Support Programs

Over 2,000 companies use the ARM Access library products, part of its family of Artisan^® Physical IP. As ARMs customer base has grown, so has the diversity in needs for different levels of support. In response, three Physical IP support options have been developed from which customers can choose. These options include ARM’s AccessFirst™ support program, AccessBasic™, a baseline support program and AccessCustom™, a program that expands on the support offered through AccessFirst to address the specific and often unique needs of some customers.

Program Options

Program Descriptions
(Prices subject to change at any time at ARM's sole discretion)

• AccessBasic
  This program includes support for all Access library products in one specific foundry process. For example, all free ARM TSMC's 0.13-micron process products (memory generators, SAGE-X™ standard cells and I/O libraries) available would be covered by one AccessBasic plan. AccessBasic allows the customer to designate two support liaisons within its company as points of contact for support, and additional liaisons can be added. AccessBasic also includes eight staff-hours of ARM's silicon debugging time for Artisan physical IP.

• AccessFirst
  Instead of being priced per foundry/process, ARM's AccessFirst covers all Access library products in all foundry processes. The program also provides access to additional library data and may include engineering meetings at ARM and early product access. The AccessFirst program also includes 20 staff-hours of ARM's silicon debugging time.

• AccessCustom starts with AccessFirst as a foundation and can be designed and priced to fit your specific requirements. If you have additional support needs such as special services, irregular hours or on-premises support, AccessCustom may be the plan to use.

Program Features

• On-Line Support
  Each support program begins with access to our support engineers for technical assistance and problem resolution. Customers can request support and track the progress of their case 24/7 via our web support system.

• Support Liaisons
  Each program enables you to specify two support liaisons, which are designated by your company to be the primary communication channel between your design teams and ARM. These support liaisons are able to develop excellent working relationships with our customer support engineers and are a first line of internal support. One or more support liaisons can be added.

• Silicon Debugging Services
  Customers often draw on ARM's expertise to debug silicon problems; therefore each plan also contains an allowance for ARM silicon debugging time. This allowance can be used to address silicon issues, such as non-functioning chips, out-of-spec performance, and ESD characteristics. It covers ARM engineering time to analyze design and test data, but does not cover third-party failure analysis services.

How To Enroll

To enroll in AccessBasic, AccessFirst or AccessCustom support, or to discuss these options further, depending on your company's geographic location, you may contact one of the following support sales managers directly:
   
   North America: Marya Keegan at +1-408-548-3056,  or Marya.keegan@arm.com
  
   Europe, Middle East, India: Karin Benoit-Cariou at 1-39-30-47-89, or karin.cariou@arm.com
  
   Asia Pacific: Jang Aslam at +65-6728-0950, or jang.aslam@arm.com
  
   Japan: Takashi Kanazawa at 45-477-5260, or takashi.kanazawa@arm.com

FAQs

Q. What if I want to use multiple processes - should I buy a support plan for each one?
A. Each AccessBasic Plan covers ARM's Artisan library products in one specific foundry/process, so if you are using three or more processes, AccessFirst may be your best bet. AccessFirst covers all library products in all processes, and includes additional support such as engineering meetings.

Q. If I don't use my silicon debugging allowance this year, will it accumulate for next year?
A. No, this is not allowed. Think of the allowance as an insurance plan that you use only if needed. The ARM ProcessPerfect™ Library Development Methodology for Artisan physical IP and extensive quality assurance have been proven in thousands of designs. ARM does, however, recognize the challenge in turning on and analyzing the performance of complex SoC designs when they return from the fab. ARM has included consulting time in all of our support plans to provide assistance on library related issues that may arise during this critical phase of IC development.

Q. If I buy an AccessBasic Plan, can I upgrade to AccessFirst?
A. Yes, the option to upgrade to AccessFirst support is available if your needs change.

Q. Can I use your libraries even if I don't buy a support contract?
A. Yes. You can still download the current version of any ARM Access libraries any time and design with them. We've designed and priced our support plans to make them a great value for our customers and well worth the small investment in helping you be successful with our products, so we hope you will consider taking advantage of them.

Q. How do I create a New Technical Service Request online?
A. For best response times to your Technical SRs, please

• Click on the Login  link (found in the left navigation bar)
• Then enter your user name and password.
• If you do not have an account with us, then you need to register as a new customer first
• Click on "New Technical Request".
• Fill in all the mandatory fields and click on "Submit"

Q. What if I have trouble filing a Technical Service Request (SR)?
A. If you have problems in submitting a Service Request online, you may send email to support-artisan@arm.com or phone +1-408-734-5600. Please note that the response time for your SR is dependent upon your company’s support status.