 | Out of all the direct-support and part-support contracts that I’ve had, I think the Microsoft one has performed the best. | |
Neil Munro, IS Infrastructure and Security Manager, The Cheshire Building Society |
Microsoft Services Essential Support offers a package of managed support, providing direct access to the services and technical expertise you need to help you maximise the use of your Microsoft technology. Essential Support OverviewFocus on Your Business Instead of Fighting IT Fires
Today, IT departments in mid-sized businesses everywhere are being challenged to contribute more strategically to their companies’ core business. Yet, at the same time, many businesses continue to cut back on technical support. Seeing it as costly overhead, they add support duties to the already substantial workload of their IT departments. The result? The technical team spends all its time reacting to support incidents and has little time left for implementing strategic solutions to impact the bottom line.
Microsoft® Services Essential Support is a new family of affordable, prepackaged support offerings that will give your IT staff time to focus on more strategic projects, while helping to keep your budget lean. Available immediately, the Essential Support Standard Plan provides phone-based access to Microsoft technical support professionals who provide problem resolution support and proactive support assistance to help increase the efficiency of your IT staff —and the benefits of your Microsoft technology investment. Essential Support Highlights| • | Two fixed-price Microsoft support packages designed to meet the unique IT needs of mid-sized businesses. |
| • | Phone-based support by Microsoft technical account professionals to help maximize IT efficiency and your technology ROI. |
| • | Proactive support assistance with prescriptive advice and guidance on IT issues such as performance concerns, disaster recovery and configuration assistance. |
| • | Full access to online information services to ensure your IT staff remains up to date on the latest Microsoft products and technologies. |
Download and read the Essential Support datasheet Essential & Premier Support Service Packages|
Proactive
Services | Support Assistance | Fixed Amount | Fixed Amount | Flexible | Custom | Custom Support Services | Not Available | Not Available | Not Available | Custom | Dedicated Support Professional | Not Available | Not Available | Not Available | Available | Dedicated Support Team | Not Available | Not Available | Not Available | Available | Health Check and Infrastructure Workshop | Not Available | Included | Available | Available | Global and Regional Workshops | Available | Included | Available | Available | Problem Resolution
Support | Problem Resolution Support | Fixed Amount | Fixed Amount | Flexible | Custom | 24x7 Coverage | Included | Included | Included | Included | 24x7 Critical Situation Escalation Management | Not Available | Included | Included | Included | Rapid Onsite Support | Not Available | Included | Included | Included | Knowledge Transfer | Proactive Information Distribution | Included | Included | Included | Included | Microsoft Premier Online | Included | Included | Included | Included | TechNet with Online Concierge | Available | Available | Available | Available | Direct
Relationship | Account Representative* | Shared, not designated contact | Shared, designated contact | Shared, designated contact | Designated contact | Remote vs. Onsite Resource | Remote | Primarily remote | Partly onsite | Primarily onsite | Account Profiling and Reporting | Quarterly | Monthly | Monthly | Customised | Case Monitoring and Escalation Management | Business Hours | 24x7 | 24x7 | 24x7 |
* in local language, where available Essential Support for Software Assurance CustomersExpanded Software Assurance Coverage
If you purchased Microsoft product licenses using the Open Value, Select, or Enterprise Agreement licensing programs, Software Assurance provides Problem Resolution Support for your Microsoft server, Microsoft Windows®, and Microsoft Office® System products and editions even if the specific licence requiring support does not have software assurance coverage.
Option to Convert Support Incidents to Essential Support
Now, Software Assurance customers have the option to convert earned incidents through Software Assurance to Essential Support incidents. This gives you a higher level of support that includes managed incident escalation and the phone-based access to a team of Microsoft technical account professionals who offer far more than reactive problem resolution.
For more information about Software Assurance Support, visit: http://support.microsoft.com/gp/softassurance.
Software Assurance with Essential Support—Focus on Your Business Instead of Fighting IT Fires
The combination of Essential Support and Software Assurance can help you increase the efficiency of your IT staff and the productive use of your Microsoft technology.
For more information about Software Assurance, visit the Software Assurance Support Web Site.
Relevant researchUK Firms waste £63bn on technology downtime
Microsoft Press Release New research has highlighted how British companies are risking their businesses by not effectively supporting their technology. Next StepsE-mail Microsoft directly on uksupsal@microsoft.com should you have any queries regarding Essential Support, or if you wish to purchase Essential Support for your organisation. | 
