Understanding AWS Support Offerings

Introduction

AWS offers a comprehensive range of support services tailored to meet the needs of different organizations, from startups to large enterprises. Let's dive into the AWS support landscape to help us choose the right level of service for our needs.

Basic Support

Ideal for individuals or businesses just starting their journey with AWS, Basic Support offers a good starting point. It provides:

• 24/7/365 customer service, access to forums, and a wide range of documentation and whitepapers.
• AWS Trusted Advisor access to the seven core checks, which help us follow best practices around cost optimization, performance, and security.

Basic Support is free, making it an excellent choice for users needing minimal assistance and self-help resources.

Developer Support

Designed for developers or small teams in the early stages of development and testing on AWS, Developer Support includes everything in Basic Support plus:

• Email access to technical support during local business hours to submit an unlimited number of cases with a 12-hour response time for general guidance.
• Best practice guidance to help optimize our AWS environment.

This plan is a cost-effective way to access technical support during development phases.

Business Support

Aimed at businesses running production workloads on AWS, Business Support offers a deeper level of support, including:

• 24/7 access to Cloud Support Engineers via email, chat, and phone.
• One-hour response time for critical issues, ensuring rapid assistance when it matters most.
• AWS Trusted Advisor full access, providing over 100 checks for optimization and security.
• AWS Support API, enabling integration with our existing systems or development of our own applications.
• Infrastructure Event Management eligibility with additional fees, providing event planning and support.

This plan is ideal for businesses requiring around-the-clock access to technical support and guidance.

Enterprise Support

Enterprise Support is the most comprehensive plan, designed for large enterprises with significant business-critical use of AWS. It includes everything in Business Support, plus:

• 15-minute response time for critical issues, with a dedicated Technical Account Manager (TAM).
• Concierge Support Team, which provides billing and account assistance tailored to enterprise needs.
• Infrastructure Event Management (IEM) at no extra cost, offering personalized planning and support for events like product launches or migrations.

Enterprise Support is tailored for organizations that demand the highest level of service, expertise, and response times.

AWS Infrastructure Event Management (IEM)

AWS IEM is a standout feature available to Business and Enterprise support plan customers, designed to provide additional guidance and support for preparing and scaling AWS infrastructure for events such as product launches, Black Friday sales, or large-scale migrations. The IEM service includes:

• Event Planning and Preparation: Working with AWS experts to assess our infrastructure's readiness and identify potential issues before they become problems.
• 24/7 Event-Day Support: Direct access to Cloud Support Engineers during our event to ensure smooth operation.
• Post-Event Analysis: A review of the event's performance, with recommendations for optimization and improvement.

This service is invaluable for businesses looking to minimize risks and ensure success during critical operations or events.

Conclusion

AWS's range of support offerings caters to the diverse needs of its users, ensuring that whether we're a solo developer or a multinational enterprise, there's a support plan that fits our requirements. With the addition of specialized services like AWS Infrastructure Event Management, AWS demonstrates its commitment to not just meeting but exceeding customer expectations, providing the expertise and support necessary to navigate the complexities of the cloud.