Silicon Graphics enhances Customer Support offerings with Support Advantage Program

http://www.sgi.com/news/jan_01.html (Silicon Surf Promotional CD, 01/1995)

On December 20, 1993, Silicon Graphics announced that it is enhancing its support offerings with the Support Advantage program, an online support environment designed to place solutions and services at the fingertips of Silicon Graphics' customers. Silicon Graphics will offer the Support Advantage program as a standard part of its customer support offerings.

The Support Advantage program consists of two independent but compatible components: the Support Library and Electronic Services. These components let users access information and report support issues any time through their Silicon Graphics systems.

"The Support Advantage online support environment is a significant addition to our family of support products," said Bert Fornaciari, vice president of Silicon Graphics' Customer Support Division. "By making timely solutions and services available when a customer needs them, the Support Advantage program facilitates our strategy for empowering and supporting our customers. Indeed, users will find that answers to many of their questions are only a few mouse clicks away."

SUPPORT LIBRARY

The Support Library is a comprehensive collection of information "binders" accessible through Silicon Graphics' IRIS InSight(tm) online information viewer. Based on industry standards such as the X Window System(tm), Motif(tm) and Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), the IRIS Insight Viewer is an easy-to-use interface allowing quick and easy access to online information. Topic/Task Navigator, an enhancement to the IRIS Insight viewer, allows novice and experienced users to locate detailed information without using key word searches or Boolean logic.The Support Library contains answers to frequently asked questions, software change requests, technical articles, a spare parts catalog, error message definitions, system administration "how to's" and customer education course information. The Support Library is updated quarterly via CD ROM.

ELECTRONIC SERVICES

Accessible via the Internet or via a modem over a Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) connection, North American support customers will now be able to open support calls electronically, establish priority and check status of open calls, report software bugs and request software updates from the Silicon Graphics Technical Assistance Center. In addition, they can verify and update the contact information used by Silicon Graphics to provide current and ongoing support.

The Support Advantage program is included in all software support contracts for no additional charge. It will be available in the first calendar quarter of 1994 on systems supporting version 5.1 or higher of IRIX(tm), Silicon Graphics' enhanced version of the UNIX(r) operating system.