Guidelines for SAS^® Customized Support

Program Description

SAS Customized Support is an optional upgrade to the standard technical support provided with customer’s license of SAS software. Customer can purchase Customized Support in the contract licensing the SAS Software or in a separate contract (“Contract”). The Contract will identify the SAS software supported by Customized Support (“Software”). Customized Support includes direct access to a named SAS Technical Support Account Manager (“TSAM”). The TSAM is customer’s direct liaison with SAS Technical Support and a primary point of contact for escalated technical support issues. Customer can designate up to five (5) named customer employees who can contact the TSAM anytime during normal business hours for technical support issues related to the Software. Customized Support may be updated from time to time, and these guidelines may be modified accordingly.

SAS Customized Support also includes the following components:

• Enhanced Support Case Dashboard: SAS will provide access to a portal hosted by SAS. This dashboard enables customers to visualize and analyze support case data.
• Customized Support Workshops: SAS will design and conduct Customized Support Workshops to address customer needs and concerns. Topics may include an overview of SAS online services, effective management with SAS support, and problem-investigation techniques.
• Customized Support Reports: SAS will provide information reports about your SAS technical support activity available only to SAS Customized Support customers.

Description of Services

The services that are offered under SAS Standard Technical Support and Customized Support programs are listed here in Table 1.

Table 1: Comparison of Technical-Support Services offered under SAS Standard Technical Support and SAS Customized Support

Service	Offering Under Standard Technical Support	Offering Under Customized Support
Annual Support Term	Yes	Yes
Direct Access to a Named Technical Support Account Manager A primary point-of-contact for technical-support issues	No	Yes1
Customized  Support Workshops Customer-specific workshops about technical-support policies, online resources, troubleshooting, and problem resolution	No	Quarterly2
Customized Support Reports Access to customized and customer-specific information and reports	No	Yes
Access to a Menu of Optional Services Services may include onsite/remote technical support, or planned support during non-business hours.	No	Yes3
Access to the SAS Enhanced Support Case Dashboard Customer-specific, case history data that is surfaced in a portal for visualization and analysis	No	Yes
1  Access is available for to up to five (5) designated customer employees during normal business hours.  2   The schedule and frequency of workshops are negotiated with the TSAM. 3  Services availability varies by country and region.

Optional Services

Customers can purchase additional support services as part of their SAS Customized Support Contract. Specific service availability might vary by country. The Contract will identify any additional support services purchased by customer.  

Program Fees and Conditions

Fees for the initial Customized Support period are set forth in the Contract. Fees for subsequent periods may vary. Travel costs and any expenses for on-site visits related to Customized Support may be billed separately in accordance with SAS Travel Guidelines. Payment of the Customized Support fees (and any applicable travel costs and expenses) entitles customer to the benefits described herein for the Software identified in the Contract.

Customer Responsibilities

To ensure timely and efficient responses to customer’s technical support requests, customer will:

• Establish customer in-house support team responsible for: (a) troubleshooting issues by evaluating hardware issues, verifying hardware and software set up, and researching product documentation and online knowledge bases; (b) gathering information needed to resolve errors, such as the computer system name, error or warning messages displayed, logs files, screen shots, data used by the end user or sequence of steps used by the end user; and (c) escalating issues to SAS;
• Provide access to personnel skilled in investigating and triaging Software issues and capable of implementing SAS’ recommendations;
• Make available facilities and equipment reasonably required for SAS to perform;
• Back up all systems, data or Software being supported by SAS and restore backups as needed;
• Review any Work Product as SAS reasonably requests;
• Obtain assistance from its third-party vendor(s) with problem resolution when necessary;
• Provide timely feedback on SAS’ recommendations and close cases logged with SAS Technical Support when resolved;
• Install Software release required for SAS to maintain standard support as documented at support.sas.com and install maintenance and security hot fixes within a commercially reasonable time period following release (installation of the most current software release, including maintenance and hot fixes, may be required by SAS to provide support);
• Install and maintain Software in non-production environment mirroring corresponding production environment, including similar data input; test Software and planned Software changes in non-production environment and confirm stable, and operating as expected by customer, prior to promotion to production environment;
• Document planned changes to the production environment and other major Software upgrades/implementation and review with TSAM;
• Implement reasonable measures to prevent SAS’ inadvertent access to any Confidential Information not necessary for SAS’ performance;
• Utilize remote support sessions per instructions provided by SAS; standard SAS remote sharing platforms are WebEx or Zoom; if requested by SAS, provide and use a Connectivity Tool to limit and control SAS’ access to the systems and data required for SAS to perform under the Contract.

SAS is not liable for any performance delays caused by customer’s failure or delay to perform these responsibilities. 

Any capitalized terms used in these Guidelines and not otherwise defined will have the meanings set forth in the Contract.