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Security Software Support.pdf (77.24 KB)

June 4, 2010 - These days every Windows computer needs to have reliable security software installed, no matter if it’s a home PC or one of the computers in a large global corporation. When choosing security software for your company, it’s extremely important to know what customer support options are available for the corporate users of the product. Here is a comparison of what support options are offered by four major security software developers – CA , Sophos, Trend Micro, and McAfee.

CA Support:

CA has an impressive range of software technical support options offered in 2 different tiers:

• Enterprise
• Value

All business customers have the option of choosing Enterprise or Value level support when they purchase a product. These two support options offer multiple access methods and support services to meet your operational support and business needs.

Here's what Enterprise support includes:

• CA Support Online at support.ca.com - CA’s online support portal for self-service and case management. The website has patches, fixes and published solutions, knowledgebase publications, various community programs, and more.
• 24/7 telephone support for Severity 1 cases via a single telephone number (by country)
• Product release, version and certification updates
• Remote Deployment available for selected products
• Product fixes and alerts for high impact problems and fixes
• Troubleshooting
• Multi-platform and product integration support
• Access to knowledge documents, product compatibility information and documentation
• Access to CA programs and resources

Here's what Value support includes: 

• CA Support Online at support.ca.com - CA’s online support portal for self-service and case management. The website has patches, fixes and published solutions, knowledgebase publications, various community programs, and more.
• 12/5 telephone support— fees are applied for after business hour support
• Product release, version and certification updates
• Remote Deployment available for selected products
• Product fixes and alerts for high impact problems and fixes
• Troubleshooting
• Multi-platform and product integration support
• Access to knowledge documents, product compatibility information and documentation
• Access to CA programs and resources

The response objectives for these support options is very good – one hour for Severity 1 cases (24/7), two business hours for Severity 2 cases, four business hours for Severity 3 cases, and one business day for Severity 4 cases.Businesses that are looking for a more comprehensive support solution should consider the enterprise level support maintenance tier which provides product training, proactive and personalized support services and is always available.

Sophos Support:

Like CA Business Critical Support, Sophos Technical Support is delivered through three different support packages – Standard, Premium, and Platinum. All Sophos business customers benefit from 24/7 support. Sophos Technical Support operates from centers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, UK and USA, each of which assures the highest level of expertise, professionalism and customer service.Standard Support is provided at no extra cost in all subscription licenses, though it must be purchased separately for perpetual licenses.

Sophos Standard Support includes:

• 24/7 support
• Software downloads, updates, and maintenance
• Web-based support and unlimited helpdesk access
• Access to Sophos support knowledgebase plus support news and IDE alerts
• Basic incident handling
• Proactive product information

Apart from the features mentioned above, Sophos Premium Support option includes penalty-backed service level definitions with target response and escalation times, priority handling of incidents and virus samples, and remote consulting services delivered by senior engineers. Businesses that opted for Platinum Support also get a designated technical account manager to oversee all support activity, escalated incident handling and emergency onsite support, and direct access to a senior engineer during product upgrades.

Sophos has an easy to find online support page, which has everything an IT manager might need – knowledgebase, virus disinfection, user forums, as well as product documentation, downloads and updates, and an option to contact a security specialist.

Trend Micro Support:

Trend Micro concentrates on providing interactive online support. Their website offers online support for small/medium businesses as well as enterprises. The site is not too difficult to navigate, but can be confusing at times.

On the website IT managers can find:

• Searchable knowledgebase and FAQs
• Threat meter
• Update center and free online virus scanner
• Product documentation
• Virus encyclopedia, malware blog, and threat white papers
• Beta, education and certification programs
• Support contact form and telephone number

To access relevant support information you will need to find the product your company uses and click on its name. Then you will be taken to a page that has all support information for the product, including the most recent patches and hot issues.

McAfee Support:

Just like other companies, McAfee offers various support options. What makes McAfee technical support extremely attractive is 24/7 support, daily updates, product upgrades, and proactive alerting, plus access to a security expert in just five minutes. Apart from that McAfee has a wider selection of software support options: Gold, Gold Select, Platinum, Resident Onsite, Platinum Select, and Platinum Select Plus.

Here are the Gold support features:

• 24/7 telephone support
• Daily product updates and regular product upgrades
• Malware alerts with remediation analysis
• Chat, email, and phone with remote desktop control
• Automated diagnostics and remediation tools
• Malware trend podcasts, blogs, help videos, and online product test environment

McAfee has a wide range of premium support options, which include benefits like assigned regional Support Account Manager (SAM), technical onsite visits, emergency onsite assistance for Severity 1 and 2 cases, and product planning and protection analysis. Also, McAfee offers proactive support to help companies address
issues before they become problems. With a single point of contact for case management, this option provides accountability and control.

McAfee’s website offers comprehensive online support. The site layout is very clear, which makes finding the required support information fast and easy. The IT managers can easily access  patches, knowledgebase articles, help videos, product documentation, support handbooks, and community forum. There is also a downloadable PDF datasheet that describes all support options offered by the company.

Conclusion:

Security software support options vary from company to company, but all of the companies offer interactive online support. CA, Sophos, and McAfee websites are easy to navigate, have all the necessary resources to troubleshoot and fix minor problems, have supportive community forums and means to contact technical
support. Trend Micro focuses on providing information about its products and support contact details. As for support solutions, McAfee has the widest range of premium support options and the best average response times. CA and Sophos provide robust three-level support packages that include all the necessary features plus exclusive support for premium users.

In addition to these leading publisher support options, your technology reseller can be a valuable resource for you to use when navigating technical support. Let your technology reseller do some of the heavy lifting for you when you are having technical support issues, and if they are not meeting your expectations, let Productive demonstrate their level of service when handling technical support.As a specialized software reseller, Productive offers a unique approach when assisting their customers when technical support is needed. When customers use Productive as their first point of contact, Productive is able to advocate on their behalf.  When technical support issues are handled with Productive in the lead, they tend to be resolved more quickly with a higher level of customer satisfaction. Productive understands the support process inside and out and use’s this knowledge to get issues resolved efficiently. Contacting Productive with an issue is very straight forward, simply call 800-726-4099, or email help@productivecorp.com.

What IT managers will have to remember when choosing security software for their company is that there is never a one-size-fit-all solution and that support packages vary from company to company. If all your business requires is basic online support, then it doesn’t matter which security software you end up using. But if you are looking for more support options and offerings, take your time researching the market before you make your choice.