One of the best definitions for Product Support out there was published by Microsoft’s Product Support Services unit in Wikipedia. Although it relates to the role of PSS within Microsoft, it makes for a perfect generalization:
“Product Support is a company’s business unit with primary responsibility for responding to end-user and partner requests for assistance with the company’s products and services.
PS must also give feedback to development groups for use in the development of future products or product features. PS identifies major issues with products, and works with the responsible product teams in order to create “hotfixes” for these issues, and/or make sure that the issues are addressed in service packs or future product versions.”
Additionally, at Infolink we believe that PS should also collaborate closely and even be part of professional services teams to assist end-users during product installation and deployment.
The support options in the Microsoft Wikipedia posting are also accurate for most technology companies: “PS usually offers a wide variety of support options, which may be free of charge to the user or may have varying prices. Options include assistance with:
- Basic usage
- “Break-fix” support
- Upgrades/patch installation
- Onsite and offsite consulting”
Infolink’s Product Support Environment puts all the elements in place: technology, people and processes that a company’s needs to meet its Product Support responsibility to its users. Responding to end-user and partner requests for assistance with a company’s products and services is a key part of the “extended” product the company sells. It is expected by users, and when lacking it represents a major risk to a company’s reputation and growth.
See more at http://www.productsupportenvironment.com