Sun has announced the end of life (EOL) for the SunTM Services Software Only SupportSM (SWON) program, as well as EOL for the SunTM Software Support Gold, Silver, Bronze and Subscription Only programs (formerly known as iPlanetSM Maintenance) as of January 28, 2003. These EOL'd programs will be replaced by the SunSM Software Premium Support and the SunSM Software Standard Support services. A few products are eligible only for Software Only Basic Support, and they are detailed in the Sun Services price book under Software Only Basic support for product exceptions.

Unlike SWON, which offered a single level of service, Sun Software Standard Support and Sun Software Premium Support will offer coverage for the broad portfolio of Sun software, including the SunTM Open Net Environment (Sun ONE) products formerly branded as iPlanetTM software. Sun Software Support customers will appreciate both an expanded service organization and longer coverage hours as standard features. One of the chief advantages of this EOL program is that the new support programs will provide comprehensive support based on customer requirements rather than on the provisions of a minimum support contract purchase. Technical support will be available either by telephone or online, whatever the level of service a customer opts for.

Because software enhancement releases and patches are included with support, customers can take advantage of the latest software functionality without incurring extra cost.

A further benefit of the new Sun Software Support services offering is that customers will be able to use the Customer-Defined priority, which allows them to determine Sun's response time, based on the priority of their request and their access to self-solve technical resources.

Partners who are eligible to sell the SunSpectrumSM Software Enhancement option can continue to do so, provided they market to SunSpectrum support contract customers and offer service on the selected software products only. Products that are excluded from the enhancement option are:

• Software on platforms not sold by Sun
• Sun ONE software that was previously branded as iPlanet
• Non-Sun software such as VERITAS

Customers who have a service contract for one of the legacy levels of service will have their contracts honored through the expiration date, after which they must contract for one or the other of the two new levels of service. Quotes for service will be honored for 90 days from the last order date, which is April 28, 2003, for the SWON, Gold, Silver and Bronze support offerings. [...read more...]

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