Service Level Agreement
Information Technology Services
The University of Texas at Austin
Effective Date: 7/1/2008
Last Edited 09/26/2008
Score
Overview
Austin BlackBerry Service (ABS) allows users to wirelessly access their Austin Exchange Messaging Service (AEMS) mailboxes using a BlackBerry device and existing cellular networks. The Austin BlackBerry Service includes the Client Access License necessary to enable a device to access AEMS. The service does not include the BlackBerry device or the required data plan available for the cellular service provider.
Review Process
This document defines the practices that Information Technology Services (ITS) will use for the Austin Blackberry Service service. The details of this document may be reviewed and amended as required, or at least annually, to accurately reflect business and service needs.
Time Conventions
Unless otherwise indicated, business hours are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays and reduced schedule days.
Scope
The following user communities at the university are the intended recipients for the Austin Blackberry Service service: students, faculty and staff who have Client Access License agreements necessary to enable a device to access AEMS.
Service Criticality
This service has been identified as Important, based on the ITS Critical Services Assessment Criteria. Please refer to the Critical Services Assessment Criteria for more information on the assessment methodology.
Service Description
ABS works in conjunction with AEMS, and as such does not specifically retain data apart from AEMS. Therefore, no specific data backup, data retention or data recovery service is applicable.
- Wireless access to AEMS data as provided by BlackBerry Enterprise Services.
- Online service activation request and account management using the Austin Account Management Web site.
- Automated email delivery of activation information.
- Coordination with local Technical Support Contacts (TSC).
- Remote disabling for lost devices.
Supported Computing Environment
The service and support levels documented in this SLA assume certain minimum configurations in the user desktop environment. The list below does not enumerate all possible operating systems or applications that can access the service, only those that have been tested and shown to provide complete, or near-complete, functionality. The minimum recommended hardware and operating system requirements are:
- BlackBerry device and BlackBerry OS v4.0+
For the latest information on tested systems and a complete list of supported procedures, refer to the ITS Web site: http://www.utexas.edu/its/blackberry.
Technical Support
End users always start with Tier 1, which is basic support. Tier 2 is the second support level and is reserved for more complex issues. Departmental desktop support staff and the ITS Help Desk may escalate issues to Tier 2.
Tier 1 Support
- For users with a departmental TSC, Tier 1 support for end-user problems is provided by the TSC. This is the preferred approach to resolving an issue most efficiently.
- In cases where a TSC is not available, Tier 1 support for end-user problems is provided by the ITS Help Desk during business hours at:
- http://www.utexas.edu/its/help
- 512-475-9400
- ITS Help Desk will assist with basic device troubleshooting, and based on the nature of the problem will refer the caller to their associated local TSC, suggest they contact their wireless service provider, or escalate the issue to Tier 2 support.
Tier 2 Support
- Departmental TSCs or the ITS Help Desk may escalate issues to Tier 2 support.
- Tier 2 support is available during normal business hours.
- Routine requests are typically addressed within one business day.
Erasing Data from Lost or Stolen Devices
Users with lost or stolen devices should contact the ITS Help Desk. Following a verification of identity, data on the device can be erased by the Austin BlackBerry Service administrator.
Additional information and technical support can be found in the online documentation at: http://www.utexas.edu/its/blackberry.
Service Availability
This section provides information about the normal schedule of times when the service is available, the times specified for scheduled maintenance, and defines expectations for reporting service problems and changes.
Normal Service Availability
ABS is designed to be available for customer use 24-hours-per-day, seven days-per-week, 365 days-per-year (24x7x365) excluding scheduled maintenance times.
Scheduled Maintenance
Scheduled maintenance for the Austin Blackberry Service is essential for upgrades and to maintain security, and occurs weekly on Sundays from midnight until 6 AM. Services may not be available during the scheduled maintenance periods.
Problem Reporting and Change Notification
ITS will notify customers using the ITS Services Status page of service availability and service delivery issues for the Austin Blackberry Service. To the maximum extent possible, installation of service, application, and security updates will be performed during scheduled maintenance.
NOTE: Routine actions performed during scheduled weekly maintenance, such as installation of security updates released by Microsoft, will not trigger a notification.
| Type | Business Impact | Subscriber Notification | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moderate | Changes or problems that may affect the service and have a broad business impact. | ITS will notify TSCs of changes five working days in advance via e-mail, and will generate an alert on the ITS services status page. | Updating the BlackBerry device software. |
| Major | Changes that may affect the service across multiple departments, with a significant impact to the subscribers' business. | ITS will notify subscribers five working days in advance via e-mail, and will generate an alert on the ITS services status page. | New version of Windows or BlackBerry Enterprise Service. |
| Critical (After-Hours) | Changes that must be performed in order to correct issues and having some impact on end-users. Impact to business does not warrant immediate correction. | ITS will notify service users as soon as possible after knowing such a change is required via e-mail, and will generate an alert on the ITS services status page. | Hung process on server needs to be cleared before the server crashes. |
| Emergency (Immediate) | Changes that must be performed in order to correct issues and having a major impact on end-users. Impact to business requires immediate action. | ITS will generate an alert on the ITS services status page, and will notify TSCs and end-users via e-mail after implementing the change. | Replacing critical hardware that has failed. |
The ITS services status page: http://www.utexas.edu/its/alerts/
Key Service Indicators
List of Metrics/Measures
| Measurement | Definition | Performance Target |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Availability [1] | The percent of time that the service is available | 99% |
| Customer Satisfaction | The percent of time the service is available during normal business hours. | 90% |
Notes:
1. The Overall Availability percentage is calculated as the hours that AEMS is available in the reporting period divided by the total hours in the reporting period. This percentage reflects scheduled and unscheduled downtime.
Dependencies
ABS is dependent upon Austin Active Directory, AEMS, Austin SQL Services, as well as University Data Center power, the network, and related systems. The availability of these services will have a direct impact on ABS availability.
Service Report Card
ITS will publish performance for this service in the public ITS Services Report Card.
Other Party Responsibilities
In addition to the services provided by ITS, subscribers (users) of the service and identified owners/administrators agree to certain important responsibilities. All parties agree to be aware of and adhere to the university's Acceptable Use Policy.
User/Subscriber Responsibilities
- Read the ABS documentation at http://www.utexas.edu/its/blackberry.
- Provide contact information for primary and secondary departmental TSCs as requested by ITS for support purposes.
- Purchase a BlackBerry device which meets the minimum operating system requirements for support.
- Be aware of and adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy at http://www.utexas.edu/its/policies/responsible.php.
- Provide critical information to ITS in a timely manner when requested for purposes of resolving subscriber issues.
Departmental IT Support Staff
- Provide ITS with contact information for departmental TSC through your ITS contact, and notify ITS of changes.
- Designate at least one secondary TSC for each department.
- Be familiar with the online documentation at http://www.utexas.edu/its/blackberry
- Provide critical information to ITS in a timely manner when requested for purposes of resolving subscriber issues.
- Provide Tier 1 support for subscribers in the supported department.
Cost of Service
$10 per month, in addition to the cost of a BlackBerry Enterprise Service-compatible data package from a wireless service provider. If centrally funded, indicate for how long and to what extent (e.g., size of license).
