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Mac/PC Support Group Provides Various Options for Desktop Support Service

The Mac/PSupport Group (MPSG) is making some adjustments to the service it offers customers. In the past, support was offered either through a dedicated, matrixed support person, or on an as-needed basis, with charges accruing for time and materials.

A new option to be offered as of Oct. 1 will be Service Level Agreements (SLA) which will provide priority support service for a monthly charge ranging from $90 for Lab-standard computers to $120 for non-standard units which still fall in the range of systems the MPSG can support. SLA customers will be assigned a primary MPSG staff member who will give priority to systems covered under the SLA.

"This is a good alternative for small organizations that want guaranteed support, but are not big enough to use the matrix model," said Desktop Support Manager Charlie Verboom. "The SLA will involve quarterly preventative maintenance checks. It is our hope that we can prevent most emergency calls by starting a preventative maintenance process that anticipates and solves problems before they develop into major work-stoppage issues."

SLA pricing is based on industry averages, which suggest that one person can maintain between 80 and 130 computers. The Lab's experience corroborates this statistic and SLA are priced on the assumption that one technician can support about 100 systems.

Larger Lab organizations can opt for matrixed support. Matrix support which typically involves a commitment to at least one-half of an FTE, and preferably a full FTE. Organizations with matrixed support include Facilities, EH&S, Physical Biosciences, parts of Life Sciences, the ALS, AFRD, and Earth Sciences.

Verboom said that the matrix business for MPSG has increased significantly, especially as Lab divisions lose their in-house expertise.

"The Computer Infrastructure Support Department, and MPSG and the UNIX support groups specifically, provide an alternative to replacing in-house talent," Verboom said. "We conduct an extensive interview process -- 40 candidate resumes were reviewed for the last position we filled. We also provide training and mentoring, as well as backup support so customers aren't left in the lurch if their usual support person is absent or leaves the Lab."

To learn more about SLAs and matrixed desktop support for Macintoshes and PCs, call Gayle Peuser at X4511. For UNIX support call Gary Jung at X4894.