Home

Navigating the FortiCare Ecosystem: A Journalistic Guide to Fortinet’s Security Lifecycle Support

.

Discover the comprehensive world of Fortinet FortiCare. Learn about support tiers (Essential, Premium, Elite), hardware replacement options, and how these services ensure maximum uptime for your security infrastructure.

The Foundation of Cyber Resilience: Understanding FortiCare

In an era where digital downtime can translate to catastrophic financial loss, Fortinet FortiCare services serve as the foundational support pillar for organizations worldwide. More than just a technical helpline, FortiCare is a comprehensive maintenance program designed to ensure that security infrastructure—ranging from firewalls to cloud-native applications—remains optimized, updated, and ready to combat evolving threats.

By providing a structured framework for technical assistance, hardware replacement, and firmware updates, FortiCare allows businesses to maximize the return on their security investments while maintaining a proactive defense posture.

The Three Tiers of Excellence: Essential, Premium, and Elite

Fortinet offers a tiered approach to support, allowing organizations to align their service levels with the criticality of their specific devices.

1. FortiCare Essential

Targeted toward small businesses and non-critical branch offices, the Essential tier is designed for price-sensitive deployments.

  • Best For: Desktop models (FortiGate 8x and below) and low-end FortiWiFi devices.
  • Support Model: Primarily web-based support with next-business-day response times for both critical and non-critical issues.
  • Hardware Replacement: Standard "Return and Replace" service.

2. FortiCare Premium

The Premium tier is the "gold standard" for most business-critical networks, offering around-the-clock coverage.

  • Response Times: One-hour response for critical (P1) issues and next-business-day response for non-critical tasks.
  • Availability: 24x7x365 access to technical assistance via phone, web, and chat.
  • Hardware replacement: Advanced Hardware Replacement (Next Business Day) is included by default.

3. FortiCare Elite

For enterprises requiring the highest level of availability and accelerated resolution, FortiCare Elite provides a white-glove experience.

  • Accelerated Support: Guaranteed 15-minute response times for critical incidents handled by a dedicated advanced technical team.
  • Extended Lifecycle: Provides an additional 18 months of Extended End-of-Engineering Support (E-EoES) for designated firmware releases.
  • Elite Portal: Access to a specialized monitoring portal offering proactive security hygiene recommendations and a unified view of device health.

Hardware Lifecycle and Priority RMA Services

A core component of FortiCare is the Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) framework, which ensures that hardware failures do not lead to prolonged security gaps.

  • Standard NBD RMA: Included in Premium and Elite tiers, Fortinet ships a replacement unit the next business day after a defect is confirmed.
  • Priority RMA (PRMA): For mission-critical environments, organizations can upgrade to 4-hour on-site delivery or courier services, which operate 24x7 even on weekends and holidays.
  • Secure RMA (SRMA): Designed for high-security industries like finance or government, this service allows customers to keep their defective device (and its data) while receiving a replacement, ensuring strict compliance with data privacy regulations.

Beyond Troubleshooting: Professional and Advanced Services

FortiCare extends into proactive business alignment through Advanced Support and Professional Services.

  • Per-Account Services: Dedicated Technical Account Managers (TAMs) can be assigned to provide operational reviews and upgrade assistance.
  • Professional Services: Experts assist with complex migrations, design reviews, and rapid deployments to ensure new security capabilities are functional from day one.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Is FortiCare included with a hardware purchase? A: Most hardware bundles include FortiCare Premium by default to ensure immediate protection and support. However, support must be renewed periodically to maintain access to firmware updates and RMA services.

Q: What happens if I don’t have a FortiCare contract? A: Without an active contract, you are limited to the standard hardware warranty. You will lose access to technical support, 24x7 phone assistance, and critical firmware updates that protect against new vulnerabilities.

Q: Can I upgrade from Premium to Elite mid-contract? A: Yes, existing customers can upgrade to the Elite service level using specific "co-term" SKUs to align their support with their evolving business needs.

Q: How does the "Secure RMA" service work? A: If a device fails, Fortinet sends a replacement unit, and you are permitted to keep the defective unit. This prevents sensitive data stored on internal storage media from leaving your physical premises.

Q: Is "Essential" support available for all devices? A: No. FortiCare Essential is typically reserved for desktop models (such as the FortiGate 8x series and below) and low-end FortiWiFi appliances.