DDS - Service Level Agreement

Service Level Agreement: OIT Dedicated Desktop Support

This document outlines the Service Level Agreement (SLA) that is offered by the Office of Information Technology (OIT) for the delivery of Dedicated Desktop Support (DDS). OIT will follow all items outlined in this document. Specific details such as counts of systems and individuals; cost calculations, and signatures (or electronic proxies for such) are represented in the related document for each group. The name of the accompanying document is: Service Level Agreement Specific Details for Group_Name where Group_Name changes per customer group.

The purpose of this agreement is:

1. To represent the capabilities of the service.
2. To establish a shared set of expectations regarding the operation and support of the service.
3. To provide a framework for communication regarding satisfaction with the service.

Scope of Agreement

Dedicated Desktop Support will provide professional technical support for computing devices, including:

• desktop computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones
• printers
• multifunction devices (combined copier/scanner/printers) 

DDS Also provides an ongoing technical support and maintenance for devices with Windows or Apple operating systems, and most business applications (including Microsoft Office, Adobe software, and PGP disk encryption software), as well as support for certain specialized applications that are used in each department, as specified in the specific details document.

Support includes recommendations, specification, installation, testing, and troubleshooting of computer systems and peripherals within established campus standards and best practices. Professional assistance includes timely troubleshooting, on location, with application software and operating systems to diagnose and resolve unique, non-recurring issues. Recurring problems will be addressed through an established problem resolution process, which strives to address underlying causes, resolution and identifying workarounds if possible.

General Responsibilities of the Agreement

1. Dedicated Desktop Support is responsible for building computers to configure efficiently/effectively to the CU Boulder campus network and installation of: Windows and Mac operating systems, appropriate security software, software (as per the campus software standards), departmental software as needed to fulfill the specific business needs of the department, appropriate printer drivers, as well as providing VMware workstations/fusion, and connection to any peripheral devices as identified by the department.
2. All computers will be part of, or migrate to, the OIT provided central Campus AD domain from the signing of this SLA and all computers will have antivirus and desktop management agents installed, where applicable, for remote administration (with user authorization), patching and upgrades. During the initial migration phase all systems will be rebuilt to meet OIT DDS security standards as well as all departmental business needs.
3. Dedicated Desktop Support will configure and maintain computers that comply with the CU Boulder Minimum Security Standards and best practices, which are meant to reduce the likelihood of hacking and other security compromises; and will demonstrate the best efforts of the department to appropriately protect university data. DDS will work with the department and the Office of Information Security (OIS) to establish custom security standards and processes for protecting any data that needs additional protection as defined by the Security Office such as data with social security numbers.
4. PCs that are too old to be covered by the manufacturers’ warranty may still be supported provided that software patches can be applied. OIT will notify the department of any out-of-warranty machines. If it is determined that system instability or application instability is related to the age of the hardware, DDS will notify the department that the system needs to be replaced. DDS will work with the department to establish a custom renewal and replacement cycle for all systems in the department.
5. Dedicated Desktop Support’s best practice for data protection is to keep all user data on the OIT provided central file service. DDS will manage and customize the departmental storage location for the department’s business needs. A series of technologies will be recommended for data redundancy based on the department’s needs. DDS is committed to providing recovery support of data as long as the system was using one of the DDS provided methodologies; however, DDS cannot guarantee recovery of all data to its last known state. DDS will provide its best effort for recovering all lost data even if the DDS provided methodologies were not being used.
6. OIT will provide links to currently available on-line training for software defined by the minimum hardware and software standards as set by the campus standards. The customer group «Group_Name»is responsible for end-user training beyond the self-service options. The customer group is also responsible for maintenance of current hardware warranties and software license agreements that are not covered by campus-wide agreements. All supported hardware and software may be ordered centrally through the University Computers FASTER (Faculty and Staff Technology Equipment Replacement) program. DDS will facilitate and recommend the purchase and renewal of departmental software and hardware.
7. Remote DDS (using Bomgar remote access) will be provided during normal business hours to employees of the customer group who are working off-site (for example at home and/or traveling). Personally-owned computers (excluding smart phones and tablets) will be referred to the OIT Computer Walk-In Centers. Issues with the home network or with internet providers are outside of the responsibility of Dedicated Desktop Support.
8. Smart devices such as smart phones and tablets are supported to the extent of connecting them to campus services like networking, email, and calendaring. Specific issues related to the device or operating systems will be referred to the service provider.
9. Printers and multi-function devices will be supported to the extent that printing, faxing, copying, scanning, and secure print release all work according to the vendor’s specification. DDS will troubleshoot these devices, with the assistance of the vendor but repair of the device is the responsibility of the contracted vendor. While DDS can show our clients how to fix paper jams and load paper, a member of the department is expected to perform these periodic tasks. Ordering and installation of toner supplies is the responsibility of the department. If required, DDS can work with a departmental liaison to enable and monitor tracking of departmental printer usage and printer supply levels.
10. When needed, DDS can act as a technical liaison for the purpose of custom IT solutions that may be needed for the department. When a custom IT solution is needed (e.g.. smart classroom configuration), DDS can coordinate other areas of OIT and or vendors to provide the correct strategic direction for the department.

Hours of Coverage, Response Times & Escalation

Dedicated Desktop Support hours of operation are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, excluding University holidays and official closures. During official summer hours Dedicated Desktop Support hours of operation are 7:30 am to 4:30 pm.

There are two primary methods of contacting Dedicated Desktop Support for technical service:

DDS Service Request Portal

Departments may contact support personnel through the dedicated desktop support service request portal (desktopsupport.colorado.edu), which will ensure timeliness of response.

Requests via the desktop support portal can be submitted after normal business hours. Request submitted after business hours will be processed during the follow business day using the Incident Response Times (in matrix below).

IT Service Center

Departments may also contact the IT Service Center at 303-735-4357 (5-HELP from a campus phone), which can contact the desktop support personnel.