Dell expands enterprise services

Dell SA has announced two initiatives designed to increase mission-critical enterprise services and streamline the deployment of complex applications for enterprise customers across EMEA.

Premier Enterprise Support is an expansion of Dell`s enterprise services to provide a tiered range of support capabilities, specifically aimed at the enterprise customer. "These support enhancements broaden Dell`s offering in the critical application and database systems environments and help customers simplify enterprise computing and maximise system uptime," says Sean Wainer, enterprise product manager for Dell SA.

Dell also announced Infrastructure Accelerators, a set of validated software solution stacks, each with a comprehensive and common set of tools designed to simplify and speed deployment of Microsoft, Oracle, SAP and i2 business application and infrastructure software.

Wainer adds that the Infrastructure Accelerators help shorten the time it takes to get business software installed and operating, by reducing complexity associated with the acquisition, installation and deployment of infrastructure software.

Premier Enterprise Support offers four support tiers - Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze - to meet the needs of different computing environments. The Platinum and Gold tiers support complex data centres, clustered, large storage and rack-dense enterprise environments, around-the-clock with high-availability system support offerings. Key Platinum and Gold features include: engineer-to-engineer support, technical account managers providing a single point of accountability for problem resolution and proactive services, featuring remote monitoring and change notification.

Additionally it offers remote storage and software support (for Microsoft, Novell and Red Hat Linux), seamless support with select third party vendors to resolve issues through Dell as the single point of accountability. "It also offers 24x7 on-site hardware service coverage with a four-hour response, as well as additional options for on-site engineers, spares and on-site troubleshooting," adds Wainer.

For installations with less demanding uptime requirements, the Silver support level offers a 24x7 or same business day hardware support contract, with four-hour on-site maintenance and optional operating system support. Bronze support is geared at non-time sensitive systems and includes 24x7 Web support, business hours hardware technical phone support, with next-business-day onsite response, and also the option of operating system support.

Dell is also enhancing the capability of Premier Dell.com, previously know as its premier pages. "This Internet portal for business and institutional customers now also provides access to support material and customer-specific service and product information such as service call status and system configuration data," explains Wainer.

In South Africa and across EMEA, Bronze and Silver levels of Premier Enterprise Support will be available from May 2001, and the Gold and Platinum levels of Enterprise Support will be available from September 2001.

Dell is providing custom factory integration and tools for leading business infrastructure applications from i2 Technologies, Microsoft, Oracle and SAP. The Accelerator tools include performance characterisations, sizing and configuration tools, a variety of technical white papers and solution engineering services.

Dell also provides services to pre-load the applications on customers` systems, prior to shipment from Dell factories. The company incorporates application expertise gained from its own deployment of many of these applications and those of other Dell customers into the bundled configurations.

"Infrastructure Accelerators and Premier Enterprise Support are yet another building block in Dell`s enterprise strategy and are designed to address application, infrastructure and services needs, increasing speed of deployment and reducing risk for enterprise customers," adds Wainer.