Expected IT Service Support Levels
- Standard Services
- Standard Service Availability
- Standard Service Response Prioritisation
- General Restrictions
- Non Standard Services
- TILS Client Charter
1. Standards
The Technology Information and Learning Support (TILS) service catalogue (www.tils.qut.edu.au/about/services/) provides a comprehensive list of the standard services and facilities provided by the Division. The catalogue identifies all key services and provides details about the service availability, support arrangements and user charges as appropriate.
Services and associated service conditions and restrictions as identified within the catalogue are considered to be standard services.
2. Standard Service Availability
Unless otherwise specified, the standard service availability is:- Standard support hours for all IT Customer Service and Support Services is 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday unless otherwise indicated in the service catalogue.
- Systems (on which many services are based) are available (24hrs a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year) 95% of the time (4% scheduled and 1% unscheduled downtime). Notification of intended outages of system for maintenance will be provided via the IT Helpdesk website. Some systems are supported by third party vendors who are subject to different timelines. Standard response times and systems availabilities as defined in this document excludes support based on third party vendors
- Support on weekends, public holidays and outside normal hours is by prior arrangement only and charges may apply.
3. Standard Service Response Prioritisation
In order to best utilise available resources and to respond in a manner consistent with University priorities, service requests and faults are managed according to an industry standard priority scheme that measures priority on the basis of the level of the impact and urgency of the impediment to a business function.
Category 1 – Critical
A critical fault is defined as one where a large element of the University is unable to complete an essential business function. Standard resolution targets for critical faults are 75% of faults resolved within 4 working hours.
Typical Examples:
- Total site failure (e.g. network failure)
- Major system component inoperative
- Multiple client groups impacted
- Potential damage to QUT reputation
Category 2 – High
A high priority fault is defined as one where large groups of users are impeded in the completion of an essential business function but a work around exists. Standard resolution targets for high priority faults are 75% of faults resolved within 8 working hours.
Typical Examples:
- Partial loss of critical business function during normal business hours
- System operating with severe limitation
- Business unit unable to perform any function
Category 3 – Medium
A medium priority fault is defined as one where a small number of individuals are impeded in the completion of an essential business function. Standard resolution targets for medium priority faults are 75% of faults resolved within 2 working days.
Typical Examples:
- Business unit able to function with reduced capacity or functionality
- Minimal impact system availability to the client
Category 4 – Low
A low priority fault is defined as one where an individual is impeded in the completion of a non essential business activity or where a temporary workaround exists for an essential business function. Standard resolution targets for low priority faults are 75% of faults resolved within 5 working days.
Typical Examples:
- Business unit can function normally – some individuals affected
- Request for a move, addition or change to a clients system
Category 5 – Immediate
The immediate category is used to defined requests that can be dealt with by the first point of contact. Standard resolution targets for immediate faults are 75% of requests resolved at the first point of contact.
Typical Examples:
- Provide information
- Basic helpdesk request
Category 6 - Project
The project category is used to define a request for which there are multiple sub processes and where each of those sub processes are completed by a number of different parties. Resolution targets for project requests are almost always by negotiation.
Typical Examples:
- Installation, configuration, testing and deployment of desktop computers in a lab environment
- Provision of a new network connection
PLEASE NOTE: While TILS endeavours to take a view of end-to-end service provision, the delivery of many services involves third party vendors who are subject to different response times or for whom TILS can take no responsibility. For example – many QUT systems are web based and therefore client access will be strongly dependant on the potential resolution of problems with relevant Internet Service Providers (ISP) over which TILS has no control.
4. General Restrictions
Reflecting the reality of current resourcing, TILS may decline support or negotiate a charge for services or respond on a negotiated resolution time basis where:
- Support is requested for non central teaching spaces.
- Support requests are associated with off campus activities.
- Support requests are associated with activities outside standard teaching and learning and research activities of the University.
- Equipment involved is out of warranty or does not operate with the University standard software environments.
- Desktop systems operate with an administrators password other than those issued by ITS.
Note: Any or all of these restrictions can be renegotiated as part of a specialised support agreement for a Faculty/Division/Institute or for a special event. Concerns over negotiations regarding non standard services can be managed through the concern resolution process defined in section 8.
5. Non Standard Services
A number of services can be provided in a non standard format, outside normal hours or utilising additional resources – for example weekend AV or IT support for special conferences and events. The availability of all non standard services is by prior negotiation with the relevant service manager as identified in the service catalogue (www.tils.qut.edu.au/about/services/). The suggested minimum notification periods for non standard service requests is 2 working weeks.
The availability of non standard services will almost always be resource dependent so the greater the notification period the greater the likelihood that the service request can be supported. Some non standard service requests will attract a charge as per the previous approved FRP user charges register which is located at (www.frp.qut.edu.au/services/bmu/usercharging.jsp).
6. TILS Client Charter
The TILS Client Charter outlines the services TILS provides and how these are delivered these to the University community. The charter establishes service commitments and encourages your ongoing feedback and advice to help improve these services.