more strategically to their companies' core business. Yet many businesses continue to cut back on outside technical assistance – while adding support duties to the already substantial workload of their IT departments. The result? The technical team spends all of its time reacting to myriad problems, with little time left for implementing strategic solutions that help boost productivity and the bottom line. Now there is a cost-effective solution that can be easily justified by reducing the cost of downtime to your business. Microsoft Services Essential Support is a family of affordable, prepackaged support offerings that can help give your IT staff more time to concentrate on optimising information technology to support your business solutions. This offering was developed based on extensive customer research and reflects the feedback given to us about customer support needs. It has been designed to leverage and enhance your Software Assurance support benefits by accelerating response time to problem resolution. With Essential Support, you have priority, phone-based access to a team of Microsoft technical account professionals who offer far more than reactive problem resolution. These highly skilled experts focus on providing you with valuable proactive "how-to" guidance – to keep your systems up and running smoothly. All of which helps to increase the efficiency of the IT staff, and the productive use of your Microsoft technology. The noteworthy elements of Essential SupportBy signing up for Essential Support, your business will have access to the following: 1. Proactive services:| • | Prescriptive advice and recommendations | | • | Guidance on design, development, and deployment of Microsoft solutions | | • | Facilitation by a phone-based, Microsoft, technical account professional |
2. Reactive problem resolution:| • | 24x7 resolution support for critical issues | | • | Prioritised response times, based on issue severity and impact to business | | • | Case monitoring and problem escalation management | | • | Technical Support Alliance Network (TSANet) for fast, multi-vendor issue resolution |
3. Support account management:| • | Phone-based priority access to support | | • | Technical Account Specialist | | • | Account planning and monthly reporting | | • | Proactive information distribution | | • | Customer advocacy and resource facilitation |
4. Information services:| • | Microsoft Premier Online | | • | Microsoft TechNet Plus | | • | Webcasts (online seminars) |
Essential Support complements Software Assurance support benefitsReactive problem resolution | 24x7 support (unmanaged) Incident-based2 | 24x7 support + business hours escalation management3 Hourly based4 | Maximises your problem resolution support capability by having someone on the "inside" watching out for you, and using only the hours you need. | Proactive services | None | Microsoft will proactively send technical information relevant to your business. You can seek advice and guidance from Microsoft for issues that have not yet become problems. | Ability to minimise the number of unexpected problems that keep your IT staff from focusing on what's important. | Information services and case management | Public Knowledge Base | Premium partner-level Knowledge Base (personalised to the customers' Microsoft investment) Online incident submission and tracking, via Microsoft Premier Online (MPO) | Enhance your ability to start a support incident and track resolution status online. Gain 24x7 online support and access to white papers and best practices that help you stay up-to-date and knowledgeable about Microsoft products. | Microsoft support contact | None | Shared team of Technical Account Managers (TAMs) assigned to your business | Quicker access to expertise, and someone who will know your company and support history. |
In the event that there is any conflict or contradiction between the language of this document and the language of the Enterprise Agreement, the Enterprise Enrolment, or Enterprise Essential Support Services Enrolment, the terms of the applicable agreement or enrolment take precedence. Please contact your LAR/ESA to discuss how to attach Essential Support to your new or existing EA, or call us on 0870 60 80 800.© 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This data sheet is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
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