About Technical Support Tokens

Use of Manifold technical support requires a technical support token for each question asked. Technical support is available only for the current release of Manifold System with the latest update installed. A support token is a long string of upper case letters and numbers that looks like a Manifold serial number.

Example:

63AD4E38E989-4490B540-7DF13F3D3ACDCF56EA6CC8896CC9

Very important: Each request for technical support must begin with an unused tech support token. A support token authorizes a single use of technical support to ask one question. If you do not recall whether you have used a particular token or do not remember what category of support it authorizes, you can check the status of that token on the Status Page.

Categories of Support Tokens

Support tokens are issued for specific categories of tech support questions. An individual token encodes what category of tech support question it authorizes. Any question of a technical nature falls into one of the following three categories:

• Standard Email Support - Questions regarding interactive use of Personal Edition features and extensions. Excludes questions on Enterprise, Database Administrator or License Server features, geometry linked from external sources, scripting or programming, IMS or web applications, customization, runtime licenses and SQL. Standard email support tokens are inexpensive.
• Developer Email Support - Questions on any Manifold System feature in any edition, including any questions excluded from standard email support. Developer email support tokens cost more than standard email support tokens but are still priced well below prevailing rates for developer support in the GIS industry.
• Standard Telephone Support - Same questions as covered by standard email support, but discussed in a telephone call with a tech support engineer. Available in English language only to telephone numbers in the 50 US states. Standard telephone support tokens are much more costly than either standard or developer email support tokens. Developer support is not available by telephone.

A support token may be used only for questions in the category of technical support that token authorizes. For example, a standard email support token may not be used for a developer email support question. Neither a standard email support token nor a developer email support token may be used to authorize a standard telephone support question.

A support token authorizes a specific, single question that relate to one function or to the lowest separable usage level of Manifold in a specific task. A general question will receive a very general answer. Questions that involve combinations of individual Manifold tasks (as many general questions do) will require use of more than one token to ask follow up questions on individual tasks.

How to Get Support Tokens

A Manifold System license includes two tokens for Standard Email Support, which are provided in the same email message that provided the serial number for that license. If you do not have any tokens available, you must buy the tokens you need from the Online Store by purchasing a technical support product. Support tokens may be purchased either one at a time or for a discount in support products that provide ten tokens at a time.

When your order for a technical support product is processed, you will receive an email that contains the tokens for the number and type of support incidents purchased. When ordering support products, please make sure to provide an email address which can receive email from manifold.net key servers.

Using Support Tokens

Contact technical support using the instructions given in the Contacting Technical Support page. Provide a technical support token in the first line of your initial email message to technical support.

Support tokens are best used with highly specific questions. Tech support tokens provide specific answers to specific questions relating to the lowest possible resolvable usage level of Manifold System. Asking general questions about the usage of Manifold System will be a wasteful use of tokens because general questions get general replies, most often suggesting topics in the manual to read. Tech support does not provide general consulting, general education, or support on Microsoft Windows facilities or on products other than Manifold System.

Support Token Summary

All tech support tokens have the following characteristics:

• A token authorizes one question to technical support. Requests for technical support that contain multiple questions will have the first question answered.
• Tokens may be used only one time. Once a token has been used it cannot be used for a second question at some later time.
• Every question, no matter how simple or how sophisticated requires a token.
• The appropriate token must be used for the category of question asked. For example, a developer email support incident is required for questions that fall into the developer category, such as questions about Enterprise features.
• Support tokens authorize questions about the current release and current update of Manifold System. Tokens cannot be used to answer questions about prior Manifold System releases.
• Unused tokens acquired for a prior Manifold System release may be used for questions on the current release.
• Anyone who has access to a technical support token may use it. Keep your support tokens secret if you do not want someone else to be able to use them.

See the Support FAQ for answers to frequently asked questions regarding technical support.

Questions?

Please contact us at sales@manifold.net. We would like you to be happy with your licensing of Manifold products, so please do not hesitate to ask any questions before placing an order.