AboveNet Support Overview

At AboveNet, customer success is the number one priority. Our organization offers unrivaled support and services to help ensure our customers’ high bandwidth solutions are installed and maintained to best support their business efforts.

AboveNet practices a team-based approach for customer support and services. Only by building a solid working relationship with customer organizations will AboveNet be able to deliver quantifiable bottom-line results. AboveNet places enormous value on customer feedback. It is the customer that shares our vision, and it is customer input that helps the product suite evolve to meet changing business and technical needs.

Our Network Management Center (NMC) is comprised of experienced, technical customer service agents that have significant industry knowledge, with vital experience successfully handling crisis situations. All system events are logged on problem notification (via alarm or customer call), with the NMC working to determine the problem source, and to dispatch personnel as required.

Below is a partial list of basic NMC functions and staff roles:

1. Monitoring of metro fiber, backbone paths, network degradation, and any other element that could affect the quality of the client’s network performance
2. Initial trouble shooting of problems
3. Contact technical person(s) to further troubleshoot and/or fix the problem
4. Contact vendors to investigate hardware outages or degradation issues
5. Central command center for all urgent or emergency AboveNet-to-Customer communications.

Customers are encouraged to call the NMC with any operational questions or concerns about AboveNet products and services. The NMC has access to our experienced technical and engineering staff, and has full customer documentation and onsite procedures. Predefined protocols are a key part of the procedures the NMC follows.

What Clients Can Expect

Regardless of the size or complexity of client network architecture and design, AboveNet provides superior products, tools and services to deliver the following:
Design and Architect – With it’s core competency in ongoing network operations, AboveNet designs and implements a network to meet each client’s needs for cost-effectiveness, scalability, uptime, etc. Real-world knowledge is used to design, architect and implement a network that provides optimal performance and reliability.
Preventative Maintenance – AboveNet takes full responsibility for administration of the dark fiber network, or the managed network hardware and software. This includes monitoring of the network solution to help ensure clients have optimal bandwidth, performance, and security to provide a reliable network.
Emergency Response – AboveNet can be there at 3:00 a.m. if a client ever has a problem. Clients will sleep better knowing that AboveNet’s state-of-the-art Network Management Center and response team will handle each client’s issues immediately 24x7/365.
NMC Disaster Recovery

1. Diverse Network Management Platforms
1. Dallas, Texas
2. Washington, DC
1. Systems remotely accessible by NMC Personnel via encrypted VPN
2. 2 local office facilities can support remote operations should evacuation of primary NMC be required.
3. Developed 2 “fly-away” kits to relocate personnel to other geographic area:
1. Pre-configured Laptops
2. Cell Phones
3. EVDO Rev A Cellular Modems
4. Wi-Fi routers
5. Copy of Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)
4. Annual testing of NMC Disaster Recovery Plan

Technology Evaluation and Implementation – AboveNet teams are continuously evaluating new technologies to provide recommendations that help ensure each network solution is optimized for maximum return to the customer. All hardware is lab-tested prior to deployment on client networks.
State-of-the-Art Operations Infrastructure – To provide maximum uptime, AboveNet has created a state-of-the-art Network Management Center that can monitor and maintain each client’s network 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Our round-the-clock facility provides our clients with a cost-effective tool for monitoring their network.

Engagement

AboveNet believes that a helpful working relationships with our customers is made possible with clear, regular exchange of information, to help ensure business objectives are met and that our clients receive the highest quality service possible. To achieve this goal, AboveNet employs a number of best practices, including service level agreements, regular project management meetings with designated representatives, and regular reports chronicling project milestones and issues.

Internal metrics are used to evaluate every aspect of performance. Establishing these metrics and expectations up front identifies the objectives and issues critical to each client’s business.

To fine tune the expectations and goals of the engagement, AboveNet will work with each client to develop a work plan that encompasses the scope of AboveNet’s effort. More detail will be provided on the roles and responsibilities, highlighting key roles involved in each client’s engagement.

The team structure effectively makes use of team member expertise. Each team has a Project Manager who is responsible for overall customer satisfaction. The account team structure includes: the Project Managers, Field Engineers, Designated Contractors, the Manager of Operations, and the Director of Operations.

Network Management Center (NMC): 888.636.2778 (toll-free)

Technical Support Email: service@above.net

Customer Portal: https://portal.above.net/