Return to Sender.

This is not a post about SPAM with its obligatory picture of Hormels finest product. This is a post about Service level agreements and the value of feedback.

Recently a client changed their Internet Service Provider. Those in the technical know how will understand that this involved more than a change of username and password for the router/modem thingy. You have to handle the transition of emails and have a plan in place to handle unwinding from any issues.

Imagine my suprise then when I discovered that Message Labs quote a 72hour Service Level Agreement for responding to change requests and support requests.

Three days without email is a VERY long time to go without email whilst you await an update.

The interfaces provided by Messagelabs for the administration of your account are not the most informative. There are no detailed lists of your current and requested settings.  There is only a form to complete requesting a domain change. There is  no automated feeback or web page with which to confirm that all the information is correct.  Whilst it possible to add redundant entries to your configuration it is no easy  see what those entries are.

I love Messagelabs services but I think  for the sake of other sysadmins out there I should warn them that the after sales is less than the shiniest !

Thanks for reading.

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1 Comments on “Return to Sender.

  1. Late to the party here but we have a ‘real time’ SLA for IP changes for clients. In fact the client portal allows clients and resellers to make these changes themselves.