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). 

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 mechanism for determining the value of the service to our customers.

Scope of Agreement

DDS provides ongoing technical support and maintenance for devices with Windows or Apple operating systems, and most standard business applications, as well as support for certain specialized departmental applications. See details on the full scope of support on the Desktop Support Features page.

General Responsibilities of the Agreement

1. Dedicated Desktop Support is responsible for building computers to align with the University of Colorado Boulder’s Secure Computing Standards. These standards require University computers run current Windows or Mac operating systems, and define required security software and configurations.
2. An initial migration to DDS management will require that computers are rebuilt to adhere to Secure Computing Standards as well as departmental business needs.
3. DDS will work with the department and the IT Security Office to identify and protect data that needs additional protection above that defined by the Secure Computing Standards.
4. DDS only supports Dell, Apple, and Microsoft Surface devices, and they must adhere to OIT’s Minimum Supported Hardware Standards. Unless otherwise present, DDS will work with the department to establish a renewal and replacement cycle for all systems in the department. Asset management best practices require a 3 to 5-year replacement cycle depending upon business requirements.
5. CU Boulder’s Secure Computing Standards require that user data be stored on OIT-supported and approved cloud storage, so DDS will configure user data to be redirected to that storage location. For shared departmental data, DDS will work with the department to determine the appropriate storage location given business and security requirements. DDS is committed to ensure data integrity assuming  the computer uses supported and approved storage locations. However, DDS cannot guarantee the recovery of all lost or missing data to its last known state. 
6. It is the responsibility of the department to remain current with computer warranty coverage and department-specific software licensing agreements. DDS will not install department-specific software on computers under our management without documentation from the software vendor that clearly indicates the scope of the licensing agreement. DDS will provide consultation and recommendations for the purchase and renewal of departmental software and hardware.
7. While some problems require in-person troubleshooting or meetings with customers, the majority of support requests will begin with remote consultation. This model expedites resolution of many IT issues. In-person consultations are still used when needed. 
8. While working on campus, your wired and wireless network is maintained by OIT. When working remotely, you rely on the network in your home to reach the internet and CU resources. To the extent possible, DDS will try to help you troubleshoot home internet access issues. However, If we suspect a problem with your internet service provider (ISP) or your home network, you will be referred to your ISP for support.
9. For problems that are not in scope of DDS, but are related to services that are provided by OIT, we will help ensure the appropriate people are engaged.
10. DDS has a limited number of loaner computers available in the event that a departmental computer has a hardware failure or is being repaired from the manufacturer. These are intended to be short-term and are not for use out of state. However, DDS can manage department-owned loaner computers that can be used for out of state employees, as long as they adhere to OIT’s Minimum Supported Hardware Standards.
11. DDS’ options for assisting with hardware repairs depends upon CU System agreements with hardware vendors. Apple does not dispatch support to customer locations for hardware problems on their platforms. As a result, you will be instructed to take your university-owned Apple computer to the Apple Store for hardware repairs. Dell will dispatch support to customer locations, including home locations. For those repairs occurring at your residence, we will ask that the customer initiates the dispatch with Dell. This way, the customer can accurately provide their address and act as the main point of contact for scheduling.
12. DDS cannot provide assistance with the physical setup of devices or peripherals off-campus. We will provide best-effort remote support for managed devices and peripherals that are off-campus, but if the issue cannot be easily resolved, you may be asked to bring the equipment to campus for further testing and troubleshooting.
     

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.

Here are the two ways to open support tickets with Dedicated Desktop Support:

DDS Service Request Portal

The recommended method for DDS-supported users to open a support ticket is through the Dedicated Desktop Support portal.

Requests made via the portal can be submitted after normal business hours. Requests submitted after business hours will be processed the following business day using the Incident Response Times below.

Incident Resolution Times will vary based on incident complexity.

IT Service Center

Users may also contact the IT Service Center by emailing oithelp@colorado.edu or by phone at 303-735-4357 (5-HELP from a campus phone) to open a support ticket for DDS. While ultimately this ticket will make its way to DDS, the IT Service Center triages all support tickets. In busy times, there may be delays in getting the ticket assigned to DDS, which is why the portal is the preferred option.

Providing Feedback

Customer Satisfaction Survey

It is important that we regularly gather feedback from our users to determine their satisfaction with ticket resolution, their technician, and what changes might need to be made to provide better value. To that end, DDS will request user feedback via a survey that is emailed to the user  following each DDS support ticket that is closed. Completing these surveys will help us ensure that the DDS service we provide continues to meet your needs.

Escalations to DDS Management

If a user would like to contact a DDS manager directly, they can send an email to oit-dl-dsmanagers@colorado.edu.