Overview
Cisco® Software Support Service (SWSS) provides technical support coverage for Cisco software applications and suites you have licensed on a perpetual basis. SWSS offers basic coverage from the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) to help minimize downtime and keep your systems performing as expected. And you get increased value over time, with access to the latest features, functions, and technology at no additional cost. If you have licensed your products on a subscription basis, then basic support coverage is included with the license for the product.
When ordered as part of a perpetual license for Cisco ONE™ Software, SWSS enables license portability and ongoing innovation across the bundled products.
Q. What benefits will I receive from the SWSS offering?
A. SWSS provides your business with the following benefits:
● Major releases protect your software investments as long as the software support contract remains active.
● Specialized engineers in the award-winning Cisco TAC are available 24 hours a day to analyze software questions and assist with incident remediation to help you maintain application availability.
● Maintenance and minor software releases help reduce risks through bug fixes and security updates, and make sure Cisco software applications are always up to date and perform as expected.
● Increased knowledge and productivity help reduce costs and are essential to reducing the time it takes to resolve a problem. Cisco’s extensive online resources and troubleshooting tools help answer frequently asked questions, increase your IT staff’s expertise, and provide quick access to the latest software releases.
Q. What benefits do I receive when purchasing Cisco ONE Software under a perpetual license?
A. When purchased with Cisco ONE Software, SWSS enables license portability and ongoing innovation. Cisco ONE Software suites provide a simple purchasing model for common customer scenarios in the data center, cloud, WAN, and access domains.
● Services-enabled license portability reduces costs by allowing you to reassign Cisco ONE Software license entitlements when refreshing your hardware, eliminating the requirement to repurchase software licenses for new hardware. Refer to the Cisco ONE Software License Portability Q&A for more details.
● Ongoing innovation increases the value of the product for Cisco ONE Software customers who maintain a valid SWSS contract, with access to new suite features and capabilities that are subsequently added into a purchased suite.
● Effective November 20, 2018, Cisco continues to fulfill on the promise of access to innovation by providing customers a subscription for Cisco Digital Network Architecture (Cisco DNA) for enterprise networking or Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (Cisco ACI®) software for the data center at the cost equivalency of the SWSS contract.
Q. My software applications are critical to running my business. What if I need a Cisco software expert who knows my IT environment and can help with software deployment, best practices, troubleshooting, and software integration?
A. For large to mid-size customers who want help with technical onboarding of their software, faster response times from TAC, direct access to subject-matter experts, and proactive support, Cisco offers Software Support Enhanced and Premium for collaboration and security products. For more information, see the Cisco
website.
Q. Does Cisco have a support offering that covers a multivendor solution or a Cisco multiproduct solution?
A. Yes, for customers who want a primary point of contact who orchestrates issue resolution between Cisco and Solution Support Alliance Partners, then Solution Support would be a good choice. To understand what you get from Solution Support, visit the Cisco
website.
Q. Does SWSS cover the Operating System (OS) software on a hardware device?
A. No, OS software is covered under a Cisco Smart Net Total Care
® contract. Learn more about
Smart Net Total Care.
Q. Was there a price change for SWSS for Cisco collaboration products?
A. Yes, in November 2018 we increased the price, on average, 12.5 percent for software product families licensed under the perpetual model, including Call Control, TelePresence
® and Customer Care software. We increased the price to keep our promise of providing a high-quality customer experience.
Services for Cisco ONE software, Cisco DNA and Cisco ACI
Q. Is Cisco Software Support Service (SWSS) a mandatory purchase for Cisco ONE Software?
A. Yes, but the way Cisco ONE customers acquire SWSS has changed and brings substantial additional value at no additional cost. New Cisco ONE perpetual customers will receive Cisco DNA and Cisco ACI subscription software that includes SWSS, for both the perpetual and subscription licenses. Existing Cisco ONE customers will get Cisco DNA and ACI software at the time of SWSS renewal that includes SWSS for both the perpetual and subscription licenses. This approach to acquiring SWSS will be cost-neutral.
Q. How do existing Cisco ONE customers (perpetual and subscription) get Cisco DNA capabilities, such as Software-Defined Access and Encrypted Traffic Analytics and Assurance?
A. We are making it easier for our existing Cisco ONE customers to consume these Cisco DNA innovations. At a cost equivalent to that of a SWSS renewal, customers now get the benefits of Cisco DNA and SWSS. The subscription will be available for 1-, 3-, or 5-year terms. Customers will also retain their perpetual licenses.
For customers who had purchased Cisco DNA Premier subscription software, no change will be needed because they will already have acquired Cisco DNA capabilities through the subscription.
Q. What support does a Cisco DNA subscription purchased a la carte or in an Enterprise Agreement provide?
A. A Cisco DNA software subscription purchased through a transactional system or in an Enterprise Agreement includes technical support for the Cisco DNA software features enabled by that software license. It does not provide hardware device technical support; nor does it provide operating system support for the OS used to enable the Cisco DNA software.
Q. How do existing Cisco ONE customers (perpetual and subscription) get the software-based and policy-driven functionality included in the Cisco ACI Essentials or ACI Advantage subscription offers?
A. We are making it easier for our existing Cisco ONE customers to consume these innovations. At a cost equivalent to that of a SWSS renewal, customers can get the benefits of Cisco ACI and SWSS. The subscription will be available for 1-, 3-, or 5-year terms. Customers will also retain their perpetual licenses.
For customers who had purchased Cisco ONE Essentials or Cisco DNA Premier subscription software, no change will be needed, as they will have already acquired the Cisco ACI capabilities through their original subscription.
Quoting, ordering, and renewals
Q. What is the minimum duration for a SWSS contract?
A. To make sure your software investment is protected and delivers on the desired business outcomes, you should purchase SWSS for a minimum of one year when you order. You also can purchase longer contracts, up to five years in duration, to provide continuous protection and greater value while the contract remains in effect.
Q. Do I need to purchase a SWSS contract if I have purchased my software application under a subscription license?
A. No, if you are purchasing a subscription-licensed product, basic support coverage is automatically included in the product purchase.
Q. How is SWSS sold?
A. SWSS is globally available and orderable in Cisco Commerce Workspace (CCW) at the point of sale for perpetually licensed products. When a SWSS-covered software product is configured, a 12-month contract with the “ECMU” or equivalent service level is typically added. If you do not order SWSS with the software, you must order it within 90 days from the software order submission date. After the 90-day grace period, ordering SWSS will be subject to reinstatement policy fees.
Q. If I miss renewing SWSS after the first year, can I renew it at a later stage?
A. As with any other service, a contract that is not renewed after 30 days of its end-of-coverage date will have an expired status, and reinstatement fees will be applied.
Q. If I do not renew my SWSS contract after the first year, do I still have the right to use the software?
A. Yes, customers have the right to use their perpetual software licenses if SWSS is not maintained.
SASU-to-SWSS migration
As part of our software strategy to simplify how we do business, data center, enterprise networking, and security software products covered by Software Application Service plus Upgrades (SASU) have been migrated to Software Support Service (SWSS). A single support offer simplifies ordering, budgeting, and contract management.
Q. Is there a price difference between SASU and SWSS?
A. To continue offering the latest technology at an affordable price for renewal quotes, the support cost will align with the regional market rate of SWSS available in the price lists. For more information, contact your Cisco account manager or partner.
Q. Does SWSS have the same service deliverables as SASU?
A. Yes. There will be no change in the service deliverables or in the contract terms.
Q. What are the benefits of SWSS for me?
A. This migration benefits your business by providing a single contract to manage for your software support, resulting in:
● Ease of doing business
● Easier renewals
● Simplified internal budget negotiations
● Continued investment protection
● Increased overall satisfaction
Q. Does this change affect Software Application Service (SAS)?
A. No, SAS has not been migrated at this time.
Resources
Q. Where can I find more information?
A. Reference
Software Support
on cisco.com or contact your Cisco account representative or partner.
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