Microsoft channel to obtain no-charge business critical support

Microsoft has announced no-charge business critical support offerings to its channel partners. As of October 1999, all Microsoft resellers and Microsoft Certified Solution Providers (MCSPs) will receive no-charge support for IT problems resulting in `business down` situations for their customers.

`Business critical` is defined as a network, system, server or critical application that is down and which affects a customer`s production and profitability. This includes high impact problems in which production, operations or development could be severely affected for several days.

Over and above this, all Microsoft Solution Provider members and partners will now also be entitled to registration for the MCSP 2000 programme. This will enable Microsoft`s premier channel partners to service their customers` high-level support incidents at no extra cost to themselves. Registration for MCSP 2000 will begin in the last two weeks of November 1999.

"This new support offering is the number one request we`ve received from the channel and we`re extremely pleased to deliver on this," said Maureen van Jaarsveldt, channel director at Microsoft South Africa. "This is particularly relevant to the small and medium business market where the business relies on the reseller for all its IT support. In many instances, the reseller is the IT department of these businesses. This support initiative is designed to assist our partners fulfil this role."

In order to qualify for the no-charge support, Microsoft resellers need to register for the service via a simple online process on the Microsoft Direct Access Web site: www.microsoft.com/southafrica/directaccess. Microsoft will also be e-mailing their resellers details of the no-charge support offering including instructions on how to register and a link to the Web site. Resellers should register as soon as possible to ensure their registration is logged before they call for support.

Resellers calling the Microsoft support centre will be verified as having registered for no-charge `business critical` support. The support agent will then verify that the call qualifies as `business critical` before servicing the support call.

Commenting on the offering, Paul van de Geest of Techlab, one of Microsoft`s Certified Solution Providers, said he applauds the move. "The support we offer our customers is critical to the success of both their and our business. Microsoft`s initiative will allow us to dramatically improve the support we offer as we can now assure our customers that high impact IT problems will be resolved with minimal disruption with reduced costs."

This service does not replace any of the current support services available to partners and customers, including the 24x7x365 Microsoft Premier Support offering, Microsoft Priority support or Microsoft Standard support. It is an additional service provided to all channel partners.

For more details on this, contact the Microsoft support division on 0860225567, anytime between 08h00 and 17h00.