Alertus Technologies’ Service Level Agreement (SLA)
Technical Support Plan for On-Premise Systems
Alertus Technologies (“Alertus Technologies”) offers Alertus Technologies Software and Hardware support to purchasers (“Licensee” or “Customer”) of its application software and hardware, per the terms and conditions of this Technical Support Center Services Plan (“Support Plan”), which is made part of and incorporated by reference into the Terms and Conditions entered into by Customer and Alertus Technologies. Defined terms as set forth in the Terms and Conditions shall have the same meaning in this Support Plan. This Support Plan does not apply to system software or hardware, or any other third-party software.
1. Conditions of Support Plan
To keep the Support Plan active, the Customer is required to: pay all applicable Support Plan Fees, and comply with all terms and conditions of this Support Plan and the License and Support Agreement.
2. Definitions
Response Time is the time that it takes the Technical Support Center (“TSC”) to call the Customer back after:
The Customer has left a voicemail;
An email addressed to the TSC group distribution email address is received; or
The Customer has submitted a support ticket through the Alertus Customer Portal, or provided an update on the support ticket.
Response times are only implemented when the issue is not resolved during the first call. Response time does not mean resolution time.
Resolution Time is the time it takes to solve a problem. The resolution time is different for each situation and cannot be determined until the appropriate TSC personnel have evaluated the problem and are able to determine an approximate resolution time.
TSC Technical Support Center
TSA Technical Support Analyst
3. Support Services Provided
Supported Products
The TSC will only support software and hardware approved by Alertus Technologies. The TSC will not resolve requests associated with software other than that provided by Alertus Technologies; the requests will, however, be logged into the database. Third-party software loaded by Customer on an Alertus Technologies’ system without Alertus Technologies’ prior written approval voids the associated Software Warranty and this Support Plan. Pursuant to this Support Plan, Alertus Technologies, as coordinated by its Technical Support Center, will provide issue resolution and updates to supported software as further described below.
Hours of Operation
Normal Business Hours (NBH): Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m Eastern Time. After hours for emergency support only - see Technical Support Levels and Call Levels.
4. Services Provided
Issue Resolution
The TSC works with Customers to resolve issues related to supported software and hardware that do not perform materially according to the current documentation for such software and hardware. This service is designed to support the Customer’s technician who is adequately trained in the Alertus product they are calling about and listed as an approved Customer Contact with Alertus Technologies' TSC. To be adequately trained, the Customer’s technician must have received training directly through an Alertus Technologies training program or have been trained by a Customer technician who has received training directly from Alertus Technologies. A trained Customer’s technician is responsible for attempting to troubleshoot issues before calling TSC. If the Customer's technician is not adequately trained on the product they are calling about, and thus not listed as an approved Customer Contact, Alertus Technologies TSC personnel will attempt to contact an approved Customer contact for problem resolution. For security purposes, only Customer contacts that are listed with TSC will receive support unless a listed contact provides approval to do so.
In an emergency, TSC may make a special allowance if TSC personnel are unable to reach one of the listed contacts for verification. To better facilitate high first-call resolution, the TSC will utilize remote access software if acceptable to the Customer, allowing the TSC to connect to the Customer’s system via a remote connection and actively control the system to perform troubleshooting or resolution services.
The TSA will advise the Customer of their intention to access the system, and upon completion, will advise the Customer that they have left the system and relay what steps were taken to resolve the issue. The TSC will maintain a database of all calls received from the Customer, the steps taken to resolve the problem, and the final resolution. The database will show dates when a call was received and dates of all contacts related to call. TSC will work with the Customer to identify errors or defects in the software or hardware.
If the TSC is unable to confirm that such error or defect exists through independent testing, they will escalate the issue to Alertus Technologies’ R&D Department. The TSC will remain as the Customer contact and will work with the R&D Department to provide updated information to the Customer through the resolution of the issue.
Hardware Support
Alertus Technologies’ TSC will track hardware issues related to the system during the Initial Support Period. If a hardware warranty is purchased through Alertus Technologies from third-party vendors, Alertus Technologies will contact the appropriate vendor for warranty repairs. For subsequent years the Customer has the option to extend their warranty by contacting their Alertus Technologies’ Sales & Account Manager. The Alertus Technologies’ TSC will continue to work with the Customer to diagnose and make recommendations on hardware issues.
5. Contacting the Alertus Technologies’ Technical Support Center
During Normal Business Hours:
Customers may call TSC at 866-425-3788 or 202-ALERTUS, option 2. If all TSC personnel are busy assisting other customers, the call will go to voicemail. If the caller is experiencing an emergency (see Call Levels below), they may hit 0 to return to the mainline receptionist and request a TSC manager be paged to assist their emergency. If the call is not an emergency (as defined below), the caller should leave a message with their name, company name, organization ID, telephone number, and a brief description of the reason for the call. Messages are checked upon the next availability of the TSAs, and calls are returned in the order in which they are received, but typically within two (2) hours. Customers may also request assistance by emailing TSC at support@alertus.com or logging into the help.alertus.com Customer Portal and submitting a new support ticket.
After Hours Emergency:
If the Customer is experiencing an emergency (as defined below), they should call the TSC at 866-425-3788 or 202-ALERTUS, extension 247. The call will be routed to an answering service where the Customer should leave a clear message with their name, organization name, telephone number, and a brief description of their emergency. The on-call TSA will be paged and will return the call within 10-minutes of page receipt.
Email Requests:
The TSC will respond to email requests within eight (8) business hours. Note: Emergency or very important requests should always be phoned into the TSC. Email can sometimes be unreliable, and the TSC has no control over the timely delivery of requests. Email service level commitments are based on the time the requests actually reach the TSC. The email address for the TSC is support@alertus.com.
6. Call Levels Applied to this Support Plan
Emergency Call:
The following scenarios will result in immediate response during normal business hours (NBH) regardless of Enhanced Notification Service & Support level and within 10-minutes of paging outside normal business hours.
Site is experiencing an actual emergency, and the system will not send out notifications to one or more device types
Site initiates activation, attempts to stop it, and experiences difficulty doing so
Site is experiencing a false activation and attempts to stop it, and experiences difficulty doing so
Alertus Server will not load or complete Alertus hardware failure*
Server Applications will not start
*If it is determined that the issue resulted from software or hardware installed or implemented without coordination with Alertus Technologies, or due to other unauthorized end-user actions, resources will be allocated as available to assist, but response time cannot be guaranteed.
Routine Calls:
The following example scenarios of routine support issues will result in a standard four-hour response time.
Attempting to perform maintenance and needs assistance
Experiencing partial hardware failure or needs to troubleshoot possible hardware problems
Reports are not functioning properly
Testing system and needs help making adjustments
Assistance with modifying Alertus System Settings or groups
Assistance with ThreatWatcher™ or other alert feeds
Assistance creating template scenarios
Services that Require Advanced Scheduling:
Installation of software or hardware updates
Modifications to the system to accommodate Alertus device changes
Alertus Technologies and third-party solution integration issues.
Map interface issues
Customer Assurance Reviews
7. Call Procedures & Escalation
The Technical Support Center will maintain call ownership throughout the entire request process. The TSC will address incoming calls as follows:
Capture the Request - The TSA will capture all requests by phone, email, Alertus Customer Portal, or voicemail and verify the right to service based on the Customer's name, support contract status, and the approved license profile. If the request relates to unsupported software or Alertus functionality for which the Customer is not licensed, the Customer will be notified. Otherwise, the TSA will continue with Step 2.
Log Request into the Database - The TSA will open a ticket in the Support Portal. Information included on the ticket will include the Customer's name, location, description of the problem, the severity of the problem, time of the request, and the person reporting the issue.
Troubleshoot the Request - The TSA responsible for resolving the call will acknowledge the open ticket and work with the Customer to resolve the issue.
Escalate to Second Level - The TSA will escalate the request to a higher tier level Technical Support Analyst or the R&D team when the first contact is unable to make progress in the resolution of the issue in a timely manner.
Log Resolution into the Database - The TSA will log the resolutions to requests in the Support Portal.
Verify Customer Satisfaction - The TSA will follow up and verify that the Customer is satisfied with the resolution. The Director of Client Services or the Customer Success Manager (CSM) may also reach out to verify customer satisfaction.
Close the Request or Ticket - All tickets will be closed upon resolution of the reported issue or a lapse in customer response. The TSC will send a final notification to the Customer when the ticket will be closed. If the Customer feels the ticket was closed in error, they will have 24-hours to respond to reopen the ticket. Otherwise, the Customer will need to create a new ticket and will be subject to the current ticket queue.
8. Customer Responsibilities
The Customer shall notify Alertus with a clear description of the incident. Customers must have a qualified and responsive representative available to Alertus to assist in problem diagnosis during the troubleshooting process.
Hardware Operating Environment. It is the Customer’s responsibility to ensure that the hardware operating environment is fully functional and meets Alertus Technologies’ minimum operating requirements for the Alertus Technologies Software supported hereunder.
Operating System and Ancillary Software Environment. It is the Customer’s responsibility to ensure that the operating system and ancillary software are fully functional, commercially available (except as otherwise agreed to in writing by Alertus Technologies), and meet Alertus Technologies’ minimum operating requirements for Alertus Technologies’ software product(s).
Customer will not move the system to a new location without notifying Alertus Technologies.
The Customer will not add software to the system without prior Alertus Technologies approval.
Software Updates. The Customer shall maintain an Alertus Technologies application software release that is the most current version of the software or one version back from the most currently released version.
Customer will schedule installation of all updates in a timely manner. Failure to operate a supported release version absolves Alertus from any liability due to a failure in the Customer’s system.
Customer is responsible for whitelisting the Alertus email domain and providing Alertus with timely updates to their internal points of contacts to receive notices about their solution and available updates and regular releases.
End-User Training. The Customer Site should have at least one system administrator that has attended Alertus Technologies training. The Customer shall provide the administrator’s contact information to Alertus Technologies.
Technical Contacts. Customer will work with TSC staff to maintain an accurate database of contact names.
Regular System Maintenance. The Customer will perform regular maintenance to keep the system in optimal condition. This includes performing regular backups and creating emergency repair discs when changes are made, and testing the system at regular intervals.
Customer Response Time. Customer will respond to requests for information in a timely manner (within three business days). Failure to respond to the TSA after multiple attempts to contact the Customer will result in the closure of the ticket/case.
Remittance of Payment. Customers will be responsible for timely payment of all support fees when due. Failure to renew support fees before the expiration of the then in effect support term shall result in the imposition of a reinstatement fee at Alertus Technologies’ then-current rate before the resumption of support services.
9. Support Limitations
Alertus Technologies’ support obligations hereunder will not apply to any Alertus Technologies supported application software or hardware if correction of an error, adjustment, repair, or parts replacement is required because of:
Accident, neglect, tampering, misuse, improper/insufficient grounding, failure of electric power, failure of the end-user and/or others to provide appropriate environmental conditions, relocation of hardware or software, or causes other than ordinary use.
Repair or alteration, or attempted repair or alteration of any Alertus Technologies’ supported product (hardware and/or software) by the end-user or others.
Damage or destruction caused by natural or man-made acts or disasters.
Failure or degradation in the performance of Alertus Technologies’ supported equipment (hardware and/or software) due to the installation of another machine, device, application, or interface not specifically certified and approved by Alertus Technologies for use.
The operation of the software in a manner other than that currently specified by Alertus Technologies.
The failure of the Customer to provide suitably qualified and adequately trained operating and maintenance staff.
Incompatible or faulty Customer equipment.
Modifications made without Alertus Technologies’ written approval to the OS, network, hardware or software environment, or software applications.
Further, support described herein does not include cosmetic repairs, refurbishment, furnishing consumables, supplies or accessories, making accessory changes, adding additional devices, or software applications.
Telephone support and/or field engineering to rectify such unsupported failures as described above may be obtained from Alertus Technologies on a time & materials basis as set forth in the applicable price list. The labor rate charged will be the then-current Alertus Technologies labor rate (plus expenses) at the time service is requested.
10. Software Updates
Notice of all software updates available during the term of the Support Plan will be posted under “latest release notes” for each product (e.g., Alertus Server, Alertus Middleware, Alertus Desktop, etc.) on the Alertus Technologies Support Website located at https://help.alertus.com (login required). Application software program updates will roll into the existing Support Plan, thereby not extending the term of the Support Plan.
The Customer will also receive update notices from their Alertus Technologies’ software if there are any major or minor update changes. The Customer can disable this notification and assumes all risk of missing software update notifications.
Minor Updates
Alertus Technologies will provide application software updates. Application software updates are defined as minor enhancements to the already purchased product feature/functionality set. A product change is classified as minor, at the discretion of Alertus Technologies, based upon the impact of the change to the core functionality of the product.
Major Updates
Alertus Technologies may also provide bi-annual major software updates. Major updates are defined as updates that include, but are not limited to, changes in the core functionality of the product or new capabilities or features added to the product. These major releases are announced on the Alertus Technologies Support Site alongside minor releases, and email notification(s) sent to Customer records listed as the primary and technical points of contact for the Customer. ENS Customers can schedule time with Support to implement these updates. Customers who do not receive these emails should contact their Account Manager, not Technical Support, to update their communication preferences. It is important that the customer whitelist the @alertus.com domain in order to receive communications in a timely manner.
11. Other Services
Other services not specifically identified as being included in this Support Plan, including but not limited to training, implementation services, and custom development, are not included.
Addendum for Cloud-based Systems
12. Service Agreement
Scope of Support Services:
Alertus shall provide Customer with (1) server setup (2) 24/7 server monitoring and uptime management. Updates to Summer and Winter service releases, patches, Windows updates, and any certification updates.
Disaster Recovery:
RTO (Recovery Time Objective) - Alertus has an RTO of 1 hour after a disaster.
RPO (Recovery Point Objective) - Alertus does a daily backup and will restore server functionality to the most recent backup.
Cloud Host Provider:
Alertus is currently using Amazon Web Services (AWS) as the hosted provider and will host the Customer servers in a region that is geographically close to the Customer. Alertus will notify the Customer in writing if the Alertus hosted provider changes.
Suspension:
Alertus may temporarily suspend the Alertus Critical Communication Suite(ACCS) or any portion of it for emergency network repairs, threats to, or actual breach of network security. Alertus shall use its best efforts to notify Customer through its Customer Portal and/or via email prior to such suspension and shall reactivate any affected portion of the ACCS as soon as possible.
13. Customer Responsibilities
DNS/FQDN:
If the Customer uses the Alertus supplied DNS name, Alertus will manage all aspects of managing the Customer's DNS, including SSL certificates and renewals. If the Customer chooses to use their own DNS name, the Customer will be responsible for managing that and providing Alertus with the SSL certificate. The Customer will be responsible for providing Alertus new certificate files after renewals.
14. SLA Exclusions
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, no Unavailable Time shall be deemed to have occurred with respect to any unavailability, suspension or termination of the ACCS, or any other ACCS, performance issues, that (1) are caused by factors outside of Alertus’ reasonable control, including, without limitation, any force majeure event, carrier related problems or issues, or Internet access or related problems beyond the demarcation point of Alertus or its direct hosting subcontractors (i.e., beyond the point in the network where Alertus maintains access and control over the Alertus Services); (2) result from any actions or inactions of Customer or any third party (other than Alertus’ direct hosting subcontractor); (3) result from applications, equipment, software or other technology and/or third party equipment, software or other technology (other than third party equipment within Alertus’ direct control); or (4) arise from Alertus’ suspension and termination of Customer’s right to use the ACCS, Services in accordance with the TOS, (5) is during a scheduled maintenance window (collectively, the “Exclusions”).