Frequently Asked Questions

faqWhat do you guys provide?

We offer application and technical support, consulting services, and custom software development. We can provide any service you used to call other providers for, and then some. A big part of our business is support but we’ve been growing the consulting and development parts of the organization as well. If you have something specific in mind, just ask.

What can’t you do?

We can’t provide you any software updates/patches/revisions that we didn’t create or sell you.

Do you work on anything besides retail?

Yes. We’ve worked with several retail solutions and other software market segments such as healthcare, defense and manufacturing.

I’m on version X, can you support that?

We support a wide range of application versions. We have customers running software versions from the 1990s and as new as current releases.

I’m hosted with Fortitude, does that make any difference?

Fortitude handles the hardware aspect so we don’t have to. Our pricing is discounted if you are hosted with them and is factored into our pricing model. We have a very strong partnership with Fortitude, work very closely with them and quite a few of our customers are hosted there.

What will I be missing if I go with you?

The ability to get software updates from your software provider. You have to make the determination whether you can be rev locked or not. Then again, when was the last time you received any software updates/patches from your software provider?

What can I expect if I go with you?

Expect to be pleased!! We make great efforts to provide the best customer service we can. No red tape, no bureaucracy, no up-sell, we just want to take care of you and get the job done.

Have there been any problems you haven’t been able to handle?

No, we have been able to resolve all support issues that have been brought to our attention.

What do you do if we discover a software bug?

Clearly, we can’t fix software that is not ours. We will narrow down the impact of the software bug and work with your team to come up with an alternative solution. The alternative solution can be a change in how you use that specific part of the application, a process change, or potentially a custom development effort.

What’s it going to cost me for support?

We have a pricing model that determines pricing based on what software you’re licensed for currently and the number of users. It’s an all-inclusive price that replaces all the fees you’re paying for now, including 3rd party software maintenance fees.

Why don’t I need to pay for Oracle anymore?

The Oracle version is directly tied to the application version. You can’t upgrade Oracle without breaking the application. Most likely, you’re using an Oracle version that has been de-supported many years ago. Why pay for the right to future versions of Oracle when you can’t use them. We provide the Oracle technical support as part of our support offering.

Do I have to stop using the software if I terminate my maintenance agreement with them?

No. You obtained the right to use the software in your initial purchase and subsequent license purchases. The right to use the software is perpetual, meaning you can use it till the end of time if you wish. Software maintenance is not what grants you the right to use the software. Software maintenance only entitles you to future versions of software and the ability to call for help.

How soon can I be up with you?

Technically, just a couple of days to establish connectivity. Of course, we’ll have to get agreements in place first but that shouldn’t take much time.

What do I need to do to get started with you?

Give us a call and tell us about your organization and we’ll review what we can do for you. Once we have an understanding of your needs, we’ll provide a quote. If you’re agreeable to the terms, provide us with the legal business entity name, corporate address, and we’ll draw up contracts.

What happens next?

Well, you have to give notice to the other guys that you’re terminating your maintenance agreement with them. As we get close to the start date of our agreement, we’ll get connectivity established and schedule a call to introduce the teams and get re-acquainted.

What can we do to limit any repercussions from my software provider?

We treat all customer information, including their identity, with the highest level of confidentiality. The only time we may bring up your name is if you agree to be a reference for us, even then, we will ask you explicitly before we do so. One of the agreements we will put in place is a mutual non-disclosure to protect the confidentiality of our relationship and the information that we may share with each other.

Can I expect any repercussions from them?

We haven’t seen any. Some of our customers that joined up with us and cancelled their previous software maintenance agreements have been able to go to the software provider to purchase additional licenses without any hassles.

Is this transition going to be difficult?

No, quite frankly it’s just the opposite. We do everything we can to make this a smooth and easy transition. The only difference you’ll see (other than the fact that we do more for you) is that you’re calling a different phone number for help.

How do I get help?

You can call our support number, send an email to support@e-rbsi.com or log a support request on our website. We prefer that you call us for critical issues (especially afterhours and weekends/holidays) as someone is always monitoring the phones.

How soon can I expect a response to a support request?

It depends on the severity of the issue. Like all support organizations, we have to triage the incoming requests and handle the most critical issues first. Our support agreement has a defined SLA, but we have always done better than those posted times.

You had mentioned that you take a proactive approach, what does that mean?

We don’t want a call at 3AM any more than you do, so we check on your systems at least once a week regardless of you calling us or not. We check to see if there’s anything that may cause issues, we’ll let you know what we find and address them before they can cause any problems.

Do you have any references that I can talk to?

Absolutely, we can provide a list of customers you can speak to about us.