Service Level Agreement

This Service Level Agreement (SLA) identifies what Orbital Design customers can typically expect from us with regard to day-to-day website, content management system, web app, email or other online support. It specifies the services and commitments of Orbital Design surrounding Web Support and the expectations and obligations of the client. Orbital Design’s standard terms and conditions for the supply of hosting services are also applicable to clients to whom Orbital Design also provide web hosting infrastructure and email services. Separate terms surrounding these can be found here.

1. Orbital Web Support Provision

1. 1. 1. The different levels of Web Support from Orbital are available and detailed here.
      2. Through our standard Web Support all Orbital customers are provided a means to ensure the website is kept up to date against the latest security threats, in accordance to Orbital’s terms of hosting (See here @ section 7.2 clause d).
      3. The Web Support tiers provide a means for customers to choose a level of support needed to fill any skills gap.
      4. Pre-pay and Pay-as-you-go Web Support is only valid once an agreement is signed, or, in the case of pre-pay packages the invoice has been paid in full and Orbital’s support manager has issued a support ID number.
      5. Orbital Design maintain the right to refuse Web Support should the Customer be overdue payment to other departments.

1.2 Standard Rate

1. 1. 1. This is the default level of Web Support provided by Orbital, ensuring all customers can access help and development support from Orbital, as part of our full commitment to all customers.
      2. All Web Support projects are treated as standalone jobs; each are quoted, managed and invoiced individually.
      3. A minimum of £45 applies to each standard support job.
      4. Time estimates are provided up front and once agreed completed and invoiced once the task has been complete.

1.2 Pay-as-you-go

1. 1. 1. We will inform you when security or other updates are required to keep your website safe or up to date.
      2. Changes are collated and billed every 3 months through an itemised invoice.
      3. Support tickets are time assessed and estimated before any work is conducted. A minimum charge of £15 applies per task.
      4. A time/ cost limit is pre-agreed (minimum £250) and an itemised invoice sent once this limit is reached, before a new job is created and the limit renewed after payment is received.

1.3 Pre-Pay

1. 1. 1. Security patches and updates are automatically applied when necessary.
      2. We will inform you when security or other updates are required to keep your website safe or up to date.
      3. Web changes are made as soon as possible after the Customer raises the support ticket.
      4. Support tickets are conducted automatically and time removed from the allowance agreed.
      5. A pre-agreed amount of time is agreed and invoiced (minimum 3 hours).
      6. No minimum charge applies and jobs are charged per minute.
      7. Pre-pay is our cheapest option because it streamlines our administrative processes. For this reason, no refund is available on unused pre-paid support time.

1.4 Work included in Orbital’s Web Support packages:

1. 1. 1. Content Management system updates
      2. Plugin, themes and functionality updates
      3. Ongoing bug fixes relating to incompatible code
      4. Requests for minor content changes
      5. Requests for minor functionality changes
      6. Advice on usage of the CMS and the Orbital Design Ltd. developed pages
      7. SSL certificate install and content configuration.

1.5 Work excluded in Orbital’s Web Support packages:

1. 1. 1. Large scale graphical or styling changes requiring a full design brief
      2. Tasks that include numerous functional changes across a number of pages
      3. Site optimisations for browser compatibility
      4. Repeat or large scale training requirements
      5. DNS management, domain name changes or other visitor trafficking configurations

1.6 Due to the complex & technical nature of the web and digital products provided, Orbital will determine whether an item of work can be included or excluded within the existing support agreement using the above framework. Should a task requested not be covered in the Web Support Provision this will be communicated accordingly and other avenues or methods suggested.

1.7 Although Hosting/Server continuity and security is dealt with separately to Web Support (See here @ section 7), in some cases a server problem is traced to weakness or a problem with a website’s code. Such problems will be raised with the customer and require actioning as part of the Web Support provision to maintain the integrity and continuity of the server.

2. Contacting Orbital Support

2.1 The client services department is staffed between 9:00am and 5:30pm Monday-Friday (defined as office hours) excluding bank holidays. Responses can only be provided during this time.

2.1.1 In an emergency, if the website or email becomes completely inaccessible.

1. 1. 1. During office hours please call Orbital on 01202 304455 to inform us as soon as possible and fix any server issues or website problems that may exist.
      2. If the problem is identified outside of office hours please email out-of-hours@orbital.co.uk for one of our server engineers to fix any server related issue. Only server related issues can be fixed out of office hours.

2.2 For standard, non-emergency requests, all support requests must use Orbital’s support system found here: to qualify for web support under the pre-agreed support package rate and bound by this agreement. Other requests made (e.g. via email directly) are conducted as standalone projects billed at £85+ VAT.

3. Support Ticket Requirements

1. 1. 1. All errors and bugs identified need to be validated by the client before submitting a ticket. Validation must be conducted on a browser that has not accessed the website before, or, following a full clearing/ reloading of the browser’s cache.
      2. A valid support ID number is required.
      3. A valid email address is needed for the person responsible for managing the ticket’s progress and liaising with the support manager to provide more information where necessary.
      4. Ensure URLs / web addresses relating to the error or bug is submitted in full, even if these are from a content management or other system.
      5. Enter all URLs separated by a comma, or note ‘All’ next to your home URL if it applies across the website.
      6. Email an extensive list to support@orbital.co.uk if there are more than 4 URLs.
      7. Any screenshots showing errors or files, images and other content needed to complete the request must be emailed to support@orbital.co.uk to a maximum of 6mb.
      8. Files totalling over 6mb should use a file transfer system and the public link be emailed with reference to the Web Support ticket.
      9. Provide all information we need to identify, reproduce and fix any problems or enough detail to be able to make the web changes needed accurately.
      10. Full description of problem(s) or what is currently happening versus what you’d expect or want to happen:

• Describe the location of the error on the page or where you’d like the change(s) to occur
• Full description of any error message(s)
• Time and date when a problem was first experienced
• What happened before the issue was identified
• Browser and Operating System versions the problem is experienced in

4. Support Fulfilment

1. 1. 1. Orbital’s support system will email the address entered into the ticketing system as confirmation of receipt of the ticket and details of the request for your records.
      2. Priority levels are provided to enable customers to highlight the response needed for each Web Support request based on the urgency of the issue defined below:

Urgent:

Used if your website or services are failing and preventing you from accepting new business or if it is causing a direct loss of revenue. We act on these tickets immediately after we confirm receipt of the ticket, but depending on the problem may take up to 24hrs. Alternatively you can call us directly on 01202 304455 to raise the issue.

High:

For important issues where a short turn around is required to meet a specific deadline (e.g. a trade show, print deadline etc). This priority also applies when a website error has caused customer complaints. We aim to resolve these tickets within 1- 2 days of receiving the ticket.

Standard:

When marketing, product, pricing or legal information on the website is incorrect and needs updating (e.g. address, telephone number, email etc). We aim to resolve these tickets within 3- 4 days of receiving the ticket.

Low:

For any other general layout change or content update. We aim to resolve these tickets within 4- 7 days of receiving the ticket.

1. 1. 1. A target completion date is provided as a means for our customers to propose an ideal delivery date, to align web development with other marketing and business activities.
      2. Whilst we endeavour to complete the task(s) for the specified timeframe, many factors influence how long a task will take, which means we cannot guarantee meeting any proposed development time period or delivery date.
      3. Should we not be able to fulfil your request for the target date or timeframe defined in the priority level, we will inform you and provide a time estimate to our best possible knowledge.
      4. Resolution time can be affected by speed of feedback from the customer, as well as previously unknown issues being uncovered during issue investigation.
      5. Once a ticket is received it will be assessed by Orbital’s support manager who will scope out the task and identify the correct specialist to complete the task.
      6. The Support Manager will liaise using the email address provided in the ticketing system to clarify any points or gain enough information to complete the task accurately.
      7. Tickets relating to bug fixes or errors which we cannot validate and reproduce can not be actioned. We will endeavour to recreate all issue and charge for the time this investigation work takes regardless of whether the issue(s) can be resolved.
      8. All work carried out by Orbital’s development team is tested within reasonable limits as judged by the Web Support team to ensure it meets the specification defined. It is the customer’s responsibility to ensure that any work carried out is independently tested before approval or confirmation that the task has fully met the task requirements.
      9. Should a ticket be confirmed as completed and closed, then subsequently deemed incomplete a new Web Support ticket may be required to remedy any issue not identified during testing. This is at the discretion of Orbital’s Web Support Manager.