Since launching our new and improved Online Support site (support.emc.com) in May of 2012, EMC has continued to build on a portfolio of features and improve ease of use. Last June, we revamped navigation and introduced Proactive Service capabilities under My Support>My Products, providing a simplified view of product Service Life information (related blog). In November, we added more proactive features to My Products, and introduced the company administration functionality (related blog). The February 2014 release focused on infrastructure and process improvements, and the transition of Data Domain to EMC Online Support (related blog).
And, we’re not stopping there! Recently, I meet with Senior Program Manager, Mike Ginn, who leads the ongoing development of EMC’s Online Support site, to get an update on what’s new and what’s to come….
Q: The Online Support site seems to be continuously evolving and improving… Can you tell our customers what new features rolled out in the May 2014 release?
A: With the recent release, we delivered a number of new enhancements to streamline and simplify the self-service experience. For example, Knowledge Base solutions are now displayed on the Support by Product pages, which means that customers can now request code upgrades. And from My Products, you can now directly create a Service Request or Request an Upgrade for a product in your installed base as well. You can access a quick overview of all the key updates in the most recent release under the Highlights section on the right-hand navigation of support.emc.com.
Q: What kind of feedback are we getting from customers regarding these new changes?
A: Recently, we received great news that EMC was recognized by the Association of Support Professionals (ASP) Top Ten Best Web Support sites for 2014, an accolade we were proud to receive in 2013 as well. It’s a prestigious industry award that showcases excellence in online service and support, and is reflective of EMC’s investment in the ongoing evolution of our Online Support site, our global Support Communities, and Social Support — as well as our customer and user contributions to the design process.
At EMC World 2014, we had the opportunity to engage with customers and interactively demonstrate how to get the most out of EMC Online Support, while also gathering their feedback. We received a lot of positive feedback around company and contact administration, My Products, and the overall ease of use of the site. We also heard very constructive input on such things as a need to enhance search, address issues around accessing Knowledge Base articles, and making it easier to access Help information around how best to use the site. EMC World enabled us to capture a lot of valuable input from our customers and partners, which we are incorporating into future releases.
Q: So, customers can expect improvements to Online Support to continue?
A: Absolutely. Though EMC Online Support has come a long way since it was first released in 2012, we will continue to develop it through collaboration with our customers, industry best practices, and the evolution of EMC’s offerings. This includes expanding and enhancing our proactive services to include more data and analytics on all of our products. Integration of customizable dashboards, capacity trending, health scores, and mobile components are all being considered for the future of EMC’s proactive service capabilities.
Input from Support Community members is a great resource for helping us set the course for future releases. So, please provide us with your input by adding your comments to this blog below or by submitting them via Support Site Help and Feedback.
Holly Anderson
Principal Program Manager, Social Media & Community Strategy
