I just received the following mail:
Quote:
Dear Autodesk Customer,
We are pleased to announce that our new Autodesk® Support offerings are now available. We hope that you will find that the new offerings provide you with a better support experience and more choices.
Our records show that you currently have an Autodesk Subscription with Gold Support. In May 2012, the Gold Support you have been receiving will be replaced with Autodesk Advanced Support. Gold Support is no longer available for purchase.
Autodesk Advanced Support provides a variety of benefits outlined below. When your Subscription comes up for renewal, Autodesk Advanced Support will be included on your renewal offer. At that time, you may choose to renew your Subscription with Advanced Support or choose another combination of support services* provided by Autodesk and your reseller.
Below, you will find answers to frequently asked questions about the new Product Support offerings, and how this transition to Autodesk Advanced Support will benefit your organization.
If you have further questions, please contact your reseller.
How will the transition to Autodesk Advanced Support take place?
The change will be made automatically in all of the Autodesk systems. You do not need to take any action.
What benefits do I receive with Autodesk Advanced Support?
Your named callers will receive unlimited 24x5 priority phone support from senior Autodesk support specialists for the complete Autodesk product portfolio for which you have Advanced Support. You can find a complete overview of support benefits at www.autodesk.com/support.
Advanced Support benefits include access to:
▪ Remote desktop assistance to expedite troubleshooting and issue resolution
▪ Online, moderated community support forums with escalation to a one-to-one support request
▪ A wide range of online help and exclusive support webcasts designed to equip your internal support staff with the tools and skills needed to provide first-level support for Autodesk products
▪ Tracked web support requests and Autodesk responses that enable your entire team to benefit from answers posted to individual users’ questions
▪ API (application programming interface) support
How do I contact Autodesk to take advantage of Advanced Support?
Your named callers may contact Autodesk by telephone. You may obtain telephone numbers in the Technical Support section of Subscription Center at www.autodesk.com/subscriptionlogin
To provide better telephone support we are upgrading our telephone system. Please note there may be changes to the phone numbers that you dial. You can also enter an express service id to receive priority routing. Find out where to locate our phone numbers and how to receive expedited service. To help expedite your calls, please review your profile in Subscription Center to ensure the following is up to date: your preferred language, your country of residence, and your telephone number.
Does this affect my other Subscription benefits?
No. Your other Subscription benefits are unaffected by this transition from Gold Support to Advanced Support.
Thank you for your business.
We think you will be pleased with the many benefits and services that Autodesk Advanced Support will now provide to your organization.
Once again, thank you for choosing Autodesk.
Sincerely,
The Autodesk Team
*Advanced Support is the baseline level of support offered with a Subscription to the following products. Autodesk Basic Support is not available for these products:
(...)Autodesk® Softimage®(...)
Could someone please explain this to me?
Is this just an alibi for Autodesk to raise prices even more in the near future,
as they seem to force even more support "benefits" on me that I won't ever use?
Or does "nothing" change but the name?
As I have just renewed my contract I find it strange nobody told me about this beforehand. The fact that they apparently changed the parameters of on-going contracts does not seem to bother them either, or so it seems.
It at least once and for all kills our last shred of hope for "silver subs" I guess...
I am probably overreacting, please tell me so & why.
I really don't like getting mail from Autodesk...
