To open a Software Assurance (SA) problem resolution request, you must provide the following information:

• Software Assurance Access ID*
• Product edition and version that shows the issue
• Authorized contact information

* The Software Assurance Access ID is provided to authorized individuals by a company’s SA Support Benefits Administrator. For more information, contact your Microsoft sales representative.

Problem Resolution Requests:  

To learn more about Premier Support, visit the Microsoft Services Premier Support Web site.

For more information about transferring Software Assurance to Premier Support, contact your Microsoft Services representative or visit the Microsoft Services Premier Support Web site for more information.

The SA support offering is governed by Microsoft's current Software Assurance terms and conditions. The terms and conditions are subject to change. For more information, see the Microsoft Product List and Product Use Rights available on the Microsoft Volume Licensing Web site.

Problem Resolution Support

Problem Resolution Support provides help with issues about specific symptoms that occur when you use a Microsoft product where there is a reasonable expectation that those symptoms are caused by that Microsoft product.

Customers with Software Assurance have access to electronic Web-based and Phone-based problem resolution support services. Customers that are still on the old Software Assurance program are eligible for phone and web support on covered server products during business hours only.

Here is a chart that shows the service levels for the new Software Assurance support program as it compares with Essential and Premier support.

Support Service Packages and the new Software Assurance program

Offering Brand		Professional Support	24x7 Professional Support	Software Assurance 2006	Essential Support	Premier Support Family
Key Benefits	Key Features
Problem Resolution Support - Phone	All products covered	X5	X5	X1	X3	X3
	Incidents / hours - Fixed Amount based on package	X	X		X
	Business hours - coverage in local language	X	X	X4	X	X
	After hours - coverage for English language/English product		X	X	X	X
	After hours - coverage for non-English language			X2	X	X
	Incidents - Earned based on SA Spend			X
	Incidents / hours - Flexible					X
	24x7 Critical Situation Escalation Management					X
	Rapid Onsite Support					X
	1 hour response					X
Knowledge Transfer	Proactive Information Distribution, Microsoft Premier Online, etc.				X	X
Direct Relationship (e.g., Support Account Management, Account Profiling and Reporting, etc.)	Phone-based				X	X
	Onsite					X
Proactive Services
	Support Services				X	X
	Health Check and Infrastructure Workshop, Global and Regional					X

X = Service is available.

¹ Any product that is in the mainstream phase of the product lifecycle and is eligible for SA Benefits, except Developer tools and Developer editions of all server and Home and Entertainment products.

² After business hours, support will be provided on issues that are business critical. Support will be in English; however, some local language interpreter services may be available. For those non-English language products where interpreter services are not available, customers will be routed to an English speaking support engineer using English to troubleshoot the problem. For those non-English language products where interpreter services are available, customers will have the option of using interpreter services if they prefer to speak in their local language. If we cannot reproduce the problem or read the logs in the local language, we will attempt to resolve the issue using other available resources; otherwise, we will notify you that the issue cannot be resolved in the customer's local language. Requesting support in a local language may significantly delay resolution. Please visit Volume Licensing Support/Feedback to verify local language support availability in your country.

³ Products as mentioned in the lifecycle program Microsoft Support Lifecycle. Currently excluded from Premier and Essential Support are the Groove products, Microsoft TV and Microsoft Windows Storage Server.

⁴ Visit Volume Licensing Support/Feedback to verify local language availability in your country.

⁵ 24x7 professional support covers problems associated with software and hardware development, network connectivity, server-based technologies, and business-critical systems. Issues can also include problems associated with configuration and deployment of business workstations and servers.

Offering Brand		Professional Support	24x7 Professional Support	Software Assurance 2006	Essential Support	Premier Support Family
Key Benefits	Key Features
Problem Resolution Support Web	All products covered	X5	X5			X
	Only Server products with SA coverage			X
	Incidents - As needed			X