MultiValue Consulting and

                              Technical Support, Inc.

the offices of Wayde and Mecklenberg et al

SOFTWARE  MAINTENANCE  AGREEMENT

The oldest reason for doing business is still perhaps the best:  Find a need and fill it.  Most MultiValue / PICK development corporations offer a Software Maintenance Agreement (SMA).  Some charge $10,000 or more per month to update, patch, and maintain their own vertical software packages on a Client's system.  But what about the Proprietary Legacy software which many Clients already own?  If your in-house programmer leaves, your consultant is playing hard to get, your software vendor goes out of business, or your current IT staff is backlogged, who will maintain your software?  And if your solitary VAR or system administrator is on vacation when your system goes down, what then?  These are needs which MvCaTs is prepared to fill.

Our Agreement options put BIG DISCOUNTS within the reach of even the smallest companies.

The cost of our SMAs is dramatically lower than the competition.  And we offer a wider variety and greater flexibility than any other in the industry as you will see in the Tables and Terms below.  Our SMAs are not intended to put you in a headlock but rather to provide the level of service and depth of discount that your needs and budget demand in our current economic climate.  Our Software Maintenance Agreements are single page, one side, no fine print, no mumbo jumbo.

For a Monthly Participation Fee of your choosing, MvCaTs agrees to have at least one Consultant available 24/7/365 to provide discounted Support via secure Remote Access whenever you need it.  You will never be charged our full Remote Rate.  And with an SMA in place, we waive the Retainer* requirement so whenever you request support, work can begin immediately.  This Agreement covers Maintenance of your Proprietary PICK™ / MultiValue Software, development of new PICK™ / MultiValue Software, associated Database Maintenance, help with System Administration, and support during an emergency.

Immediate help around-the-clock is just a toll-free phone call away at (888) MVTECHS.

Want to cut to the chase?

If you already know the number of hours of support you want or need in a month and the minimum number of months, we can plug that into our Discount Calculator and tell you what the best SMA option is for you.  Or if you know the Discount Percent or Rate you want each month, we can plug that in and tell you how many hours of support it will buy.  The table below should help with your decision.  Then just give us a call and you'll receive an instant verbal quote.  It's not only easy - it's free.  And you can switch to another SMA before the 15th of each month if desired, as your needs change.  Our Discount Calculator can help with those decisions as well.

Want to hear something Gross?

Guarantee a minimum of 144 hours per month for a 6 month minimum term to lock in our lowest Remote Rate of $80.00 per hour.

"What happens to us if something happens to you?"

You may be running a small business without a staff programmer and doing your own system administration on a shoestring budget.  We are continually amazed at what some folks can do with duct tape and rubber bands.  Or you may be relying on a "Lone Wolf" programmer for MultiValue / PICK software support or a solitary Value Added Reseller (VAR) or system administrator for system support.  So at some point, you've probably asked yourself, "What happens to us if something happens to you?"  You may even be that "Lone Wolf", whether full-time or a "contract player", concerned about your position and the company if something happens while you are taking time off.  Or your company may produce and maintain vertical software packages and at times have too many projects and not enough programmers.  Whatever your needs and budget, we can tailor a low-cost plan that's right for you.

With an SMA in place, you never pay our full Remote Rate for even a single hour of service.

Examples in the links below illustrate discounts in 5% increments.  In each example, the first table displays Discounts for the standard Six Month Minimum Term.  The second table in the examples shows a Sample Cost & Savings Comparison to give you an idea of what you would pay & save with a plan in place as compared to "flying without a net".

Our Standard Minimum Term is 6 Months.  And there is no Maximum Term; the Agreement remains in effect until canceled or replaced.  Included Hours for a partial beginning or ending month would be prorated.  You can request a shorter Minimum Term, if desired, in exchange for somewhat higher Hours & Fee.  Or you can request a longer Minimum Term in exchange for somewhat lower Hours and Fee.  But the hourly rate will be the same.

We can customize an SMA for any whole percentage between 1% and 20%; or put another way, for any multiple of 4 guaranteed hours from 4 to 80.  We'll increase your Discount by 1% for every 4 hours you are willing to guarantee per month, up to 20% for 80 hours.  After the Guaranteed Hours are satisfied, additional hours will earn that same level Discount %.

Click to see SMA Examples at 6 Month Minimum Term

Flexible Terms

Want a Shorter Minimum Term?  The hourly rate will remain the same.  But in exchange for a shorter term commitment, the Hours and Monthly Fees are a bit higher.  Each month the Minimum Term is shortened adds 10% to the Hours & resulting Fees.  But the Hourly rate remains the same.  Click any of the following links to see SMA Examples based on a Shorter Term:  5 Months, 4 Months, 3 Months, 2 Months.

Want a Longer Minimum Term?  The hourly rate will remain the same.  But in exchange for a longer term commitment, the Hours and Monthly Fees are a bit lower.  Each month the Minimum Term is lengthened subtracts 10% from the Hours & resulting Fees.  But the Hourly rate remains the same.  Click any of the following links to see SMA Examples based on a Longer Term:  7 Months, 8 Months, 9 Months, 10 Months.

The tables in our examples illustrate the wide variety of SMA Rates we offer.  And here's what we mean by Greater Flexibility.  Let's say you initially chose a 10% SMA.  But two months down the road, you realize you are consistently requesting more hours which would have qualified you for a 15% SMA instead.  We will let you switch SMAs before the Minimum Term requirement has been satisfied.  In fact, you can switch to another SMA before the 15th of each month if desired, after half of the current required hours have been satisfied.  We will make the new Discount retroactive to the 1st of the month in which you sign the replacement SMA.  And the Minimum Term will be reset to the new chosen term.  By the same token, if you realize you are consistently needing fewer hours, you can switch to an SMA at a lower discount Rate with fewer hours required.

Billed Monthly, not Annually

A Time Billing Statement for the Participation Fee plus any hours of Service rendered would be presented on or about the first day of each month following any full or partial month governed by this agreement.  Payment in full is due by the 20th day of the billing month for Service to continue uninterrupted.  See the policies on our Guarantee page for details.

As with any "insurance" policy, the "premium" is due each month.  Any "unused portion" does not "roll over" to the following month.  But this "policy" enables you to choose your own Discount Rate based on the hours of support you believe you may need in a month.  And with a Software Maintenance Agreement in place, we waive the Retainer* requirement so whenever you sign a Service Authorization, work can begin immediately.  It's a Win/Win situation for both parties:  You get reliable support at a long-term Discount Rate, and MvCaTs gets recurring receivables.

If this is the flexible Support Solution you've been looking for, we invite you to call (888) MVTECHS.  If outside the continental U.S., call (419) 923-0521.  Or to send us an email, you could click on the Discount Percent you want in the SMA % column in any of the SMA Example links above.  Be sure to let us know if you prefer an alternate percentage (any whole percent between 1% and 20%).  We will respond within 24 hours.  Please include your contact information and be sure to add our domain name to your Trusted Senders list so you can receive our reply.  We will answer any questions you may have and attach a sample one-page Software Maintenance Agreement for your review.  We hope to hear from you soon.

Weighing the pros and cons of Consultant -vs- Employee? Click here ...

*For every rule, there is also an exception.  For New Clients who wish to sign an SMA but have not yet established an on-time payment record, a Retainer equal to one full month of the chosen SMA fee will be due at signing.

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