Managed Service Bundles

Summary

Managed Service Bundles bring complementary blueAPACHE capabilities together under a coordinated operating model. The wider managed-services portfolio includes service desk, monitoring, automated patching, security operations and reporting; agree the selected bundle components and responsibilities in your Service Order.

For emPOWER Managed Services, Schedule 2 forms part of the relevant contract documents. Confirm the bundle's actual inclusions, exclusions, tiers and any service credits in the Service Order, Service Description and applicable Schedule; the bundle label alone does not define whole-environment coverage.

Key facts

What a bundle contains

The managed-services brochure describes these capabilities. Confirm which are included in your selected bundle and the assets or users they cover:

• Service desk — unlimited 24/7 access, with the first point of contact always a member of our team and no part outsourced
• Monitoring — network and infrastructure monitoring with capacity baselining and alerting
• Automated patching — through remote monitoring and management tooling, covering compliance as well as deployment
• Security operations — proactive security management and Security Gap Analysis audits
• Device and server lifecycle — provisioning, maintenance, management and performance reporting
• Reporting and governance — monthly performance reporting and a formal account team

Why bundling rather than itemising

The service overview says bundling can reduce provider fragmentation, create clearer accountability and simplify commercial management. The managed-services brochure describes predictable pricing alongside proactive monitoring, patching and automation. These statements do not establish a provider's incentives or guarantee that every charge remains fixed.

When comparing offers, ask which work is included, which events trigger extra charges, how fees can change and how service improvement is measured.

The account model

Each customer is assigned a named team:

Both parties also appoint an Account Representative with authority to make binding day-to-day decisions — a small provision that prevents the common failure where neither side can approve anything without escalation.

The Archers engagement describes this operating in practice as monthly operational reviews and quarterly business reviews focused on continual service improvement.

Shared tooling

The managed-services brochure describes access to the same monitoring and management toolset we use, including visibility across managed and unmanaged parts of the production environment. Agree the systems, permissions, dashboards and reporting scope available in your engagement; visibility does not itself create a management obligation.

We also use predictive capacity monitoring to plan growth, and review environments regularly to flag issues for closer examination.

What is defined in your Schedule, not here

This is the important caveat for anyone comparing bundles between providers.

• The brochure describes a customer-specific priority and escalation matrix. Published Schedule 2 also contains response and resolution targets; confirm the version, priorities and commitments that apply to your agreement
• The general terms do not establish a universal service-credit entitlement; check the applicable Schedule and Service Description for credits, conditions and claim procedures
• The terms define a Service Level by its placement under that heading in the Service Description and distinguish it from a Compliance Target. Other contractual obligations can still be binding

So two organisations can both hold a bundle and have materially different commitments.

What sits outside the bundle

• Anti-virus on customer-managed equipment is the customer's responsibility unless the Service Description says otherwise
• Backups must be confirmed in the Service Agreement, including the Schedule and Service Order — see Offsite Backup and DRaaS
• Business continuity plan participation is requested as an Action Plan and charged as a Professional Service
• Dedicated 24/7 detection and response is described under emPOWER MDR; confirm whether and how it is included in your order

Customer obligations

Under the general terms the customer must provide 24x7 remote access to managed components, keep software at the current or previous release level, ensure it is properly licensed, and give us direct telephone access to the customer’s support providers during Business Hours.

During transition in, the customer must promptly supply firewall, network, password and procedure details, and approve documentation in a timely manner.

Integration with other emPOWER services

A bundle is the operational core that other services attach to rather than a closed product:

• Advanced Infrastructure Managed Services — discuss required platform management and any overlap with your bundle; it is not automatically an additional tier
• Field Services and Staff Augmentation — the physical, on-site counterpart to a bundle's remote operations
• Managed Detection and Response — confirm monitoring, response and remediation coverage separately from general managed-services security capabilities
• Offsite Backup as a Service and Disaster Recovery as a Service — specify backup and recovery obligations, covered data and objectives in the Service Agreement
• Collaboration platforms (Teams, Zoom, RingCentral) — telephony is a published help desk capability; confirm the platforms, users and support responsibilities included in your bundle

Typical engagement

Onboarding. General Terms v3.6 clause 8 describes Transition In Services immediately following the Service Commencement Date, including due diligence on supported systems, monitoring configuration where applicable, support documentation and an agreed meeting/reporting schedule. Confirm the actual assets and systems in scope; a bundle does not automatically cover the whole environment.

Steady state. The named account team runs monthly operational reporting within five Business Days of month end and a formal service review every six months, with the Archers engagement describing this in practice as monthly operational reviews and quarterly business reviews for continual improvement.

Term, renewal and exit. General Terms v3.6 specify a default 36-month Minimum Service Period unless the Service Order or Service Description states otherwise, with Professional Services excluded. Clause 2.8 addresses written notice before the Service Period ends. Under clause 2.10, renewal may also be agreed by email or fax with or without a signature, or by continued use. If the customer gives no notice under clause 2.8 but continues to access or use services after the period ends, clause 2.9 extends all Services on that agreement for three months at the then-current full list price, with defined Service Levels not applying during that period. Clause 9.1 requires, at no cost, return of customer-provided equipment held by blueAPACHE, removal of our equipment from customer sites, and removal or deletion of Customer Software and Customer Data loaded on our environment. The customer must take a copy of Customer Data before expiry or termination. Agree export rights and methods for configurations, reports and documentation; additional disengagement services are separately quoted under clause 9.2.

Checking what the bundle combines

List the assets or users, delivery owner and separately charged activities under each component. Simpler commercial packaging can still have different technical dependencies and support conditions. Record retained customer tasks and changes requiring approval or fees. Check every component enters support and reporting during onboarding.

Which document defines the commitment

The published General Terms v3.6 give the Service Order precedence over the General Terms, followed by the Schedules and then the Acceptable Use Policy (clause 2.3). Record the agreed scope, exclusions and negotiated departures in that document set. Keep the versions supplied at signing with the executed order and signed variations. Two offers with the same service name can cover different systems, operating hours or responsibilities.

Responsibility across the delivery chain

The published terms allow us to subcontract all or part of the Service Agreement without customer consent or a notification requirement. Clause 27.5 nevertheless makes us liable for our subcontractors’ acts and omissions to the same extent as for our employees. This differs from a third-party supplier contracted directly by the customer. Identify which arrangement applies to each dependency in the design. Where supplier identity, delivery location or change notification matters, request a documented supplier list and put any agreed notification or approval requirement in the Service Order; the general clause does not supply that visibility automatically.

Evidence available during the engagement

The General Terms provide standard monthly performance reports within five Business Days of month end and a formal service review every six months. Performance Records must be kept through the term and for seven years afterwards. The customer audit provisions allow access to relevant Records, premises for audit purposes and personnel interviews, with five Business Days’ notice normally or one Business Day where a regulator requires the audit. This records obligation is not a seven-year backup-retention promise for customer workloads. Agree additional report formats and audit-cost arrangements before depending on them; the general audit clause does not clearly allocate every audit cost.

Personnel continuity and a later move in-house

Clause 22 contains a mutual non-solicitation restraint covering specified employees and contractors, including indirect engagement arrangements. It runs for 12 months after the last day of service performance and includes a look-back over the personnel involved. Prior written consent can permit an otherwise restricted arrangement. If a future operating model includes hiring a delivery specialist or moving managed work in-house, address that possibility before relying on it in an exit plan. Access to an engineer during an engagement does not establish a right to recruit that person afterwards.

Escalating a contractual dispute

A support escalation and a formal contractual dispute are different processes. Clause 26 begins with a Dispute Notice giving adequate particulars. Representatives meet within three Business Days; unresolved matters then move through the clause’s senior-representative referral and meeting stages before court proceedings. Urgent equitable relief and disputes over whether the agreement was validly terminated are exceptions. Keep incident records, service measurements, approvals and correspondence together so the disputed obligation and requested outcome can be identified. Raising a ticket does not necessarily satisfy a formal notice requirement; use the agreement’s notice process for contractual disputes.

What is actually in a bundle?

The wider managed-services portfolio describes service desk, monitoring, patching, security operations, device and server lifecycle management, and reporting. Your Service Order and applicable service documents define the selected bundle's actual inclusions and coverage.

Is the help desk really unlimited?

The managed-services brochure advertises unlimited 24/7 help desk access, Australian staff in business hours and a global team after hours, and states that the desk is not outsourced. Confirm covered users, systems and any exclusions in your agreement.

What response time is committed?

The brochure describes a customer-specific priority and escalation matrix, while published Schedule 2 includes response and resolution targets. Confirm the applicable version and priorities. The defined term Service Level depends on the Service Description heading; this does not make other contractual obligations non-binding.

Are there service credits if targets are missed?

Check the applicable Schedule and Service Description for service credits, conditions and claim procedures. The general terms do not provide a universal service-credit entitlement, but also address other adjustments such as invoice corrections.

Does a bundle include backup?

Confirm backup and disaster recovery obligations in the Service Agreement, including the Schedule and Service Order. Where the services do not include backups, clause 3.15 requires customer backups. Data-loss liability is governed by clause 19, its qualifications and applicable law; do not assume an unconditional exclusion.

Does a bundle include MDR?

The managed-services brochure describes proactive security management and Security Gap Analysis capabilities. MDR is described separately in the portfolio. Confirm whether it is included in your bundle and agree detection, response, remediation and integration scope in writing.

Can we see what you see?

The managed-services brochure describes access to the same monitoring and management toolset, including managed and unmanaged environment visibility. Confirm the systems, permissions and reporting included for your organisation; visibility does not itself mean every system is managed.

How long is the commitment?

General Terms v3.6 specify a default 36-month Minimum Service Period unless the Service Order or Service Description states otherwise; Professional Services are excluded. Clause 2.9 provides a three-month extension at then-current full list price without defined Service Levels where no clause 2.8 notice is given and use continues after expiry.

What is the contract term for a bundle?

Confirm the term in the Service Order and Service Description. General Terms v3.6 specify a 36-month default, excluding Professional Services, and separate renewal and holdover mechanisms in clauses 2.7–2.10. Review the applicable agreement and notices before assuming a new term.

What if we forget to give renewal notice?

Under General Terms v3.6 clause 2.9, if no notice under clause 2.8 is given and the customer continues to access or use services after expiry, all Services on that agreement extend for three months at the then-current full list price, without defined Service Levels. Missing notice alone is not the full condition.

What happens to our monitoring data and reporting history if we leave?

Clause 9.1 requires removal or deletion of Customer Software and Customer Data from our environment and makes the customer responsible for copying Customer Data before expiry or termination. Agree rights, formats, assistance and timing for exporting reports, configurations and documentation. Separate provisions govern Customer Records and Performance Records; do not assume all records have the same retention or deletion rule.

Where does our data live while under a bundle?

The published data-sovereignty material describes Australian hosting and access controls. Confirm locations and data flows for each bundle component, including vendor services, backups and support access. General Terms v3.6 clause 18.3 contains overseas-transfer consent, so the agreed design and contract must establish any Australian-only requirement.

Does the bundle's help desk cover an eligible data breach?

Data breach notification is a separate contractual obligation: each party must notify the other within 24 hours of discovering an eligible data breach involving the other's personal information, regardless of which service is affected.

Related

Managed Services · Advanced Infrastructure Managed Services · Field Services and Staff Augmentation · Security · Managed Detection and Response · Cloud · Connectivity · Glossary · Contact