Business Support Security Services

Allstream's Customer Service and Support uses a multi-tier support model for processing and resolving reported problems and issues. This page provides information about what you can expect when calling our customer service centre.

Two service and support programs are available:

I. Platinum Service Level Agreement
Our Platinum program provides technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with a guaranteed 30 minute response time. You will be speaking with one of our highly trained security specialists within 30 minutes of first contacting us.

II. Gold Service Level Agreement
Our Gold program provides technical support from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday with a guaranteed 4-hour response time.

Contacting our Support Centre

• By telephone: 1-888-253-0750
• By e-mail: Security.Support@mtsallstream.com

Collection of information

When you call our customer service centre, a Check Point certified (Check Point Certified Security Administrator and Check Point Certified Security Engineer) customer service representative will answer your call and will ask for the following information:

1. Contact information including company name, your name, telephone number and e-mail address. If the issue in any way involves licensing, you will be asked for the certificate key(s).
2. Description of the hardware platform(s) involved in the issue as well as memory, disk space, NIC card type, etc.
3. Description of the operating system including version number and patch level (include which service packs or patches have been applied).
4. Detailed description of the problem or issue including any symptoms noted, patterns, specific error messages, what was changed or added or moved prior to the occurrence and what you have tried.
5. If the issue is with Firewall-1 you will be asked to provide firewall information including your firewall license information (FW-printlic).

If the customer service representative is unable to resolve the support issue, your issue will be escalated to a Check Point certified security engineer. At this point some additional information may be asked of you:

1. Detailed description of the network topology including physical network parameters, media and protocols.
2. Location map (topology diagram) of all segment routers and transitional gateways.
3. IP addresses of all router and gateway interfaces.
4. General information about the network, including: approximate number of users, approximate number of simultaneous sessions per user, types of applications in use, etc.
5. An electronic topology diagram is preferred (Visio or PowerPoint are good applications to use for this). If this is not feasible, a fax of hand drawn diagrams is an acceptable alternative, provided the IP addresses or host ID information is legible.
6. Historical description of the problem or issue, detailing chronology and troubleshooting efforts already completed. If the product has been upgraded or "backed down" for any reason, please detail what versions were involved.
7. Any miscellaneous, related information.

A support ticket will be opened detailing your problem. If Allstream determines that the reported issue is not related to a supported OPSEC product, we will contact you with this information. If assistance with a non-supported product or system is requested, we will notify you of possible additional charges.

Allstream's ticketing process

Our customer service centre has a defined ticketing system. Every question is assigned a unique ticket number regardless of whether it is solved immediately or is escalated to a security engineer. Here's what you can expect when you call:

1. Assigning a ticket number to your question. After gathering the details relevant to the question or issue, as listed in the previous section, a ticket is opened and a number is assigned. This ticket number is used to track the issue from initial contact to final resolution.
2. A confirming e-mail. The customer service representative sends you an e-mail detailing:
   • The ticket number to which you can refer if the need arises for you to call us again regarding this problem.
   • A short description of the problem.
3. Status reports. If more investigation is required and we are unable to resolve your ticket right away, we will keep you up to date on our progress as we continue to work on resolving your issue. Status reports are sent every two days, at a minimum.
4. Closing your ticket. When your ticket is resolved, either immediately over the phone or by e-mail, or by the engineer to whom your ticket has been escalated, an e-mail is sent to you summarizing the issue and the resolution.
5. Closing resolved tickets. If your ticket is escalated to our engineers, once it is resolved we will contact you to give you the details of the solution, and ensure everything is now working. Attempts will be made to contact you by phone over 3 business days, and an e-mail will also be sent to you each of those 3 days. If by the end of the 3 business days we have been unable to reach you, the ticket will be closed.

Allstream's escalation process

Many of your questions will be answered by our Check Point certified customer service representatives. Should they be unable to resolve your question immediately, Allstream has a defined escalation process that ensures efficient resolution of your ticket. Here is the process we follow:

1. Immediate resolution. If the problem is resolved within 30 minutes, the customer service representative closes the ticket.
2. Escalation to 2nd level support. If the problem is not resolved within 1 hour, the customer service representative will escalate the ticket to 2nd level support. When the issue is resolved, the customer service representative or 2nd level support discusses the solution with you and closes the ticket.
3. Escalation to security specialist. If the problem is not resolved by 2nd level, a security specialist is consulted. When the issue is resolved, the customer service representative or the specialist discusses the solution with you and closes the ticket. At times the security specialists will consult with our vendors or our Director of Advanced Technology to resolve the issue.
4. Troubleshooting solutions. Sometimes troubleshooting in our lab environment is required in order to recreate the problem and determine the best resolution. If the ticket is not resolved within two days, regular status reports are sent to you.
5. Access to product development teams. Our relationships with our vendors give us access to the manufacturers' product development teams. In cases where we are unable to resolve your issue, we consult with the manufacturer. You are sent regular status reports.

Supplementary Services

The following services compliment our Security portfolio. For more information please contact security.sales@allstream.net .

On-site Support: Platinum and Gold programs do not cover on-site support. You may request that a certified engineer visit your office to resolve technical issues directly. This will be a chargeable service. At Allstream's discretion, it may be possible under some circumstances to have a certified engineer visit your office to resolve technical problems directly if you request it. There will be an additional charge for this service.

Allstream E-mailer: All customers receive a free subscription to "Security Technical Update" delivering network security news including advanced manufacturer upgrade information, troubleshooting tips, recent patch releases and virus alerts.

Training: As a Check Point authorized training centre, Allstream offers a number of courses including Check Point Certified Security Administrator (CCSA) and Check Point Certified Security Engineer (CCSE) to assist you in managing your firewall and other OPSEC products. To learn more about course offerings, course locations and dates, e-mail security.training@allstream.net.

Software Renewals: For customers who subscribe to our manufacturers' software subscription and maintenance programs, Allstream offers automatic annual renewal assistance and ensures all subscription contracts are maintained and up to date.

Quality Measurement and Customer Feedback: Periodically Allstream may contact you as part of our quality assurance and assessment program. This ensures that you experience the high level of service and support we are committed to providing.