intermittent service degradation

Dear Valued Customer:

AVR is experiencing intermittent service degradation with the processing of credit cards due to Hurricane Sandy and its affects on the northeast.

While AVR services are generally hosted in Houston and Chicago, a primary credit card processing network data center we utilize is located on Long Island, NY. As you are aware, the storm has caused massive damage to the whole region. Thankfully, processing is UP and RUNNING.

The data center there has been on backup power since yesterday at 2 p.m.

CDT in anticipation of the storm. However, the complexity of the data center's regional partners and the size of the storm mean that degradation can still occur (and has occurred), particularly when automatic failovers take a minute or two to transition.

As of 11:50 a.m. CDT, credit card processing services are stable and are performing acceptably, and most processing has been running all morning.

But we are at a heightened alert state and realize that unpredictable and intermittent interruptions may occur, perhaps even for days as the storm damage is addressed.

Please watch ebillstatus.com for updates, but be advised that we will generally not be posting unless the situation changes significantly.

RESOLVED: All sites operating normally

All sites have resumed normal service. We apologize for this interruption and thank you for your patience.

UPDATE: Sites are resuming

We believe we have isolated the problem, and sites are resuming. This process should take about 15 minutes. We anticipate a full return to service by 1:45 p.m. CDT.

ISSUE: eBilling Sites DOWN

We are experiencing a network-down event, affecting both of our independent network providers. We are working diligently on the problem and do not have an ETA yet. We apologize for this interruption.

RESOLUTION: Global Payments is UP

Global Payments has resumed normal processing, and therefore AVR merchants can process normally. We apologize for this interruption and as of yet have received no word from Global Payments regarding the reason for the issue. Thank you for your patience.

ISSUE: Global Payments is slow/down

Beginning at 9:24 p.m. CDT tonight, Global Payments, a major payment processing provider, experienced major slowing in processing, causing timeouts. AVR is aware of this issue, and at this time there is nothing AVR can do directly. Global Payments is a major processor and has confirmed they are having an unknown issue. They are working diligently on a resolution but, until it is repaired by them, processing for AVR merchants is slow and may even time out. Please stand by, and thank you for your patience.

scheduled maintenance is complete

Dear AVR Customers,

Today's scheduled maintenance is complete, as of approximately 8:40 a.m.

Some customers were resumed at about 6:30 a.m., and the rest took the remaining time. This was a worthwhile maintenance operation, which added even more resiliency features to our backend platform.

What that means: even more stability added to the Online platform for more of our customers.

Thank you for your patience and your partnership! Please let us know of any questions.

Sincerely,

AVR

10/05/12 Scheduled maintenance

Scheduled maintenance is now COMPLETE for all sites. Thank you.

10/05/12 Scheduled Maintenance Update

Scheduled maintenance is now COMPLETE for some sites, which have resumed operation. Maintenance continues for the remaining sites. These Online billing sites will be unavailable until approximately 8:00 a.m.

10-05-12 Scheduled maintenance

Scheduled maintenance has now begun. Online billing sites will be unavailable until approximately 6:30 a.m. Some sites will be available sooner.

Scheduled Maintenance Friday, October 5th

AVR will be performing regularly scheduled maintenance to our Online infrastructure on Friday, October 5, from 5:00 a.m. until 6:30 a.m.

This final stage of normal maintenance for October requires 90 minutes of downtime (or less). For some customers, downtime should be only 30 minutes or less.

Online payment sites will be unavailable beginning at 5:00 a.m. Friday, October 5, and customers will be redirected to a maintenance page. We anticipate a return to full service by 6:30 a.m. (90 minutes), or perhaps even sooner. As with any maintenance window, please be advised that there is always a risk of longer downtime. But, we are confident that 90 minutes (or less) should be enough time, and for some customers, only 30 minutes (or less).

Please let us know of any questions, and thank you for your continued partnership with AVR!

Upstream credit card processor UP

Dear Valued Customer,

Our credit card processor is now back up and running; please proceed with caution as you take payments or if your customer makes a payment online. Sorry for the inconvenience. Please let me know if you need anything else

I will also be sending this by email; you can always stay posted as to what is happening here at AVR.

Thank you in advance for your patience

Sincerely,

Online/IT Department

Upstream credit card processor DOWN

Dear Valued Customer,

We are currently experiencing technical difficulties with our upstream credit card processor, you will be experiencing issues with you or customers not being able to make credit card payments. We do not currently have an ETA. We are working diligently to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. We’ll keep you advised on the status of the resolution of this issue.

I will also be sending this by email; you can always stay posted as to what is happening here at AVR.

Thank you in advance for your patience