bespoke software support services
More information
This document describes the options available for the ongoing support and maintenance of your Samarind-developed bespoke software.
what is support?
When a computer system does not perform as expected and the user is unable to resolve the problem, some expert help is required. This expert help is called support.
All systems developed by Samarind include 3 months unlimited support, which includes site visits if required. After this period the users have a good idea of the level of future help they will require, based upon their experience during the initial three months and their level of expertise.
what's included
The Samarind support service is a commitment from us to guarantee a response to your support call, and a resolution for the problem, within agreed timescales.
- There is no limit to the number of calls you may place per year. We log all support calls, whether or not you have a support agreement with us.
- You may call us about any aspect of the software system in question.
- If you can allow us to have remote access to your system (for example pcAnywhere or a similar package), then on-line remote diagnosis and cure is included as part of the service. This can have a big impact on 'time-to-fix' figures and is highly recommended.
- If a site visit is required, we waive our normal call-out fee (currently £95 + vat) for support customers, and time on site is charged at a preferential rate (currently £60 + vat per hour rather than our usual £70 + vat per hour).
service levels available
In order to cater for systems of all sizes and degrees of importance, we offer 3 levels of service, each priced as a percentage of the actual development cost of the software.
| Service Level | Respond to high priority problems within | Resolve high priority problems within | Price % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1* | 1 working hour | 4 working hours | 45% |
| 2* | 1/2 working day | 2 working days | 30% |
| 3 | 2 working days | 5 working days | 12% |
*Modem access to the system for remote diagnostic purposes is usually required for service levels 1 and 2 in order for us to achieve the above fix times
A 'response' is you being able to speak to someone who is familiar with your system, so that you can explain your exact problem to them.
The 'resolution' of the problem is likely to be one of the following:
- we talk you through how to do whatever it is you are trying to do;
- we find a temporary 'work-around' in order to get you going while we find a more permanent solution;
- we provide a new version of the software which fixes the problem;
- we perform a manipulation of the system's data files to stop the problem happening; or
- we establish that the software is actually performing as originally specified.
In the last case, this may lead to you requesting a modification to the software, which we would probably need to charge for.
In practice, we find that the majority of support calls are responded to, and resolved, within the same telephone call that they are reported in.
your responsibilities
In order for us to provide you with an effective and efficient support service, we ask the following.
- You must nominate one main contact, and preferably a deputy, as being the people in your organisation who are authorised to call us. These should be computer-literate people who are fully au fait with the general day-to-day use of the system.
- When a nominated contact calls us, they must be sure to specify that they want to place a support call, and how urgent the problem is (High, Medium, Low or Query) and/or when they need a response by.
- You should ensure that the system is not 'tinkered with', ie. that no element of the source code or other internal aspect of the system is modified without our knowledge and consent.
options
The following options are available at extra cost.
- A level 1 or level 2 service where no modem access is possible.
- A more general support service, whereby any of the users can call us regarding the software in question, not just the nominated contacts.
- No extra charges for site visits. As described above, site visits are usually chargeable, but we can price the support service to include them if you wish.
- Provision of quarterly management reports summarising the support calls received.
- A legally binding support contract, with penalty clauses as necessary, drawn up by solicitors and signed by both parties.
payment terms
Ongoing support services, following the successful completion of the development, are usually billed either annually or quarterly, payable in advance. Our payment terms for all invoices, unless otherwise agreed, are strictly 30 days from invoice date.