Milestone Systems, the open platform company in IP video management software (VMS), announces a support service under the name Milestone Care, as part of the company?s ongoing commitment to maximize the business value of video management systems for partners and customers. Milestone Care™ can help minimize risk and downtime as well as reduce support costs through a tiered choice of comprehensive technical services, including direct assistance in deployment and daily operations, and resolving issues in the video infrastructure.

Milestone Care is a supplement to the support that customers already receive today from the trained and highly skilled Milestone reseller network. Partners and customers can choose to leverage Milestone Care for a more complete and flexible support package. The service is designed to provide customers with different service levels depending on their need, for example 24/7 support or during weekends.

All Milestone product and service offerings are sold exclusively through Milestone Partners, empowering them to provide just the right solution for each customer, with the expert support service levels they need most, when they need them. The Milestone Care service organization can draw from all the global resources of Milestone Systems, delivering locally.

The Milestone Care offering consists of four different levels:

• Milestone Care Basic – Included with all Milestone products, this package gives access to online support resources and user forums. The service includes online access to the latest versions of all Milestone software and Device packs for updating camera drivers. This service offers 30 percent credit when upgrading a current Milestone software product to the newest version of the same product, or when upgrading to a more advanced product.
• Milestone Care Plus – This package provides the above and adds advanced remote support options with the Milestone Customer Dashboard. This is an online remote monitoring diagnostic service managed by a Milestone partner to do system health checks and resolve issues without the need for customers to be involved. This service level offers full investment protection with 100 percent credit when upgrading from a current Milestone software product to the newest version of the same product, or when upgrading to a more advanced product.
• Milestone Care Premium – In addition to the above packages, this includes direct and prioritized technical email and phone support and expert assistance 24/7/365, and can be delivered in the customer?s preferred language. Prioritized handling and committed response times with service level agreements, ensures dependable and swift resolution of issues.
• Milestone Care Elite – Beyond the services listed above, this package provides a Milestone Technical Account Manager dedicated to the customer – the highest possible support level from Milestone. Prioritized handling and committed resolution times with service level agreements, ensures that any critical software issue is resolved promptly and professionally. Customers gain direct access to Milestone internal support systems, with deep insights into the workings of the VMS.

As a complement to Milestone?s software and hardware video surveillance products, Milestone now offers a full portfolio of services designed to maximize the value of Milestone?s products for partners and customers through the entire lifecycle of the investment. Together, the services include a wide range of pre-sales, customization and post-sales services:

• Custom Development – Tailoring and integration services help the Milestone ecosystem partners meet specific customer needs by fully exploring the flexibility of open platform technology.
• Milestone Professional Services – System deployment and optimization services unlock the full potential of a Milestone solution while improving the system performance for problem-free and stable operations.
• Milestone Care – This suite of operational maintenance and support service options are available to Milestone customers through Milestone Partners, designed to ensure smooth operation and ensure a high return on investment.

?Milestone is adding more services as an important business area focus, for our partners and customers to achieve the most out of their open platform technology solutions. We aim to support every step of the journey with Milestone.? says Kenneth Hune Petersen, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Milestone Systems. ?As a leading global enterprise ourselves, we understand the need for comprehensive services that provide expert resources for multiple needs – today and into the future.?

Milestone Care is sold exclusively by authorized Milestone Partners to end customers, and will be available starting July 1.