Guidelines for SAS^® Premium Support

Program Description

SAS Premium Support is an optional upgrade to the general technical support provided with Customers' licenses of SAS Software. Customers can purchase Premium Support in the contract licensing the SAS Software or in a separate contract (“Contract”). The Contract identifies the SAS Software supported by Premium Support (“Software”). Premium Support includes direct access to a named SAS Technical Support Account Manager (“TSAM”). The TSAM is the Customer’s direct liaison with SAS Technical Support and a primary point of contact for escalated technical support issues. Customers 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. Premium Support may be updated from time to time, and these guidelines may be modified accordingly.

SAS Premium Support also includes the following components:

• Enhanced Service-Level Agreements (SLA): SAS will provide targeted response times that are shorter than the response times provided under Standard Support. The enhanced SLAs are provided in Table 2.
• Enhanced Support Case Dashboard: SAS will provide access to a dashboard hosted by SAS. This dashboard enables customers to visualize and analyze support case data.
• Premium Support Workshops: SAS will design and conduct Premium Support Workshops to address Customers' needs and concerns. Topics may include an overview of SAS online services, effective management with SAS support, and problem-investigation techniques.
• Premium Support Reports: SAS will provide information reports about Customers' SAS technical support activity that are available to only SAS Premium Support Customers.
  

Optional Services

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

Program Fees and Conditions

Fees for the initial Premium 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 Premium Support may be billed separately in accordance with SAS Travel Guidelines. Payment of the Premium Support fees (and any applicable travel costs and expenses) entitles Customers to the benefits described herein for the Software identified in the Contract. 

Customer Responsibilities

To ensure timely and efficient responses to Customers' technical support requests, Customers will do the following:

• Establish a 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 releases 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, might be required by SAS to provide support);
• Run a fully supported version of the SAS Software. Some SAS® 9.4 and earlier releases of SAS Software move to Limited Support in accordance with the SAS Technical Support policies and do not qualify for Severity Level 1 or Severity Level 2 critical support requests as shown in Table 2. If the Customers' SAS Software moves to Limited Support during the Annual Support Term for SAS Premium Support, Customers must notify SAS. If Customers want to qualify for Severity Level 1 or Severity Level 2 critical support requests, Customers must upgrade to a more current version of the SAS Software that is not in Limited Support or purchase SAS Extended Technical Support;
• Install and maintain the following:
  • Software in a non-production environment that mirrors the corresponding production environment, including similar data input;
  • test Software and planned Software changes in the non-production environment;
  • confirm that the Software is stable and operating as expected, prior to promotion to the 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 having inadvertent access to any Confidential Information that is not necessary for the performance of the Software;
• Use remote support sessions per instructions provided by SAS on standard SAS remote sharing platforms; 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 Customers' 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.