Support Levels
The level of support that IT staff can provide in resolving problems depends on a number of factors. The support levels are described below and include examples.
Full Support
Included in this category are IT‐approved, attached peripherals that are still under the manufacture warranty. We'll provide most or all of the following:
- Consulting and purchase assistance
- Installation
- Documentation
- Training
- Service Desk support
- On-site troubleshooting and repair
- Relevant announcements and information about the product
Partial Support
We will provide the following:
- Installation of the product
- Verification that the application launches
- Limited documentation and training
- Limited Service Desk support
- Limited on-site support
We cannot guarantee the functionality of a product designated as 'partial support'. Included in this category are some department-specific software and hardware approved by IT. Other things included are products that we are in the process of discontinuing or phasing out (i.e. old version numbers, frozen version numbers, etc.). We'll support it as we know it (from the documentation that we have), but as of a specified date it will move to minimal support. Also included are IT‐approved attached peripherals that are no longer under the manufacture warranty.
Minimal Support
We will provide the following:
- Up to 1/2 hour of installation service but no guarantee that we will be able to get the item to work properly.
- If your computer exhibits problems, our technicians will spend up to 1/2 hour to determine if the problem is with the minimal‐supported item or some other part of the computer.
- If the problem is determined to be with the minimal supported item, we will remove the item from the machine, and/or, refer you to an off‐campus service provider with whom you can make arrangements for support and, if necessary, repair of the minimal supported item.
We will not be able to provide any support for the use of the item; and, we will not install a product if it is known to be destructive. Included in this category are phased out fully‐or partially‐supported products, as well as any non-IT approved hardware and software products.
No Support
IT is does not provide any installation, training, documentation or Service Desk support for the system or application.
Response Times
IT statistics show that the Service Desk is able to solve about 60% of all problem calls over the phone. For the other 40% of calls that require an on-site visit to your office, our goal is to meet the following response times.
Response Time is the time frame in which we will try to respond to your request, not necessarily the time frame in which the problem will be fully resolved.
|
Priority
|
Definition
|
Response Time
|
|
Critical
|
- Life-threatening situations and Blue Light Phone outages.
- Major system outages
|
Immediate
|
|
High
|
- User is unable to work due to computer malfunction and has no alternative resources.
|
4 business hours
|
|
Standard
|
- User is experiencing problems but can temporarily work around the problem or use alternate resources.
|
8 business hours
|
|
Minor/
As time allows
|
- An issue or request that has no particular urgency
- User needs something installed or changed (or moved).
- User needs information or help with a more in-depth, complex, or long-term project.
|
As time allows based on workload (usually prioritized by date and time entered)
|
To manage all of the requests that we receive, it is critical that we classify them based on their relative urgency. In the case of the first 3 classifications listed above, it is important that you help us understand the true severity of your problem when you call. Is it really a critical situation or do you have some means of working around the problem until we can respond? It is in everyones best interest to prioritize requests appropriately so that when a situation really is urgent, we're in the best position possible to respond quickly.