Overview of AWS Enterprise Support Plans

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AWS (AWS) provides a wide array of cloud computing options, and in today’s cloud-reliant landscape, having dependable support is crucial. AWS offers various support plans designed to cater to the different requirements of businesses. No matter the size and industry of your organization, AWS enables you to move faster in the cloud and focus on your core competencies.  AWS offers four support plans designed to assist in troubleshooting, cost reduction, and the appropriate utilization of AWS services.

Let’s take a look at each of these in detail-

Basic Support

Customers automatically receive Basic AWS Support Service for free. This tier includes-

Customer Service

Customers have access to customer service 24/7, as well as relevant documentation, whitepapers, support forums, and communities such as AWS re:Post. With Basic Support, organizations can also reach out to AWS for billing inquiries or to request an increase in service limits.

AWS Trusted Advisor

You get access to a set of AWS Trusted Advisor checks and receive guidance on setting up your AWS resources according to best practices, which can help boost performance and enhance security.

Custom Dashboard

This tool gives you a customized outlook on the well-being of your AWS services. It also offers notifications and advice on how to fix issues if your AWS resources are impacted.

Developer Support

Under the Developer Support plan, your company has the option to directly email client support and expect to receive a response to important inquiries within 24 hours. In cases where your system is experiencing issues, you might even receive a response in less than 12 hours. This tier is ideal for businesses that are exploring AWS or establishing testing or proofs of concept.

The Developer AWS Support Service plan includes the following offerings:

  • Guides outlining the best practices;
  • Diagnostic tools for customers;
  • Support for building-block architecture, providing guidance on utilizing AWS offerings, features, and various services together.

The plan is budget-friendly and offers sufficient assistance for small businesses or development teams to overcome technical obstacles. Nevertheless, it is restricted to non-essential workloads and offering general advice.

Business Support

Once customers transition to running production workloads on AWS, they should upgrade to the Business Support plan, which encompasses all the features of the previous tiers. Under this plan, Trusted Advisor provides access to a comprehensive set of checks for your AWS account, and you gain direct phone access to the AWS support team with a four-hour response time based on the SLA. In situations where your system is impaired, the response time is reduced to just one hour.

Furthermore, as a crucial element of the Business Support plan, AWS grants access to infrastructure event management. For an additional fee, AWS can assist your company in preparing for various large-scale events such as new product launches and marketing campaigns.

The Business AWS Support Service plan includes the following offerings:

  • Guidance on how to identify AWS offerings, features, and services that meet your organization’s needs;
  • Utilization of all checks provided by AWS Trusted Advisor;
  • Support is available for third-party software to a limited extent (e.g., common operating systems or application stack components).

Enterprise Support

For organizations running mission-critical workloads, utilizing the AWS Enterprise Support plan is essential. The Enterprise tier encompasses all features of the previous plans and additionally offers a 15-minute response time for critical workloads.

This AWS Enterprise Support Service plan provides customers with the following features:

  • Guidance on application architecture that acts as a consultative partnership to support the specific use cases or applications of your organization;
  • Short-term engagement with AWS Support for managing infrastructure events, allowing for a better understanding of the company’s use cases and providing suitable architectural and scaling guidance;
  • Technical Account Manager (TAM)

AWS Enterprise Support Pricing

The cost of AWS Enterprise Support is determined based on a percentage of the overall AWS usage. This includes round-the-clock technical support, a designated Technical Account Manager (TAM), and quick resolutions for urgent issues. This service is tailored for companies running vital workloads on AWS.

  • Minimum spend of $15,000.00
  • – or –
  • $15K for monthly AWS charges up to $150K
  • 7% of monthly AWS charges from $150K–$500K
  • 5% of monthly AWS charges from $500K–$1M
  • 3% of monthly AWS charges over $1M
  • Charges will be at least the minimum charge of $15,000.00 or the result of the calculation, whichever is higher.

What is a Technical Account Manager?

If your company is subscribed to the Enterprise Support level, your TAM will be your main contact for reaching out to AWS. They offer essential advice and evaluations on architectural matters, and they maintain regular communication with your company during the stages of planning, implementing, and refining your applications.

Furthermore, the technical account manager offers specialized knowledge across different AWS services. They assist in devising solutions that can efficiently integrate multiple services together using a cohesive approach.

How does an AWS partner help?

AWS partners play a vital role in assisting companies in navigating the intricacies of AWS Support plans and programs such as the Enterprise Discount Program (EDP). They assist in negotiations, optimize cloud expenses, and ensure that you are utilizing the most suitable plan for your business requirements. AWS Partners also offer additional benefits such as reduced support costs, customized guidance, and comprehensive infrastructure management, ultimately streamlining your cloud journey and reducing costs.

By Aman Aggarwal