Advanced Helpdesk Service is provided by ICEGATE (CBEC) for resolving the problems of Custom End Users e.g. Exporters, importers, Shipping lines, air lines, other agencies, customs ICES locations and all other ICES users requiring assistance in any area related to problems in filling documents to ICEGATE, ICENET and ICES, is provided through Helpdesk.

Users can contact Advanced Helpdesk from anywhere either by phone, web or mail.

Helpdesk End Users:-

1. Departmental users such as the officers/staff posted at various custom Houses where EDI is operational, officers/staff of Directorate of Systems, officers/staff concerned with the ICEGATE operations of other departmental formations like DRI, DOV and others. It includes technical personnel working on various sub projects of CBEC.
2. External users such as trading partners of ICEGATE i.e. Exporters, Importers, Airlines, CHA's and other institutions like AEPC, TEXPOCIL, Banks, DGFT etc.

How to Reach the Advanced Helpdesk:-
Ways to reach the Advanced Helpdesk are:-

1. End users can log a call at the helpdesk by making a phone call to Helpdesk analysts sitting at ICEGATE location and other custom locations. For ICEGATE location Toll Free No: 1800-3010-1000. For Custom locations the phone numbers are published in the respective Public notices of the Commissionarates.
2. End users can log a call with ICEGATE by sending E-mail to icegatehelpdesk@icegate.gov.in with full particulars.
3. End users can also send their problems using the HELPDESK interface provided in the website www.icegate.gov.in in the option " use helpdesk".

Kind of Assistance provided by Helpdesk:-
Telephonic & E-mail based support is provided to End Users for solving the problems in various levels by experts:-

• Level 1 - The helpdesk analysts( SPOC) who takes the call on phone or E-mail tries to resolve the call in the first instance on telephone only.
• Level 2- If Helpdesk Analyst cannot resolve it on phone, the call is forwarded to Service Area Analysts who log the call and assign it to concerned engineers . Service Area Analysts decides whom to assign the call by looking at the nature of call e.g. web related calls are assigned to web admin and routers related calls are assigned to net admin etc(This activity is not seen by the end user). The end user who has logged the call will be informed about the status of the call by automated e-mail and status can be followed up using log ticket Number.
• Level 3- If the call is not resolved by the concerned engineers then Service Area Analysts escalate the calls to the Shift manager or senior custom Officials. At level3

The call is assigned to a higher importance category .
Assistance is provided either by telephone or through e-mail and face to face meetings are not envisaged with the end-users.

All the calls logged in through Advanced Helpdesk comes under one of the following six service areas:-

Service Areas Brief
The entire HELPDESK operation for ICEGATE has been divided into six service area, which are broadly listed below: -

• Service area I : - CHA, Importer, Exporter, Airlines, End users etc.
• Service area II :- Internet & value added network(related to link connectivity)
• Service area III: - EC EDI Gateway, Certifying authority, Enterprise management, other applications related to Gateway.
• Service area IV : - Aggregation Router, ICENET, Cluster Router, Low end Router’s physical and configuration problems.
• Service area V :- ICES, LAN, MES, and Service center, Custodians, Banks
• Service area VI :- Problems of Special Agencies like DGFT, DOV, DRI, AEPC, TRU and Other Similar agencies.

Logging Of Calls (Service Area Wise)

• Service Area-1(End Users) Calls related to End Users (Exporters/Importers/Shippinglines and Airlines etc.) Technical problems are logged in under service Area-1
• Service Area-2(Connectivity) All the connectivity and leased line related calls like if the links are down or the connectivity is not proper, are logged in under service Area-2.
• Service Area-3(ICEGATE) All the calls related to the ICEGATE servers and technical services provided at icegate are logged in under service area-3. For example icegate web site access problem, certificate installation problem, icegate e-mail problems are taken under service Area-3.
• Service Area-4 (ICENET) All the physical and hardware problems related to WAN connectivity are covered under Service Area-4. For example hardware problems in routers, switches and Firewalls etc.
• Service Area-5 (ICES Locations) All the technical problems related to ICES locations are logged under Service Area-5. For Example problem in MES, ICES servers are logged in the Service Area-5.
• Service Area-6(Special Agencies) All the calls related to different agencies like DGFT, DOV, DRI, AEP, TRU and Other Similar Bodies are logged under Service Area-6.

Conclusion : Advanced Helpdesk is an online service provided to ICEGATE users to resolve their technical problems and queries so that there should not be any difficulty in using icegate services. End user’s calls are handled with special care by the intervention of Helpdesk analysts, Service Area Analysts, Assignees, Shift managers, senior Custom officers so that the end users get quick solutions of their problems and no down time occurs and high service standards are maintained.