SupportAlly™
SupportAlly™ is Digital Boardwalk’s co-managed information technology support offering. It is intended for businesses that have dedicated technical staff who already fulfill some technical support responsibilities, such as help desk support. Digital Boardwalk augments Customer’s technical staff by delivering proactive monitoring, maintenance, cybersecurity, and other “back-office” services.
1. Application of Services, Inclusions, and Exclusions
The application of Services, Inclusions, and Exclusions as detailed below is determined by the level of service for Computers and Servers as well as the type of service delivered. See Application of Services for details.
2. Response Time
Service Provider will provide the following service level agreement (“SLA”) for the Term of this Agreement: 8hr 9×5 NBD. The SLA is defined as follows:
- 8hr: Response to all standard service requests within eight standard operating hours; and response to all emergency service requests within four standard operating hours.
- 9: Nine hours of technical support availability during our standard hours of operation.
- 5: Five days of technical support availability during our standard hours of operation.
- NBD: If on-site service is required, a resource will be dispatched to Customer’s office location prior to the close of business the next day during our standard hours of operation.
3. Platform Limitations
Due to limitations and restrictions within the Apple macOS operating system, some Services may not be available to macOS devices. To indicate which platforms a Service is applicable to, the following identifying icons will appear next to the Service:
Service is available for Microsoft Windows devices.
Service is available for Apple macOS devices.
4. Services (Included)
Service Provider delivers Services to Customer for Computers and Servers listed as part of this Agreement. To be included as part of this Agreement, Computers and Servers must have Service Provider’s remote monitoring and management (“RMM”) agent installed. The following Services are listed as inclusions to this Agreement and are included in the cost of this Agreement:
4.1 Asset Management
Service Provider utilizes the RMM agent to routinely collect asset information from managed devices including device manufacturer, model, serial number, asset tag, technical specifications, purchase date, and warranty status. This information is made available to Customer via Service Provider’s Technical Business Review reports.
4.2 Documentation
As needed to provide the Services herein, Service Provider maintains documentation of administrative access credentials, IP addresses, third party account information, software license information, and other information about Customer’s technology. Service Provider stores all documentation in a secure, SOC 2 (Type II) compliant vault, access to which is strictly governed and managed by Service Provider for security purposes. Upon request by Customer, Service Provider may grant Customer access to shared information, such as administrative credentials, stored in the vault.
4.3 Monitoring & Alerting
Service Provider utilizes a monitoring and alerting platform designed to track the availability and performance of managed devices. The monitoring platform queries built-in device logging systems, such as the Microsoft Windows Event Viewer, to generate alerts. Service Provider’s monitoring system is, therefore, limited by the alerting capabilities of the managed device. Alerts generated by the monitoring system notify Service Provider with real-time alerts that are automatically converted into service tickets. This system also allows for periodic production of reports made available to Customer via Service Provider’s Technical Business Review reports.
4.3.1 Offline Location/Server Monitoring
Service Provider utilizes a monitoring and alerting platform designed to detect when Servers or entire internet connections at Customer’s office location(s) go offline. Customer must have at least one (1) Server physically present at the Customer office location(s) Customer wishes for Service Provider to monitor. If Customer does not have a Server but would like Service Provider to monitor the office location for internet connection outages, Customer shall request in writing to Service Provider, and Service Provider will provide Customer a quote to add this monitoring.
4.4 Proactive Response
As Service Provider’s monitoring and alerting system generates service tickets for identified issues, Service Provider will leverage an artificial intelligence (“AI”) platform to proactively remedy the system alerts. Service Provider also provides oversight by a team of engineers to proactively respond to system alerts not otherwise remediated by the AI platform. Proactive response is limited to remote delivery during Service Provider’s operating hours and does not include field support or travel to Customer’s business location. See Service Availability for operating hours information.
4.5 Preventative Maintenance
Service Provider performs basic maintenance tasks including disk cleanups and temporary file removals on a routine basis. Maintenance tasks may be performed either during or after Customer’s operating hours depending on the type of maintenance required. Managed devices must be powered on, connected to the Internet, and accessible to the RMM platform at the time of scheduled maintenance to receive the preventative maintenance.
4.6 Patch Management
Service Provider utilizes a system that monitors the operating system patch levels of managed Computers. This system allows Service Provider to deploy patches utilizing strategic timing based on industry best practices. Service Provider is also able to monitor and manage the patch levels of common third-party applications including Adobe Acrobat, Google Chrome, and Java Runtime Environment. Service Provider employs a staged roll-out approach for compatibility testing that, in a best effort, attempts to verify patch compatibility prior to global deployment to prevent patch-related issues. Managed devices must be powered on, connected to the Internet, and accessible to the RMM platform at the time of patching to receive the patches.
4.7 Technical Business Review Reporting
Each month, Service Provider will send Customer’s Primary Contact a Technical Business Review (“TBR”) report by e-mail. The TBR includes managed device technical specifications, service request volume trends, audit completion verifications, and more. The TBR is intended to provide Customer with a brief summary of the activities Service Provider fulfilled recently, as well as highlight any areas of concern that require Customer’s attention and action.
4.8 Remote Control
Upon request by Customer to Service Provider, Service Provider will grant Customer access to Service Provider’s remote control platform, allowing Customer to remotely control Customer’s managed devices. Service Provider can grant access to managed devices on a per-device and per-user basis. There is no limit to the number of Customer end-users allowed to access the remote control platform.
5. Out of Plan Services (Excluded)
Unless otherwise listed as an included service under 4. Services (Included), all other Services are excluded from this Agreement and excluded from the cost of this Agreement. Service Provider may deliver Out of Plan Services to Customer at rates set forth in Standard Labor Rates. The following is a list of common services excluded, without limitation, from this Agreement, regardless of any statement that the Service is included in the cost of the Agreement:
5.1 Help Desk Support
Service Provider delivers remote technical support to fulfill Customer service requests. Support is limited to remote delivery during Service Provider’s operating hours and does not include field support or travel to Customer’s business location. See Service Availability for operating hours information.
5.2 Line of Business Application Support
Service Provider will, to the best of its ability, support Customer’s line of business applications, with active manufacturer support agreements, in addition to standard Microsoft and Apple operating systems and office productivity software. Line of business applications may include customer relationship management software, enterprise resource planning software, electronic health records software, accounting software, and project management software.
5.3 Vendor Technical Liaison
Service Provider collaborates with third-party hardware, software, and service vendors to manage correspondence between the third-party and Customer for technical support needs involving a third-party. Service Provider also provides assistance to third-party vendors’ support teams for remote access, network administration, and other support as required for third-party vendors’ support teams to support their managed hardware and software systems.
5.4 Warranty Work
Service Provider delivers return merchandise authorization (“RMA”) processing services for managed devices covered by a manufacturer warranty. Any and all fees charged to Service Provider by the manufacturer for advanced replacement, shipping, or other service fees, will be invoiced to Customer by Service Provider.
5.5 Field Support
Service Provider dispatches field service engineers to fulfill service requests that cannot be completed through remote support techniques. Support is limited to on-site delivery during Service Provider’s operating hours. See Service Availability for operating hours information.
5.6 System Component Upgrades
Service Provider may, on occasion, identify computers that require hardware upgrades to increase system performance and reliability. Service Provider delivers on-site installation of required hardware upgrades including memory (“RAM”) upgrades, storage (“Hard Drive”) upgrades, or any other internal hardware component requiring an upgrade. Hardware that is failing, has failed, or has been damaged will not be considered a System Component Upgrade and will instead be classified under Project Services.
5.7 Emergency Support
Service Provider delivers support for technical emergencies as defined in Service Request Priority. Support for emergency service requests may be provided either during operating hours or after operating hours as required by the emergency event.
5.8 Virtual CIO
Service Provider delivers advanced technology planning services including risk management, compliance, capex vs. opex purchasing planning, technology budget analysis and development, business continuity planning, technology roadmap development, technology forecasting, and best practices governance. Planning meetings between Service Provider and Customer are scheduled upon Customer’s request as frequently as once per quarter depending on Customer’s availability and preferences.
5.9 Project Services
Service Provider delivers planning, implementation, installation, and integration services that add or increase functionality or capacity of, or replace existing hardware or software within, Customer’s technology infrastructure. This includes, but is not limited to, new hardware or software installation, existing hardware or software replacement or relocation, major hardware or software reconfiguration, and hardware or software upgrades. If none of the aforementioned examples apply, and it is unclear whether a service request is to be considered a standard Help Desk Support request or a Project Services request, the determination is made by the amount of time required to complete the entire scope of the request. If the request will require more than two hours of Service Provider’s time to coordinate and fulfill, the request is considered Project Services.
5.10 After-Hours Support
Service Provider delivers technical support for standard service requests as defined in Service Request Priority outside of Service Provider’s standard operating hours. See Service Availability for operating hours information.
5.11 Travel
To fulfill Field Support requests, Service Provider’s dispatched field service engineers travel to Customer’s office location(s) during Service Provider’s standard operating hours. See Service Availability for operating hours information.
6. Third Party Products
Service Provider provides products or services from third parties in connection with the aforementioned Services. The following is a list of third parties used in connection with the Services and their respective terms and conditions to which Customer accepts and agrees:
- BrightGauge: https://www.brightgauge.com/terms-of-service
- Cognition360: https://support.cognition360.com/support/solutions/articles/69000773895-terms-of-service
- ConnectWise Automate: https://www.connectwise.com/company/legal
- ConnectWise Control: https://www.connectwise.com/company/legal
- ConnectWise Manage: https://www.connectwise.com/company/legal
- Field Nation: https://app.fieldnation.com/legal/
- Galactic Advisors: https://www.galacticadvisors.com/
- IT Glue: https://www.itglue.com/terms/
- ScalePad: https://app.scalepad.com/pages/terms
- SmileBack: https://www.connectwise.com/company/legal
- TimeZest: https://timezest.com/terms/
Changelog
| Date | Previous Language | New Language |
|---|---|---|
|
06/22/2022 |
– |
[Original Publishing] |
|
05/04/2023 |
5.5 Field Support Service Provider dispatches field service engineers to fulfill service requests that cannot be completed through remote support techniques. Support is limited to on-site delivery during Service Provider’s operating hours and may incur travel fees. See Service Availability for operating hours and travel fee information. |
5.5 Field Support Service Provider dispatches field service engineers to fulfill service requests that cannot be completed through remote support techniques. Support is limited to on-site delivery during Service Provider’s operating hours. See Service Availability for operating hours information. |
|
05/04/2023 |
– |
5.11 Travel To fulfill Field Support requests, Service Provider’s dispatched field service engineers travel to Customer’s office location(s) during Service Provider’s standard operating hours. See Service Availability for operating hours information. |
|
05/04/2023 |
[No changes to existing language] |
6. Third Party Products Cognition360: https://support.cognition360.com/support/solutions/articles/69000773895-terms-of-service SmileBack: https://www.connectwise.com/company/legal TimeZest: https://timezest.com/terms/ |
|
05/04/2023 |
5.9 Project Services Service Provider delivers planning, implementation, installation, and integration services that add or increase functionality or capacity of, or replace existing hardware or software within, Customer’s technology infrastructure. This includes, but is not limited to, new hardware or software installation, existing hardware or software replacement, major hardware or software reconfiguration, and hardware or software upgrades. If none of the aforementioned examples apply, and it is unclear whether a service request is to be considered a standard Help Desk Support request or a Project Services request, the determination is made by the amount of time required to complete the entire scope of the request. If the request will require more than two hours of Service Provider’s time to coordinate and fulfill, the request is considered Project Services. |
5.9 Project Services Service Provider delivers planning, implementation, installation, and integration services that add or increase functionality or capacity of, or replace existing hardware or software within, Customer’s technology infrastructure. This includes, but is not limited to, new hardware or software installation, existing hardware or software replacement or relocation, major hardware or software reconfiguration, and hardware or software upgrades. If none of the aforementioned examples apply, and it is unclear whether a service request is to be considered a standard Help Desk Support request or a Project Services request, the determination is made by the amount of time required to complete the entire scope of the request. If the request will require more than two hours of Service Provider’s time to coordinate and fulfill, the request is considered Project Services. |
|
01/23/2024 |
– |
6. Third Party Products Galactic Advisors: https://www.galacticadvisors.com/ |
|
08/25/2025 |
– |
Corrected the Standard Labor Rates hyperlink under 5. Out of Plan Services (Excluded) |