Over the next several months, customers will see the term “Software Subscription and Support” replacing the term “Software Maintenance” in documents such as renewal notices, contracts, product part numbers, and other collateral. This name change is being made to better reflect the offering; it does not change any of the benefits or features that customers are receiving. .
Software Subscription and Support
Software Subscription and Support still provides, in a bundled offering, product upgrades (Subscription) and technical support (Support) which fosters successful software deployments. The individual components are not available as separately orderable offerings but are, together, offered as a complete solution.
With Subscription, customers get complete upgrade and cross-platform migration coverage for most commercially available IBM-distributed software—IBM Lotus®, WebSphere®, Tivoli®, Rational®, and DB2® Information Management software. Customers can upgrade to new releases and new versions as the needs of their business dictate.
Support helps keep customers’ users up and running wherever they’re working in the world— ensuring that they are covered with the support they need and increasing return on their investment in a total software solution.
Benefits of Subscription
Subscription is the most cost-effective way for customers’ businesses to ensure that their users have the latest technology of the most-current releases.
- Subscription lowers customer’s cost of acquiring new releases by providing authorization to use all new releases and versions of offering products while still under Software Subscription and Support— helping to increase and maintain the highest levels of productivity.
- Customers can upgrade at their leisure, conveniently downloading new software from the Web— making it easy for customers to choose the best time to upgrade based on their business needs. While Passport Advantage and Passport Advantage Express give customers the option to upgrade, it is never required.
- Software Subscription and Support provides free access to the latest releases of IBM software, eliminating the cost of acquiring new licenses and enabling your organization to budget accordingly and protect their business investments.
Benefits of Support
- 24x7 access to a variety of IBM technical resources in “Severity 1” situations. Customers determine whether the problem is critical to their organization and if they want it to be classified as a “Severity 1.”
- Access to usage- and code-related voice support.
- No limits on the number of designated IT technical staff that can contact Support for help.
- Access to the IBM Software Support Web site at ibm.com/software/support; enhanced self-help, navigation and advanced search capabilities for Support (24x7), including a worldwide problem-submission Web site for IBM-distributed software (Electronic Service Request [ESR] tool).
- IBM Software Support Guide that provides detailed information on all IBM software support including support processes and a worldwide list of support center phone numbers.