Support Services Frequently Asked Questions Basic Questions What online resources do you provide? We provide an array of online resources including but not limited to the documentation library, Getting Started guides, knowledgebase, animated tutorials, problem identification worksheets, and online support cases. What services do you provide? We provide email and Web-based support, and a variety of premium services such as phone, emergency, and onsite support. Do you have specialized support options or packages? Contact your Account Manager to discuss the availability of phone support, after-hours support, emergency support, onsite support, and remote diagnostics. What technical issues do you cover? We provide installation, configuration, and connection support. We also assist in debugging stability, ODBC performance, SQL, and ODBC API problems. What technical issues do you exclude from coverage? We do not assist in database tuning, custom development, or the use of third-party applications that extends beyond use of ODBC. How do you provide support? We deliver support in a variety of means. Most support issues are handled through the online case system. However, first-tier phone and email support is available for simple installation, licensing, and connection questions. Premium support packages may also include extensive phone support, onsite support, or remote diagnostics. Who provides support? Our staff is comprised of individuals with extensive knowledge of data access, data migration, database administration, programming APIs, and other relevant skills. How can I help you help me? We encourage users to create one open an online support case for each incident. Support cases create a forum through which we can organize and track the resolution of user problems. Additionally, we encourage users to search the OPIE knowledgebase for relevant information and to use our Problem Identification Worksheets to help expedite service. Finally, we provide a web-based Support discussion forum. Hours of Operation What are your hours of operation? We are available from 9:00AM to 5:30PM, relative to our offices (Burlington, MA, USA and London, UK). Do your offices close for particular holidays? Our UK Office is closed on the following days: New Year's Good Friday Easter Monday May Day Spring Bank Holiday Summer Bank Holiday Christmas Boxing Day Our US Office is closed on the following days: New Year's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day President's Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday Christmas License Contracts Is support included in my licensing fee? Our standard license fee does not include Maintenance & Support. Users must pay an additional percentage or flat fee to obtain a Maintenance & Support agreement. Do I need a support contract? We provide quality web-based support to all our evaluators and customers. However, you or your organization may choose to invest in a Maintenance & Support Contract to obtain access to Phone Support, Emergency Support, and other premium services. What benefits do Maintenance and Support contracts provide? Our Maintenance & Support agreements entitle users to priority support and discounts on specific upgrades. Maintenance & Support may also entitle you to premium services such as phone support, after hours support, and so forth. Ask your Account Manager for additional information. How much do Maintenance and Support contracts cost? Most Maintenance & Support agreements cost a small percentage of the original product license fee. Contact your Account Manager for additional information. How long do Maintenance and Support contracts last? Maintenance & Support contracts last one or more years from their date of order. How do I obtain a Maintenance and Support contract? Contact your Account Manager to obtain a Maintenance & Support Contract. How do I renew a Maintenance and Support contract? Contact your Account Manager to renew your Maintenance & Support Contracts. Product Eligibility Requirements Do you provide support for all existing versions of your products? We may discontinue formal support for older software versions. Contact your Account Manager to ascertain which versions of our products are current. However, we may assist legacy users when problems are deemed resolvable. Does my Maintenance and Support contract cover all my existing versions and installations? Your Maintenance & Support contract covers the specific licensed installations for which it was issued. Other installations are not covered. Premium Services Do you provide phone support? Limited phone support is provided to Maintenance & Support holders. Extensive live assistance is a premium service. Contact your Account Manager for additional information. Do you provide evening or weekend support? After Hours Support is a premium service. Maintenance & Support contract holders should contact your Account Manager for additional information. Do you provide installation assistance? Phone-based Installation Assistance is a premium service. Maintenance & Support contract holders should contact your Account Manager for additional information. Do you provide per incident support? Phone-based per incident support is a premium service. Maintenance & Support contract holders should contact your Account Manager for additional information. Do you provide "time to resolution" support? "Time to resolution" support is a premium service. Maintenance & Support contract holders should contact your Account Manager for additional information. Do you provide onsite support? Onsite support is a premium service. Maintenance & Support contract holders should contact your Account Manager for additional information. Does you provide remote diagnostics or "login" support? Remote diagnostics are a premium service. Maintenance & Support contract holders should contact your Account Manager for additional information. Escalation What do I do, if I am not satisfied with Support? Before you proceed, insure that you have opened a formal support case, for each outstanding support issue. Then, contact your Account Manager. They will help you raise the priority of your issue. If the problem persists, contact your Technical Services Manager. What do I do to escalate an issue? Before you proceed, insure that you have opened a formal support case, for each matter that you wish to escalate. Then, contact your Account Manager. They will help you raise the priority of your issue. If the problem persists, contact your Technical Services Manager. Bug Reports and Feature Requests How do I submit a bug report? We suggest that you open an online support case. We will recreate the bug and identify the test bed to the Development Team. We will receive an ETA for all valid bug reports and a development tracking number. Upon completion of a patch, we will receive a notification from Development that will be relayed to you, the user. Be advised - If you need immediate turn around on your bug report, contact your Account Manager. They can assist you in expediting the matter. How do I submit a feature request? We suggest that you open an online support case. We will assess the request and forward it to the Development Team. We will receive an ETA for all valid requests and a development tracking number. Upon implementation of the request, we will receive a notification from Development will be relayed to you, the user. Be advised - If you need an immediate turn around on your feature request, contact your Account Manager. They can assist you in expediting the matter. See Also Mac FAQ Technical FAQs