IBM Support

IBM Power FAQ: What to expect when requesting support assistance in a preferred or local language (applies to AIX, HMC, IBM i, PowerHA, PowerVM, Power Systems)

Question & Answer


Question

IBM Remote Technical Support is a global support community staffed with product experts who provide technical assistance to clients located in hundreds of countries across the globe.  When clients open IBM support cases, IBM strives to match clients with the support experts who have the technical skills to provide technical assistance, and can communicate (written or verbally) in the preferred or local language, commonly referred to National Language Support (NLS).
When a client opens an IBM support case, and there is no support expert immediately available who can communicate in the preferred or local language (if other than the English language), IBM will communicate to clients (in verbal and written formats) using the English language.  In these situations, IBM's priority is to provide technical assistance to answer and/or resolve the case as quickly as possible.  These situations can occur for many reasons, which include (but not limited to):
  • The technical component(s) associated with the support request
  • The technical complexity of the question(s) or issue(s)
  • The location and local language of technical staff members with the specific skills required to provide the technical assistance
  • The immediate availability of technical staff members with the specific skills required to assist with the case
The IBM Support Guide provides details about preferred or local language support:
Read the following commonly asked questions and answers for additional details for working with IBM Remote Technical Support.

Cause

Answer

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Question: Do the terms and conditions of the standard IBM Hardware and Software support contracts include provisions to provide support in a preferred or local language other than English?

Answer:
Although, the standard (also referred to as "Base") IBM Hardware and Software contracts do not include any provisions for providing support in any preferred or local language, IBM Support does strive to communicate in the customer's preferred or local language whenever possible.  However, situations can occur when there is no IBM Support staff available to communicate in the client's preferred or local language (if other than English).  In these situations, IBM Support will communicate to clients using English to progress the work on the support case. 
Furthermore, English will be the default language used to communicate with cases opened:
  • As a severity 1
  • For a business-critical impacting event
  • After normal business hours, weekends, or holidays
To ensure IBM Support can assign the first support agent to start work on the situation.
IBM understands some clients are interested to know more about IBM service offerings where preferred or local language support is provided. If your company wants to discuss these IBM service offerings, contact your local IBM account (sales) representative or IBM Business Partner.  Premium or custom support contracts that provide a preferred or local language would be supported by IBM teams other than the standard ("Base') IBM Support teams. Thoroughly discussing and documenting with your IBM account representative or IBM Business Partner, the process for engaging the correct team providing the preferred or local language support, with help prevent delays when opening cases.
The IBM Support Guide provides details about preferred or local language for the standard IBM Support:
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Question: Does IBM Expert Care Support (formerly known as Premium Support) include preferred or local language support?

Answer:
Per the terms and conditions documented in the current IBM Power Expert Care Contract:
  • ... The support is provided primarily in the English language.
  • TAM [Technical Account Manager] support is offered in English. Upon request and mutual agreement by the parties, TAM support in other languages may be arranged, if available.
IBM understands some clients are interested to know more about IBM service offerings where preferred or local language support is provided. If your company wants to discuss these IBM service offerings, contact your local IBM account (sales) representative or IBM Business Partner.
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Question: Can a preferred or local language be requested when opening an IBM Support case and what can be expected?

Answer:
There are multiple methods for an user to request a preferred or local language:
  1. Click here, then following the instructions to configure your IBM Support Site profile for a Preferred language for site translation and/or Preferred language for case communication.
  2. While opening a case, indicate your preferred language in the case description.
  3. While working with IBM Support on an existing case, you can update your case or ask your support agent about working in your preferred language.
IBM Support to try to accommodate requests for a preferred language based on:
  • The availability of a support agent who can communicate in the preferred language.
  • The flexibility to work the case, regardless of business impacts and case severity, when a support agent is available to communicate in the preferred language.
When there is no support agent available to communicate in the preferred language, IBM Support will continue to communicate using English to continue to progress on the case.  Furthermore, English will be the default language to communicate with cases opened:
  • As a severity 1
  • For a business-critical impacting event
  • After normal business hours, weekends, or holidays
to ensure IBM Support can assign the first support agent to start work on the situation.
The IBM Support Guide provides details about preferred or local language support:
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Question: What can be expected when a user responses to IBM using their preferred or local language?

Answer:
When IBM Support receives a new case or a case update with a language other than English, IBM support will:
  1. Attempt to identify an available support agent who can translate the information provided
  2. Attempt to identify an available support agent who can work directly with the customer in their preferred language
  3. Ask if the user, or someone on their team, is available to communicate in English
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Question: Will IBM use online translation services to communicate in the customer's preferred or local languages?

Answer:
Protecting client and user data is very important to IBM.
For data security reasons, IBM will not use publicly available online translation services as this could expose client and user data.
IBM has implemented the IBM Watson Language Translator into the IBM Support tool. The IBM Watson Language Translator automatically translates non-English text directly in the case, ensuring client information remains secure along with the rest of the case information.
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Question: Will IBM join a web meeting (for example, Webex, Microsoft Teams, Goto Meeting, Zoom) and communicate in my preferred or local language?

Answer:
A client can request, with enough advance notice, for IBM Support to join a web meeting where a non English language is used for communication.  Requests should be documented in the case in advance of the web meeting.  IBM Support will strive to accommodate requests based on the availability of support agents who have the ability to communicate in that preferred language.
IBM Support will communicate in English for cases:
  • With last-minute requests for a web meeting
  • Marked as severity 1 case
  • Associated with a business-critical impacting event
  • Opened after normal business hours, weekends, or holidays
If, for one of these situations, IBM Support joins a web meeting that is not English, the support agent will request for the web meeting to be rescheduled at a time when the client can have attendees who communicate in English.  IBM Support will then disengage from the non English web meeting and will join the English speaking web meeting once rescheduled.
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Question: Does IBM provide a service offering that includes support in a preferred or local language?

Answer:
IBM understands some clients are interested to know more about IBM service offerings where preferred or local language support is provided. If your company wants to discuss these IBM service offerings, contact your local IBM account (sales) representative or IBM Business Partner.
Premium or custom support contracts that provide a preferred or local language would be supported by IBM teams other than the standard ("Base') IBM Support teams. Thoroughly discussing and documenting with your IBM account representative or IBM Business Partner, the process for engaging the correct team providing the preferred or local language support, with help prevent delays when opening cases.
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Question: My business has a requirement to communicate in a specific language with business vendors, what options does IBM provide?

Answer:
IBM understands some clients are interested to know more about IBM service offerings where preferred or local language support is provided. If your company wants to discuss these IBM service offerings, contact your local IBM account (sales) representative or IBM Business Partner.
Premium or custom support contracts that provide a preferred or local language would be supported by IBM teams other than the standard ("Base') IBM Support teams. Thoroughly discussing and documenting with your IBM account representative or IBM Business Partner, the process for engaging the correct team providing the preferred or local language support, with help prevent delays when opening cases.
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Question: How do I confirm if my IBM Support contract includes preferred or local language support?

Answer:
Standard support contracts do not include terms and conditions for providing support in a preferred or local language. When staff are available, IBM Support will strive to accommodate requests to communicate in a preferred or local language. However, if no staff is available, IBM Support will default to communicating in English.
If your business has a copy of an IBM services contract or is interested in knowing the coverage provided by your IBM Support contract(s), please contact with your IBM account representative or IBM Business Partner to review your IBM Support contract(s). Although a preferred or local language may not be included with your standard IBM Support contract(s), your business may have a custom services contract. For these custom contracts, your IBM account representative or IBM Business Partner can explain your coverage along with the correct team at IBM to contact to receive your custom support.
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Question #2:This is a test 2

Answer:
here here
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Document Information

Modified date:
19 June 2024

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ibm17029632

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