# PhotoRobot PWS Program – Definition & Terms > PhotoRobot PWS provides a single point of technical responsibility for your PhotoRobot production imaging workflow — program definition and terms & conditions. ## PhotoRobot PWS **PhotoRobot PWS provides a single point of technical responsibility for your PhotoRobot production imaging workflow.** Whether an issue originates in PhotoRobot hardware, software, cameras, lighting, networking or third-party infrastructure, our engineers help identify the root cause, coordinate the path to resolution and keep your production moving ## Context — why this program looks the way it does PWS was historically understood as a **hardware warranty**. What PhotoRobot delivers has since changed fundamentally: the core of the service today is **software, firmware, licensing, networking and expert diagnostics across the whole imaging chain**, with hardware being one component among many — and support reaching deliberately **inside and beyond** the original PhotoRobot delivery (third-party cameras, lights, customer networks and IT). This page has two parts: - **Part A — Program Definition** — a plain-language description of the program and its commercial framework: *what PWS is and why it exists*. - **Part B — Terms & Conditions** — the precise, binding clauses. Customer-specific figures (final SLA commitments, coverage prices) are set in the individual PWS offer and contract. The governing legal framework, including region-dependent terms, is published in the PhotoRobot Trust Center. **Part A** Program Definition **Part B** Terms & Conditions ## Part A — PWS Program Definition ### A1. Purpose & guiding principle PWS is an **operational-continuity** program, not an insurance policy against hardware failure. It is **designed to maximize uptime and reduce time-to-resolution** for the customer’s **PhotoRobot** production imaging workflow, and to provide a **single point of technical responsibility** across that workflow. PhotoRobot commits to the **availability of support, a defined response, and professional (expert) care**. PhotoRobot does not, and cannot, guarantee that a given studio will run without interruption. Diagnostics and troubleshooting are performed on a **commercially reasonable best-effort basis**. What “single point of responsibility” means — and where it stops. PhotoRobot takes **ownership of the coordination and diagnosis** of a reported issue and **drives the diagnostic process to a documented conclusion or a recommended next step** — even when the fault lies in a Canon body, a firewall, a DMX box or the customer’s local IT. **This does not transfer to PhotoRobot the contractual, warranty or financial responsibility of third-party suppliers**, nor a guarantee that every issue has an achievable technical resolution. A ticket may legitimately close with an outcome such as: third-party fault, non-reproducible issue, replacement required, unsupported configuration, missing customer cooperation, or on-site / separately chargeable work required. ### A2. Scope — Production Imaging Ecosystem Support PWS covers the production imaging ecosystem as **one connected system**, in this order of centrality: 1. **Software** — PhotoRobot Controls: installation, updates, versioning, OS-specific behavior (macOS/Windows), help-topic navigation. 2. **Hardware** — robots and mechanics: Robotic Arm, Turntables/Tables (Centerless CL850/CL1300, C-Class/Case), Cube, Frame — SW-vs-HW isolation, typical faults, and service boundaries. (What is covered financially in baseline PWS is set out in the coverage table in **B-Annex**.) 3. **Imaging chain** — cameras, optics and lighting: - **Cameras & tethering** — Canon natively, 3rd-party via watch folder; offline/disconnect/focus/liveview/flash-not-firing diagnostics. - **Lights, flashes & continuous lights** — Fomei strobe (WiFi box), Fomei LED DMX, Broncolor Siros/continuous. Included: setup; analysis when lights don’t appear in Controls; analysis when lights don’t trigger. 4. **Licensing & control units** — activation/reactivation, activation-server reachability, offline keys, generation limits; license release/transfer, expiry/suspension, hybrid & API licenses (keys never sent in plaintext). 5. **Networking & connectivity** — prerequisites and whitelisting guidance for the customer’s IT, proxy/firewall diagnostics, “unit not visible” discovery. 6. **Cloud, outputs & API** — publication, share/viewer diagnostics, tracking codes, export/import, formats, integrations. **Third-party products — an important boundary.** Where the root cause lies in equipment supplied by a third party (for example a camera, lens or studio light bought locally), PhotoRobot will **identify the issue and advise on the remedy** (a firmware update, a cabling correction, a configuration change). **Carrying out that repair is not included in the PWS fee** — the support and warranty relationship for that component rests with its original supplier. Where a customer prefers a single point of contact for the whole setup, PhotoRobot **may perform such work under a separate service order**. ### A3. Software-platform continuity (customers moving off third-party software) For much of PhotoRobot’s history, its hardware was frequently paired with software from other providers, whose responsibility the software support was. Where such a provider is no longer active, its customers can be left without a software partner. PhotoRobot offers those customers a stable home by **integrating them onto PhotoRobot’s own software platform.** Because this broadens the relationship to include software, the software portion of support is **priced as the ongoing engineering work it genuinely is** — a deliberate choice in favor of **a platform intended for long-term development and support.** ### A4. How support is delivered **Ticket-first.** All requests run through support.photorobot.com; requests are logged and a ticket is created automatically. Support is available during **local working hours in the Czech Republic (CET/CEST)**. **Escalation ladder** — we escalate only as far as the problem needs: asynchronous ticket → live **visual guidance** → **remote session** → **on-site** → **factory / RMA**. **PhotoRobot standard technical-access policy:** - **Remote diagnostics use Splashtop SOS**, downloaded from sos.splashtop.eu (EU tier — PhotoRobot operates in the EU tier and cannot service sessions from other regional tiers). Splashtop SOS is the supported remote-control tool; **PhotoRobot does not use alternative third-party remote-control platforms unless expressly agreed.** - **Live visual guidance uses Google Meet** — browser-based, nothing to install — and, **for Apple-based customers, FaceTime** (end-to-end encrypted). This step is to observe and direct, not to control the system. - Controlled remote access keeps resolution fast and correct; PhotoRobot’s diagnostic tooling is not distributed. **A different tool** can be a matter of individual agreement, but **for remote support, Splashtop SOS is the supported option.** Where it cannot be used, the alternatives are an **on-site visit** or **shipping the machine to the factory**; on-site travel in that case is charged as set out in **B4**. Remote access is always **consent-based**. ### A5. What is configurable — set in the individual offer Every customer receives a baseline; several parameters can be added. **These are commercial parameters set by PhotoRobot sales in an individual offer — this page states no prices.** - **Service level (response speed)** — a faster first-response objective than baseline (see B2). - **Equipment-related technician travel included** — folds routine, equipment-related on-site travel into the yearly arrangement. It does **not** cover policy-driven dispatches (visits required solely because the customer’s environment cannot accommodate the standard remote-access tooling); those are charged per **B4**. - **Parts shipping included** — transport of replacement parts (otherwise chargeable). - **Critical parts on-loan (loaner units)** — loaner equipment so production continues during a repair; availability, shipping, same vs. equivalent model, duration and priority are defined in the offer. ### A6. Preventive & proactive care Depending on the agreed level, PWS can include **configuration review, performance and firmware audits, health checks and lifecycle recommendations** — proactive value that reduces the chance of a stoppage in the first place. **Telemetry.** Where supported by the relevant hardware and the enabled configuration, telemetry may help **identify developing technical conditions before they result in a stoppage.** The categories of data, its purpose, retention, storage region and opt-out are described in the telemetry specification in the Trust Center, and depend on the relevant outbound connectivity being permitted by the customer. ### A7. PWS lifecycle — factory, renewal, grace - **Factory PWS.** New machines are delivered with **Factory PWS included in the machine price**, valid for the **first year from the Installation Date** (defined in B-Annex). A higher service level during year one can be arranged with PhotoRobot sales, for a surcharge. - **Renewal (from year two).** The original, cost-advantageous PWS can be **renewed under preferential terms**, provided the PWS contract is **not interrupted**. If it is interrupted, **new terms apply** per the standard pricelist in force when the new contract is concluded. - **Grace period.** If Factory PWS is not renewed during its validity, a **6-month grace period** follows, during which the customer may **restore contractual continuity by back-paying PWS from the point of interruption** in order to keep the original preferential terms. **Any support incidents that occur during a lapse are chargeable to the customer as ad-hoc work; retroactive renewal preserves continuity and the preferential rate, but does not, by itself, cover incidents, defects or service requests first arising or reported during the lapse** unless PhotoRobot expressly accepts them. - **After the grace period,** continuity with the original contract is no longer possible; new terms are set from a new contract, with scope and price configured by PhotoRobot sales — **typically after a paid technical inspection**, and a **paid repair to bring the equipment to a satisfactory, serviceable condition** may be required before it is accepted into the program. ## Part B — PWS Terms & Conditions ### B0. Order of precedence These clauses are binding. In the event of any inconsistency, the following order of precedence applies (highest first): **(1)** the signed individual contract; **(2)** the individual offer / order form; **(3)** applicable regional terms; **(4)** these PWS Terms & Conditions (Part B); **(5)** the Program Definition (Part A). Part A is descriptive and commercial context; Part B and the contract documents prevail. ### B1. SLA definitions - **Acknowledgment** — the automated confirmation that a request has been received and a ticket created. It does **not** constitute a Qualified Technical Response. - **Qualified Technical Response** — a substantive response specific to the reported issue that provides a meaningful diagnostic, remediation or escalation step. It may include a request for specific logs, versions or system information; an issue-specific diagnostic instruction; a proposed workaround; an identified probable cause; an escalation stating the next step; or an initial technical assessment with an invitation to schedule a remote inspection where such inspection is a reasonable next step. A general reference to the booking calendar without technical context does not qualify. A Qualified Technical Response may be prepared or delivered by PhotoRobot support personnel, automated support systems, or a combination of both. - **Response Time** — the elapsed calendar time from creation of the ticket until the first Qualified Technical Response, including weekends and public holidays unless the individual offer expressly states otherwise. It is **not** the time to workaround or resolution. - **Workaround** — an interim way to keep working while a root-cause fix is prepared. - **Resolution** — completion of the available corrective action, or a documented conclusion identifying the root cause, applicable responsibility and recommended next step. - Diagnostics are performed on a **commercially reasonable best-effort basis**. ### B2. Service levels & severity PWS service levels define the **response-time objective for the first Qualified Technical Response**. Response Time is measured in **elapsed calendar hours, including weekends and public holidays**, unless the individual PWS offer expressly states otherwise. | Service level | First Qualified Technical Response | | --- | --- | | **Standard** (baseline) | within 48 hours | | **Priority** | within 24 hours | | **Rapid** | within 6 hours | | **Express** | within 2 hours | The automated ticket acknowledgment is normally issued shortly after submission but does not count as the Qualified Technical Response. The applicable service level is defined in the individual PWS offer; the service level governs the first-response objective, not the time to workaround or final resolution. Where live remote diagnostics are reasonably required, the Qualified Technical Response may include an initial technical assessment and an invitation to select an available Splashtop SOS inspection time. **Service level vs. severity.** These are two independent things. The **service level** (Standard / Priority / Rapid / Express) is the response-time tier the customer contracts for and sets the first-response objective. The **severity** (Critical / Major / Normal / Minor) describes how serious an individual ticket is and sets the order and intensity of handling *within* that contracted level. A **Critical** severity does not automatically upgrade the customer to a faster service level, and PhotoRobot may reclassify a ticket’s severity where the reported business impact does not match the level selected. Severity mapping when triaging: | Severity | Typical situation | Handling | | --- | --- | --- | | **Critical** | Production stopped, no workaround | Highest intensity within the contracted service level | | **Major** | Significant impairment, limited workaround | Expedited within the service level | | **Normal** | Standard issue, production continues | Standard handling | | **Minor** | Question, cosmetic, low impact | Standard handling | **Severity governance.** PhotoRobot may **reclassify** a ticket’s severity where the reported business impact does not match the level selected, **merge duplicate tickets**, and **decline the artificial splitting** of one incident across several tickets. ### B3. Software, updates & version currency - **Feature updates / new versions** of Controls and Control Unit firmware are a PWS benefit and **require valid PWS**. - **Security & critical stability fixes.** PhotoRobot **may make selected security updates or critical stability fixes available outside active PWS where PhotoRobot considers it necessary. This does not create a general entitlement** to updates, upgrades, compatibility work, or support for out-of-support versions. - **Version currency (customer requirement).** The customer must run the **current published version of the software on all workstations that access the PhotoRobot cloud**. The valid current version is published on the PhotoRobot website. Support for issues attributable to out-of-date software may be limited until the software is brought current. ### B4. On-site service **On-site labor required to resolve a covered PWS incident is included.** Travel, accommodation, special equipment, third-party work, and work outside the covered scope (for example installing a new configuration, relocation, training or a general overhaul after an accident) remain **chargeable** — for short and multi-day interventions alike. Routine equipment-related travel can be folded into the yearly price via *Equipment-related technician travel included* (A5). **Policy-driven dispatch.** When an on-site visit is required **specifically because the customer’s environment cannot accommodate a Splashtop SOS session**, **technician travel is charged at the flat regional rate regardless of any travel-included option**, because the visit follows from the chosen access policy rather than from a fault in the equipment. (For environments that must restrict remote access as a matter of compliance — defense, banking, or similarly regulated settings — PhotoRobot can define a dedicated Restricted-Environment Support arrangement, priced in advance.) ### B5. Supported versions & End-of-Life (EOL) Supported Controls versions, firmware versions, Control Unit generations, operating systems and validated device combinations are maintained in the **PhotoRobot Compatibility & Support Matrix**, which classifies each configuration into one of four states: - **Fully Supported** — full support, updates and fixes. - **Maintenance Supported** — support and critical fixes, but not necessarily new features. - **Best Effort** — no guarantee of a fix or of compatibility. - **End of Support** — paid migration, inspection or individual service only. Exact status and transition dates are published in the maintained matrix. Long-term support for validated legacy configurations may be agreed individually. ### B6. Customer responsibilities The customer provides, as applicable: **diagnostic logs and version information**, a working **internet connection** with the required **outbound connectivity**, **administrator access** where required, appropriate **backups**, **physical access, power and network** at the site, the **current published software version on all cloud-accessing workstations** (B3), and reasonable cooperation with the technician **with customer authorization and, where required by the customer’s policy, under customer supervision**. Where support asks for additional information and there is **no response for 5 days or more**, the ticket is automatically closed (re-openable). **Recommended setup.** PhotoRobot recommends running each installation on a **dedicated, validated computer configuration**. The controlling computer is best treated as **part of the delivered equipment** rather than as part of general corporate IT, which is governed by separate security standards — on a dedicated machine, authorized PhotoRobot access is straightforward and low-risk. Where the customer has a choice of platform, PhotoRobot may recommend a preferred configuration based on the current Controls release and the customer’s workflow (specifics are maintained in the **network & platform prerequisites**). We further recommend keeping **all PhotoRobot devices, including the controlling computer, in a dedicated “studio” subnet** clearly separated from the corporate network. Detailed requirements: photorobot.com/manuals/photorobot-networking-prerequisites. ### B7. Data protection & privacy Support personnel access only the **data necessary** to diagnose and resolve the reported issue — across remote sessions (Splashtop SOS), logs, sample images and cloud outputs. Remote access is **consent-based**; handling of personal data follows applicable **GDPR** obligations; credentials and sensitive network topology are never disclosed. Telemetry data categories, purpose, retention and region are described, together with the applicable region-dependent legal documents, in the PhotoRobot Trust Center. ### B8. General service exclusions Support is limited or excluded for: **unsupported operating systems**, **beta software**, **unsupported camera firmware**, **unsupported third-party modifications**, **unsupported APIs**, and **VPN/network configurations that violate PhotoRobot’s network requirements**. ### B9. Parts-coverage exclusions (annulment of part-replacement obligations) Part-replacement obligations are annulled where the fault results from: **use contrary to the instructions**; the product being **opened, modified or repaired beyond the customer-service procedures expressly authorized by PhotoRobot**; **inappropriate voltage or faulty electrical installation**; an **altered/removed serial number**; **transport damage outside PhotoRobot’s responsibility**; an **exterior break/scratch** in the customer’s possession; a part **damaged by third-party accessories/devices or unauthorized service**; or **natural disasters** (fire, lightning, flood, earthquake, etc.). ### B10. Not included in baseline (available via the offer) Baseline PWS does not include: **technician travel** (unless configured), **parts shipping** (unless configured), **repair of third-party products**, **physical hardware failure of lights** (broken bulb, dead receiver/sender), and **normal wear parts** (see B11). These can be added or ordered separately. ### B11. Consumables & replaceable mechanical components **Routine maintenance consumables** — low-value items subject to expected wear in normal operation, such as O-rings, X-rings, rubber rings, seals and comparable minor parts. **Certain routine maintenance consumables may be supplied without charge at PhotoRobot’s sole discretion as part of normal customer care.** This is a **discretionary customer-care practice, not a contractual entitlement**, and creates no obligation to supply any particular item free of charge. **High-value replaceable mechanical components** — assemblies such as gearboxes, bearings, motors, glass platters and comparable mechanical parts. These remain governed by the **standard PWS coverage rules**: replacement is included only where **PhotoRobot confirms that the failure results from a covered material or manufacturing defect** (see B9 and the B-Annex coverage table). **Normal wear, aging, routine replacement, misuse, accidental damage, and customer- or third-party-caused damage are not covered**, and a mechanical assembly does **not** become covered merely because it is subject to wear. ### B12. Incident scope & fair use An **unlimited number of incidents** means that no per-ticket charge applies to **legitimate support requests within the agreed scope**. It does **not** include project work, recurring training, system redesign, data migration, custom development, repeated remediation of unchanged customer-side conditions, or work otherwise identified as a separately chargeable service. ### B-Annex. Baseline coverage at a glance | Item | Baseline PWS | | --- | --- | | Remote support labor | Included | | On-site labor for a covered incident | Included, subject to terms (B4) | | Replacement PhotoRobot part — covered defect | Included, subject to eligibility, exclusions and supported-product status | | Normal wear part | Not included (B11) | | Customer-caused damage | Not included | | Shipping | Not included unless configured | | Travel / accommodation | Not included unless configured | | Third-party component | Diagnosis included; part and repair excluded | Shipping and related logistics are included only where expressly stated in the offer. **Commissioning** means the completion of the initial installation and functional verification of the PhotoRobot equipment by PhotoRobot, an authorized partner, or another party accepted by PhotoRobot, as recorded in the installation or service documentation. **Delivery** means the date on which the equipment is delivered to the agreed destination or made available for collection, as applicable under the agreed delivery terms. **Installation Date** means the date on which commissioning is recorded as completed, or another date expressly stated by PhotoRobot in the delivery, installation or contract documentation. **Factory PWS begins on the Installation Date, but no later than 90 calendar days after Delivery**, unless a different date is expressly agreed in writing by PhotoRobot. The 90-day limit does not apply to the extent commissioning is delayed primarily by PhotoRobot. **Revision** 2026.2 · **Published** 2026-07-28