SAP Expands Maintenance & Support Portfolio

SAP AG has announced a new, comprehensive tiered support model that is being offered to customers worldwide. This support offering includes SAP Enterprise Support services and the SAP Standard Support option and will enable all customers to choose the option that best meets their requirements. Additionally, in response to the financial challenges organisations continue to face, SAP also announced that its 2010 fees for existing SAP Enterprise Support contracts will remain unchanged from 2009 levels.

“This tiered maintenance model will allow customers choice in the SAP support model,” said Nils Niehoerfter, Industry Analyst, RAAD Research. “By providing different support options, simplifying the pricing structure, and giving a level of predictability to budget planning, SAP is helping its customers make decisions based on their business requirements.”

Support Options Provide Tailored Service Globally

Existing and new SAP customers will be able to choose the level of global IT support they receive from SAP. SAP Standard Support provides support features including updates, problem resolution, knowledge transfer, quality management and more to keep IT landscapes up-to-date and stable. For customers with further support needs, SAP offers supplemental support offerings, such as SAP MaxAttention support or SAP Safeguarding services.

SAP Enterprise Support, a proactive support offering, delivers all features of SAP Standard Support and additionally focuses on business continuity, business process improvement, protection of investment and reducing total cost of operations by helping customers to increase efficiencies and to decrease system downtime. These support offerings are provided through SAP Active Global Support (AGS), an organisation that empowers companies through knowledge transfer and access to standards and best practices.