Comparison of Support Prices – Ahsay and Remote Backup Systems (RBackup)

 

Because Remote Backup Systems is currently receiving requests from many of our former competitors’ Partners we are being asked to compare our prices, company, and products with theirs. This article describes the software maintenance price differences between RBS and Ahsay.

These prices and links were obtained from the Ahsay website on 28 February 2015 and are valid as of this date. We will update the article as we discover new information.

 

Ahsay Standard Support (no pricing yet as of this date)

Standard support is included for the first year after purchase, or for the duration of a leased option, and must be repurchased afterwards. We can’t get pricing for this just yet because their shopping cart doesn’t work as of this date. Response times are slower than RBS, and on Hong Kong time only. There is no phone support. Response time is determined by Ahsay’s assessment of the severity of the issue. More info here:

http://ahsay.com/jsp/en/home/index.jsp?pageContentKey=ahsay_services_standard-support

Ahsay Ad-Hoc Premium Support ($800)

Ad-Hoc support has faster response times, and cannot be purchased by the year. The cost is $200 per hour, with a four-hour ($800) minimum.

http://ahsay.com/jsp/en/home/index.jsp?pageContentKey=ahsay_services_premium-support

Ahsay Premium Loyalty Support ($50,000)

By invitation only, this level of support requires spending $50k annually. Response times are significantly faster than Standard, but still slower than RBS Priority and still subject to Ahsay’s assessment of the severity of the issue. Also on Hong Kong time only, phone support or remote troubleshooting requires an appointment in advance. This level includes branding and software updates.

http://ahsay.com/jsp/en/home/index.jsp?pageContentKey=ahsay_services_premium-loyalty-support

 

RBS Basic Support ($410 – $1800 with monthly pay options available)

RBS Basic Support is included in all Premium packages (200 Licenses and greater) for the first year. It is available weekdays (excluding USA holidays) from 4:30AM to 5:00PM US Central Time and from 9:30AM to 11:00PM GMT.

Basic packages come with 120 days of Basic Support and 60 days of Priority Support. Prices depend on the number of licenses in the package. Basic Support includes a response time of 24 hours or sooner, software upgrades, free emergency hot-site, Partner’s Portal, Partner’s Forum, and Server Locator.

http://www.remote-backup.com/maintenancesubscriptions

RBS Priority Support ($640 – $2650 with monthly pay options available)

RBS Priority Support is faster and available more hours per day than Ahsay’s $50,000 Premium Loyalty Support, we have far more support resources, and unlike Ahsay, RBS support does not depend on our opinion of how important you are.

All software packages include the first sixty days of Priority Support, and then 120 to 365 days of Basic Support. It is available weekdays (excluding USA holidays) from 4:30AM to 5:00PM US Central Time and from 9:30AM to 11:00PM GMT.

Priority Support includes a response time of 4 hours or sooner, software upgrades, free emergency hot-site, Partner’s Portal, Partner’s Forum, Server Locator, Referral Service, Remote Help, phone, email and live web chat support.

RBS Pay-Per-Case (Ad Hoc) Support ($100)

Includes all the features of Priority Support plus the fastest response time (immediate if an engineer is available). This is available 4:30AM to 5:00PM US Central Time (and 9:30AM to 11:00PM GMT) even if your Maintenance Subscription has lapsed.

RBS After Hours Support ($300)

After hours support is available between 5:00PM and 4:30AM US Central Time (11PM – 9:30AM GMT). When you place an order for After Hours Support on our website an engineer is automatically called. Maximum response time is 4 hours.

RBS Per Hour Support ($300)

RBS offers online backup support and consulting services on an hourly basis. We can handle software development, training, integration, and more. Custom development is $150/hour, with a two-hour minimum.

 

Ahsay Software Updates

Software updates are not included in any support plan. A single software update is $600, or $1200 for all the updates released in a calendar year. Software updates are not a quick download from an online portal. They do it for you, but it takes three business days and the process is pretty long-winded. See this page for steps involved:

http://ahsay.com/jsp/en/home/index.jsp?pageContentKey=ahsay_services_hassle-free-upgrade

RBS Software updates

All software updates to purchased products are free while your Maintenance Subscription is active.

 

Ahsay Rebranding

Rebranding is not included in AhsayOBS. It is a “professional service” available for separate purchase, at a cost of $900. Again, this does not simply unlock the ability to brand it yourself; they do it for you, and it takes four business days. Once done, you do get access to a customization portal. More info here:

http://ahsay.com/jsp/en/home/index.jsp?pageContentKey=ahsay_services_rebranding_software-rebranding

RBS Rebranding

Rebranding is included at no extra charge with all packages of 200 Licenses and higher. There are more than 450 features of the software that can be customized and branded, including the icons and graphics, the company name, product name, and the web portal. The branding tool is included with the software, and can also be done online at the RBackup Partner’s Portal.

 

Ahsay Training ($250/hour – $1500 minimum)

Ahsay will provide a 6 hour training session for $1500.

http://ahsay.com/jsp/en/home/index.jsp?pageContentKey=ahsay_services_one-day-training-service

RBS Training (1 hour free and $150/hour thereafter)

RBS provides a one hour training session free of charge with each Premium package (200 licenses and greater). Server installation service is included in the price of all Premium packages. Advanced training sessions are available on an hourly basis at $150 per hour.

About The Author

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Steve Roberts / http://remote-backup.com

Steve Roberts is VP of Engineering at Remote Backup Systems (http://remote-backup.com), developers of the RBackup Online Backup software platform, providing software powering more than 9,500 Service Providers in 65 countries since 1987.