Terms of Service

ACCENT ONLINE TERMS OF SERVICE

Last updated: April 1, 2021

We updated the Accent Terms of Service on April 1, 2021. These changes will be effective May 1, 2021, to customers who signed up for Accent service before April 1, 2021.

THESE ONLINE TERMS OF SERVICE, including the Orders and any applicable Attachments or Exhibits which by this reference are incorporated herein (“Agreement”), are a binding agreement between Accent Communication Services, Inc., an Ohio corporation with its primary office at 2400 Corporate Exchange Drive Suite 100, Columbus, OH 43231 (“Accent”), and the legal entity identified in the Order (“Customer”). Accent and Customer may be individually referred to as a “Party” or collectively as the “Parties.”

Accent provides services and equipment intended solely for business use, pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and on the condition that Customer accepts and complies with this Agreement. By placing an Order for Service, Customer (a) accepts this Agreement and agrees that Customer is legally bound by its terms; and (b) represents and warrants that: (i) its representative is 18 years of age or of legal age to enter into a binding agreement; and (ii) has the right, power, and authority to enter into this Agreement on behalf of the corporation, governmental organization, or other legal entity, and to bind such organization to these terms. If Customer does not agree to the terms of this Agreement, neither Customer nor its End Users may download, install, or use the services or equipment.

DEFINITIONS: Capitalized terms not defined have the meaning given to them in Exhibit C – Definitions.
AGREEMENT SCOPE: Pursuant to this Agreement, Accent shall provide business communication services to Customer consisting of any and all products and services purchased by Customer pursuant to a Customer submitted and Accent accepted Order. This Agreement applies to and will be considered a part of any Order provided by submitted by Customer and accepted by Accent. Accent agrees to furnish the Service at the location(s), quantities, and rates as specified in the Order(s) to be established throughout this Agreement. Customer understands and agrees that products and services provided by Accent are governed by the rules and conditions detailed within this Agreement and its associated Exhibits. Accent shall have no obligation to accept a Order. This Agreement does not cover the Customer’s wide area computer network (“WAN”), local area computer network (“LAN”), the wireless local area network (“WLAN”), computers/laptops, tablets or mobile voice handsets and other end devices, or any components on the Customer side of the Services provided.
SERVICE ORDERING AND TERM
1. SERVICE ORDERING: Customer may order Services by executing an Order in the format provided by Accent and submitting electronically via Accent’s website or for subsequent Orders, via e-mail or to an Accent authorized representative. The Order will identify the Services requested by Customer together with: (i) the price for each Service; (ii) quantities for each Service; (iii) and products leased, rented, licensed or sold to Customer, if any. An Order will become binding when it is executed by the Customer and accepted by Accent. Accent may accept an Order by commencing performance of the requested Services. The Services will begin upon delivery of Services by Accent to Customer.
2. SERVICE DESCRIPTIONS: Accent provides business communication services, telecommunication services, internet services, and managed network services which include but are not limited to business voice, video conferencing, e-fax, text messaging, call handling, mobile and desktop applications, BYOD capability, and SD-WAN. The Service Attachment(s) applicable to Customer’s Services are incorporated into and forms a part of this Agreement.
  1. Accent Cloud Phone System is a cloud-based unified communications service that includes enterprise-class voice, e-fax, text messaging, call handling, desktop and mobile apps, and bring your own device (BYOD) capability. The Service Attachment for Accent Cloud Phone System is available at https://www.accentvoice.com/cloud-phone-service-attachment.
  2. Accent Meetings is a cloud-based video conferencing and collaboration service that includes screen sharing, chat, desktop and mobile applications. The Service Attachment for Accent Meetings is available at https://www.accentvoice.com/meetings-service-attachment.
  3. Accent Team Edition is a cloud-based communication and collaboration service which provides internal team messaging, video meetings, group chat, file sharing, internal calling, and screen sharing. The Service Attachment for Accent Team Edition is available at https://www.accentvoice.com/team-edition-service-attachment.
3. EQUIPMENT: Customer may purchase or rent equipment from Accent for use with the Services. The terms and conditions that govern any such transaction can be found at:
  1. Purchase: https://www.accentvoice.com/hardware-purchase
  2. Rental: https://www.accentvoice.com/device-rental
4. TERM OF THIS AGREEMENT: The Term of this Agreement will commence on the date of execution of the initial Order and will continue until the last Service Term is terminated or expires.
5. SERVICE TERM AND AUTOMATIC RENEWAL: The Service Term will begin upon the Service Delivery Date and continue for the term set forth in the initial Order (“Initial Term”). Upon expiration of the Initial Term, recurring Services will automatically renew for successive periods of the same length as the Initial Term (each a “Renewal Term”) unless the Customer gives notice of non-renewal at least thirty (30) days before the expiration of the Initial Term or the then-current Renewal Term. Unless otherwise agreed upon, the term of any recurring Services added to the Customer Account after the initial Order is submitted will start upon delivery of the Services, will run co-terminus with the then-current Service Term of any pre-existing Services, and will be billed on the same billing cycles as the pre-existing Services.
6. SERVICE SUBTRACTIONS OR REDUCTIONS: Customer may only subtract or reduce Services once the then current Service Term has completed and prior to the Renewal Term. Customer must provide written notice of Service reductions thirty (30) days in advance of the Renewal Term for reduction in Services to take effect. Upon a change in Service quantities, the changes will be reflected on the next monthly invoice on a pro-rated basis.
7. SERVICE CHANGES: Customer may request changes to the Service telephone numbers and/or Service address locations identified on the Order provided Customer and Accent execute a supplemental Order covering such changes.
INVOICING AND PAYMENT
1. SERVICE BILLING AND PAYMENT: Upon initial Order placement of Services by Customer, the service charge will be billed on a monthly basis in advance of the Services provided. Applicable sales taxes, regulatory fees, and tariffs will be added to Service invoices as appropriate. Customer agrees to pay in full the monthly invoiced amount including any regulatory fees, tariffs, and/or taxes which are applicable under local, state, or federal regulatory law. All Services and equipment must be purchased via valid credit or debit card at the time of purchase. By providing a valid credit or debit card, Customer is expressly authorizing all Services and equipment charges and fees to be charged to such payment card, including recurring payments billed on a monthly or annual basis. In addition, Customer’s provided credit card shall be used for any in-month purchases of additional services and products, or where Customer has exceeded usage or threshold limits, any overage charges. Recurring charges are billed to the credit or debit card associated with your Account monthly in advance for those Services and equipment in the following month. Credit and debit card payments are subject to the approval of the card issuer, and Accent will not be liable in any way if a card issuer refuses to accept a credit or debit card for any reason. Customer is responsible for any credit card chargeback or similar fees for refused or rejected payments that Accent is entitled to charge under this Agreement. If the payment card associated with Customer’s Account is declined or fails for any reason, Accent will send Customer a notice using the contact information associated with Customer’s Account. Accent may continue to attempt charging Customer’s payment card for outstanding charges and additional fees along with any other rights and remedies available to Accent under this Agreement, at law or in equity. A convenience fee will be added to all credit and debit card transactions.
2. TAXES & REGULATORY FEES: All rates, fees, and charges are exclusive of applicable Taxes, for which Customer is solely responsible. Taxes may vary based on jurisdiction and the Services provided. Taxes, access fees, universal service or other recovery fees, or similar charges will be adjusted on the date in which those increases become effective as mandated by competent authority. If any withholding tax is levied on the payments, then Customer must increase the sums paid to Accent so that the amount received by Accent after the withholding tax is deducted is the full amount Accent would have received if no withholding or deduction had been made.
3. DELINQUENT PAYMENT: If, for any reason, Customer’s account becomes more than thirty days past due, Accent shall reserve the right to add a late payment fee to the Customer’s monthly Service invoice. The late payment fee shall be calculated as two percent (2%) of the outstanding account balance at the time Customer’s account becomes considered past due.
4. SERVICE SUSPENSION: If, for any reason, Customer’s account becomes more than sixty (60) days past due, Accent reserves the right to suspend the Service. Service may resume once Customer’s outstanding account balance and any late payment fees are paid in full and Customer’s account is in good standing. Accent reserves the right to permanently cancel the Service after account becomes more than ninety days past due. Customer will be notified of account status and potential Service suspension or cancellation in writing via electronic mail no later than five (5) business days prior to suspension or cancellation. Upon Service suspension or cancellation, Accent shall be under no obligation to release or permit the porting of Customer telephone numbers until Customer’s outstanding account balance is paid in full and the provisions set forth in Section 2.8 are fully satisfied.
5. BILLING DISPUTES: If Customer reasonably and in good faith disputes any portion of Accent’s charges, it must provide written notice to Accent within thirty (30) days of the billing date, identifying the reason for the dispute and the amount being disputed. Customer’s dispute as to any portion of the billing statement will not excuse Customer’s obligation to timely pay the undisputed portion of the billing statement. Upon resolution, Customer must pay any unpaid amounts within thirty (30) days. Any amounts that are found to be in error resulting in an overpayment by the Customer will be applied as a billing credit against future charges.
CANCELLATION
1. EARLY CANCELLATION: Customer may cancel Services prior to the Service Term completion via providing written notice of early cancellation thirty (30) days prior to the desired early cancellation date and providing Accent one lump sum payment of one hundred percent (100%) of the remaining value of the Services to be provided. The remaining value of the Services shall be calculated as the monthly service price multiplied by the number of months remaining in the Service Term upon the date notification of early cancellation is received by Accent. Payment for early cancellation must be received in full prior to Services cancellation and release of Customer telephone numbers for porting. Upon Customer request for early cancellation of Service, Accent shall be under no obligation to release or permit the porting of Customer telephone numbers or to cancel the Services until Customer fully satisfies the terms of early cancellation set forth herein.
2. RENEWAL CANCELLATION: Customer may cancel the automatic renewal of Services via providing written notice of cancellation thirty (30) days prior to the then current Service Term completion and Renewal Term date. Upon cancellation of Service, Accent will discontinue the Services and any Accent owned resources installed in Customer’s offices shall be removed by Accent personnel. Upon Customer request for renewal cancellation, Accent shall be under no obligation to release or permit the porting of Customer telephone numbers until Customer’s account balance is paid in full and Customer’s account is in good standing.
3. SERVICE OUTAGE OR MAINTENANCE: A Service Outage, Emergency Maintenance, or Scheduled Maintenance is not an event which would entitle Customer to terminate this Agreement or the affected Services.
911 AND E-911 SERVICES
1. LIMITATIONS: The Service includes a 911 and/or enhanced 911 (“E-911”) function which may differ from the 911/E-911 function offered by other telecommunications providers. As such, it may have certain limitations. Customer acknowledges and accepts any limitations of 911/E-911.
2. CORRECT ADDRESS: In order for Customer’s 911/E-911 calls to be properly directed to emergency services, Accent must have Customer’s correct service location address. If Customer moves all or a portion of the Service to a different service location address without prior notice or approval from Accent, Customer’s 911/E-911 calls may be directed to the wrong emergency services authority, may transmit the wrong service location address, and/or fail altogether. Accordingly, Customer must contact Accent at least thirty (30) business days prior to moving all or any portion of the Service to a different service location address. Customer must receive approval from Accent to move the Service to a difference service location address. Failure to notify Accent of any changes in address will result in Accent reserving the right to bill Customer a one-time fee of $150.00 for each 911/E-911 call.
3. POWER OUTAGES: Customer understands and acknowledges that the Service uses electrical power at the Customer’s service location. If there is an electrical outage, 911/E-911 calling may be interrupted if there is no battery back-up installed, fails, or is exhausted. Further, 911/E-911 calls may not be completed if there is a problem with network facilities, including network congestions, problems caused by power outages, or another technical problem.
4. 911/E-911 INDEMNIFICATION: Customer acknowledges and agrees that neither Accent nor its associated parties shall be liable for any Service outage, inability to dial 911 using the Service, and/or inability to access emergency services. Customer agrees to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Accent and its associated parties from any and all claims, losses, damages, fines, penalties, costs, and expenses by, or on behalf of, Customer or any third party, or user of the service relating to the failure or outage of the service, including those related to 911/E-911.
USE OF THE SERVICE
1. SERVICE REQUIREMENTS: The Services are dependent upon Customer’s maintenance of sufficient Internet access, networks, and power as set forth in Exhibit B – Technical Sufficiency Criteria. Accent will not be responsible for any deficiencies in the provision of the Services if Customer’s network does not meet Accent’s Technical Sufficiency Criteria.
2. USE POLICY: Customer and its End Users may use the Services only in compliance with this Agreement, applicable Law, and the Acceptable Use Policy (“AUP”) referenced within Section 7.3, which are incorporated into and form part of this Agreement. Customer may not use, or permit the use of the Services, to interfere with the use of Accent’s service by others or with the operation of the Accent Network. Customer may not resell the Services. Customer must ensure that its End Users comply with the AUP. Any breach of the AUP will be deemed a material breach of this Agreement. Accent may update the AUP from time to time, such updates will become effective thirty (30) days after such notice to Customer.
  1. ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY: The Services must be used in accordance with the AUP, available at http://www.accentvoice.com/acceptable-use-policy. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, Accent may act immediately and without notice to suspend or limit the Services if Accent reasonably suspects fraudulent or illegal activity in the Customer’s Account, material breach of the AUP, or use of the Services that could interfere with the functioning of the Accent Network provided such suspension or limitation may only be to the extent reasonably necessary to protect against the applicable condition, activity, or use. Accent will promptly remove the suspension or limitation as soon as the condition, activity or use is resolved and mitigated in full. If Customer anticipates legitimate but unusual activity on its Account, Customer should contact Accent Support in advance to avoid any Service disruption. Accent may update the AUP from time to time, updates shall be available at http://www.accentvoice.com/acceptable-use-policy and will become effective thirty (30) days after posting.
  2. NUMBERING POLICY: The provision, use, and publication of numbers used in conjunction with the Services are governed by Accent’s Numbering Policy, available at https://www.accentvoice.com/numbering-policy. Accent may update the Numbering Policy from time to time, updates shall be available at https://www.accentvoice.com/numbering-policy and will become effective thirty (30) days after posting.
3. FRAUDULENT USE OF SERVICE: Customer is responsible for all charges attributable to Customer incurred respecting Service, even if incurred as the result of fraudulent or unauthorized use of Service by a representative, employee, contractor, agent, and Customer’s End User or by any third party. Service is available for lawful use only. Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, Accent may discontinue Service in the event that it determines, in its sole reasonable discretion, that Service is being used for any fraudulent, unauthorized or unlawful purpose or that Customer’s use thereof is interfering with any other person.
4. CONTENTS OF COMMUNICATIONS: Accent shall have no liability or responsibility for the content of any communications transmitted via the Service, or for Customer’s use thereof. Customer shall defend, indemnify and hold Accent harmless from any and all claims (including claims by governmental entities seeking to impose penal sanctions) relating to Customer’s use of Service. Customer agrees that it shall make no claim whatsoever against Accent relating to the content of the communications or respecting any information, product, service or software ordered through or provided by virtue of the Service. Only if and to the extent required by law or government regulation shall Accent regulate the contents of any communications over the Service.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
1. LIMITED LICENSE: Subject to, and conditional upon Customer’s compliance with, the terms of this Agreement, Accent grants to Customer and its End User, a limited, personal, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable (other than as permitted under this Agreement), non-sublicensable license to use any software provided or made available by Accent to the Customer as part of the Services (“Software”) to the extent reasonably required to use the Services as permitted by this Agreement, only for the duration that Customer is entitled to use the Services and subject to the Customer being current on its payment obligations. Customer will not, and will not allow its End Users, to: (a) Sublicense, resell, distribute or assign its right under the license granted under this Agreement to any other person or entity; (b) modify, adapt or create derivative works of the Software or any associated documentation; (c) reverse engineer, decompile, decrypt, disassemble or otherwise attempt to derive the source code for the Software; (d) use the Software for infringement analysis, benchmarking, or for any purpose other than as necessary to use the Services Customer is authorized to use; (e) create any competing Software or Services; or (f) remove any copyright or other proprietary or confidential notices on any Software or Services.
2. ACCENT’S RIGHTS: Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, the limited license granted to Customer under Section 8.1 does not convey any ownership or other rights or licenses, express or implied, in the Services, any related materials, or in any Intellectual Property and no IP Rights or other rights or licenses are granted, transferred, or assigned to Customer, any End User, or any other party by implication, estoppel, or otherwise. All rights not expressly granted herein are reserved and retained by Accent and its licensors. The Software and Services may comprise or incorporate services, software, technology or products developed or provided by third parties, including open source software or code. Customer acknowledges that misuse of Accent’s Services may violate third-party IP Rights.
3. CUSTOMER’S RIGHTS: As between Accent and Customer, Customer retains title to all IP Rights that are owned by the Customer or its suppliers. To the extent reasonably required or desirable for the provision of the Services, Customer grants to Accent a limited, personal, non-exclusive, royalty-free, license to use Customer’s IP Rights in the same. Customer must provide (and is solely responsible for providing) all required notices and obtaining all licenses, consents, authorizations or other approvals related to the use, reproduction, transmission, or receipt of any Customer Content that includes personal or Confidential Information or incorporates any third-party IP rights.
DATA PROTECTION
1. DATA PRIVACY: Accent respects Customer’s privacy and will only use the information provided by Customer to Accent or collected in the provision of the Services in accordance with: the Privacy Policy available at https://www.accentvoice.com/privacy-policy which is hereby incorporated by reference. Accent may update the Privacy Policy from time to time and will provide notice of any material updates to the Customer as required by applicable Laws at the email address on file with the Account. Such updates will be effective thirty (30) days after such notice to Customer.
2. DATA SECURITY: Accent will take commercially reasonable precautions, including, without limitation, technical (e.g., firewalls and data encryption), administrative and physical measures, to help safeguard Customer’s Account, Account Data, and Customer Content against unauthorized use, disclosure, or modification. Customer must protect all End Points using industry-standard security measures. Customer is solely responsible to keep all user identifications and passwords secure. Customer must monitor use of the Services for possible unlawful or fraudulent use. Customer must notify Accent immediately if Customer becomes aware or has reason to believe that the Services are being used fraudulently or without authorization by any End User or third party. Failure to notify Accent may result in the suspension or termination of the Services and additional charges to Customer resulting from such use. Accent will not be liable for any charges resulting from unauthorized use of Customer’s Account.
3. SOFTWARE CHANGES: Accent may from time-to-time push software updates and patches directly to Customer’s device(s) for installation and Customer will not prevent Accent from doing so. Customer must implement promptly all fixes, updates, upgrades and replacements of software and third-party software that may be provided by Accent. Accent will not be liable for inoperability of the Services or any other Services failures due to failure of Customer to timely implement the required changes.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
1. EXCLUDED DAMAGES: TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL EITHER PARTY OR ITS AFFILIATES BE LIABLE FOR (1) INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, REPUTATIONAL, SPECIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OF ANY KIND; (2) COSTS OF PROCUREMENT, COVER, OR SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; (3) LOSS OF USE, LOSS OR CORRUPTION OF DATA; OR (4) LOSS OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES, PROFITS, GOODWILL, OR SAVINGS, WHETHER IN ANY OF THE FOREGOING, ARISING UNDER CONTRACT, WARRANTY, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR STRICT LIABILITY), OR ANY OTHER THEORY OF LIABILITY, EVEN IF SUCH PARTY HAS BEEN INFORMED IN ADVANCE OF SUCH DAMAGES OR SUCH DAMAGES COULD HAVE BEEN REASONABLY FORESEEN. NEITHER PARTY WILL BE LIABLE FOR ACTIONS REASONABLY TAKEN TO COMPLY WITH LAW.
2. DIRECT DAMAGES: EXCEPT AS SET FORTH HEREIN, THE TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY OF THE PARTIES UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNTS PAID OR PAYABLE UNDER THIS AGREEMENT DURING THE PREVIOUS SIX (6) MONTHS. LIMITATIONS UNDER THIS SECTION WILL NOT APPLY TO: I) CUSTOMER PAYMENT OBLIGATIONS; II) EITHER PARTY’S LIABILITY FOR INFRINGEMENT OF THE OTHER PARTY’S IP RIGHTS; III) EITHER PARTY’S LIABILITY RESULTING FROM GROSS NEGLIGENCE, FRAUD, OR WILLFUL OR CRIMINAL MISCONDUCT; OR IV) CUSTOMER’S LIABILITY RESULTING FROM USE OF THE SERVICES IN BREACH OF THE AUP OF THIS AGREEMENT.
3. SURVIVAL: The limitations of liability contained in this Section will survive termination or expiration of this Agreement and apply in any and all circumstances (except as expressly set forth above), including without limitation in the event of any failure of the essential purpose of any limited warranty or available remedy provided herein.
INDEMNIFICATION
1. INDEMNIFICATION OBLIGATION: Customer agrees to indemnify and defend Accent and its Affiliates at Customer’s expense, from and against any and all third-party claims, arising out of or in connection with: i) material violation of applicable Law by the Customer or its End Users in connection with the use of the Services; ii) use of the Services in a manner not authorized by this Agreement; iii) failure to promptly install any updates of any software or firmware or accept or use modified or replacement items provided by or on behalf of Accent, or iv) claims relating to Customer Content. Further, Customer will indemnify and hold harmless Accent against all damages, costs, and legal fees finally awarded against Accent by a court of competent jurisdiction in connection with such third-party claim, or agreed to in a written settlement agreement approved in writing by the Customer.
2. DEFENSE AND INDEMNIFICATION PROCEDURE: Any Party seeking defense or indemnification (the “Indemnified Party”) must provide the Party from which it seeks such indemnification or defense (the “Indemnifying Party”) with the following: (a) prompt written notice of the third-party claim, (b) sole control over the defense and settlement of the third-party claim, and (c) reasonable information, cooperation, and assistance in connection with the defense and settlement of the third-party claim. The Indemnified Party’s failure to comply with the foregoing obligations will not relieve the Indemnifying Party of its defense or indemnification obligations under this Section (Indemnification), except to the extent that the Indemnifying Party is prejudiced by such failure. The Indemnified Party will have the right to participate at its own expense in the defense of such third-party claim, including any related settlement negotiations. No such claim may be settled or compromised by the Indemnifying Party without the Indemnified Party’s express written consent (which such consent may not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed), unless such settlement or compromise includes a full and complete release of all claims and actions against the Indemnified Party by each party bringing such third-party claim.
WARRANTIES
1. ACCENT WARRANTY: Accent will provide the Services using a commercially reasonable level of skill and care, in material compliance with all applicable Laws and otherwise subject to the terms of this Agreement. To the extent permitted by Law, Accent shall pass through to Customer any and all warranties Accent receives in connection with equipment provided to Customer.
2. CUSTOMER WARRANTY: Customer’s and its End Users’ use of the Services must at all times comply with all applicable Laws and this Agreement.
3. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: EXCEPT AS SPECIFICALLY SET FORTH IN THIS AGREEMENT AND TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” AND ACCENT MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT, QUIET ENJOYMENT, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND ANY WARRANTIES ARISING FROM A COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE IN TRADE, TOGETHER WITH SIMILAR WARRANTIES, WHETHER ARISING UNDER ANY LAW OR OTHERWISE. TO THE EXTENT THAT ACCENT CANNOT DISCLAIM ANY SUCH WARRANTY AS A MATTER OF APPLICABLE LAW, THE SCOPE AND DURATION OF SUCH WILL BE LIMITED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
ACCENT OBLIGATIONS
1. SERVICE GUARANTEES: The Services provided, and any guarantees associated, are subject to the to the terms and conditions defined within the Accent VoIP Service Level Agreement (“SLA”) available at https://www.accentvoice.com/service-level-agreement. Please refer to the SLA for details concerning Service guarantees, Service uptime, and Service credits. Execution of this Agreement signifies Customer acknowledgement, understanding, and acceptance of the terms and conditions described in the SLA.
2. SERVICE DESIGN OBLIGATIONS: Accent will provide a design of the overall Service based on the Order and Customer’s Service requirements with agreement on Service design, Service delivery, Service configuration, call routing and delivery, user roles and privileges, point of Customer demarcation, and hardware placement if necessary.
3. STANDARD BUSINESS HOURS SUPPORT: The professional services and support to be performed by Accent during Standard Business Hours include (a) management, administration, and maintenance of Service; (a) moves, adds, and changes (collectively, “MAC”) to Service required by Customer; (a) troubleshooting, diagnosis, and problem resolution of Service specific issues which are not the result of a service outage.
4. EMERGENCY BUSINESS HOURS SUPPORT: The professional services to be performed by Accent during Emergency Business Hours include troubleshooting and support for Service outages which are the direct result of errors or failures within the Accent Network.
5. SUPPORT FOR SYSTEMS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS AGREEMENT: Accent will not under this Agreement be held responsible for professional services including but not limited to management, maintenance, troubleshooting, or support of Customer systems or services not included in this Agreement or any Order(s). Any professional services provided by Accent for systems or services which are not provided as part of the Service will be billed outside of this Agreement.
6. TERMINATION OF THIRD-PARTY SERVICES AND SYSTEMS: Accent will not under this Agreement be held responsible for the termination and/or disconnection of any third-party services or systems. Disconnection and termination of all third-party services and systems shall be the sole responsibility of the Customer.
CUSTOMER OBLIGATIONS
1. SERVICE COMPATIBILITY: Customer is responsible for ensuring compatibility, installation, and maintenance of equipment and systems provided by Customer with the interface equipment and Services provided by Accent and/or sanctioned by Accent.
2. PUBLICITY AND LOGO USAGE: Customer grants to Accent at Accent’s discretion: the ability to (a) identify the Customer as a Customer of Accent, (b) hyperlink from an appropriate area within Accent’s web site to the Customer’s home page; and (c) display the Customer’s logo on the Accent web site (in accordance with the Customer’s guidelines) for the use of such mark.
3. HARDWARE DAMAGE: Damage or defects to Accent owned hardware provided by Accent and located at Customer owned or operated facilities which are a result of Customer personnel misuse or abuse, user error, power fluctuations due to unstable operating conditions, lightning damage, water damage, “Acts of Nature”, and “Acts of God” (collectively “Hardware Damage”) shall be the financial responsibility of Customer.
4. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS: Customer shall be required to comply with the terms set forth in Exhibit B – Technical Sufficiency Criteria in order to ensure proper Service delivery and function.
MISCELLANEOUS
1. AUTHORITY TO BIND: Each party represents to the other that it has full organizational power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly and validly authorized by all necessary organizational action.
2. REGULATORY AND LEGAL CHANGES: In the event of any condemnation or exercise of the right of eminent domain, change in applicable law, regulation, decision, rule or order that materially increases or decreases the costs or other terms of delivery of Service, as determined by Accent, Accent and Customer will negotiate in good faith to assure the rates to be charged to Customer reflect such increase or decrease in cost. In the event the parties are unable to reach agreement respecting new rates within thirty days after Accent’s delivery of a change of law written notice, then (a) Accent may pass such increased or decreased costs through to Customer, and (b) Customer may terminate the affected Agreement without termination liability by delivering written notice of termination no later than thirty (30) days after the effective date of the rate increase.
3. FORCE MAJEURE: Neither party is liable for any failure of performance nor shall any credit allowance or other remedy be extended, for any failure of performance due to any cause or causes beyond such party’s reasonable control, including without limitation, acts of God, fire, explosion, vandalism, cable cut, adverse weather conditions, war, revolution, civil commotion, acts of public enemies, terrorism or national emergency, governmental action or inaction (such acts including without limitation any regulatory or administrative decisions making said performance or obligation economically or technically infeasible); labor difficulties, failure of any third party (including any other carrier or supplier) to provide services, facilities or equipment required for such performance or obligation (or any other act or omission by said third party). Either party’s invocation of this clause shall not relieve Customer of its obligation to pay for any Services actually provided to the Customer. In the event Accent is unable to deliver Service for seven consecutive days as a result of any force majeure events, Customer shall not be obligated to pay Accent for the affected Service for so long as Accent is unable to deliver; provided, however, that the Service Term of such Service shall be extended for the period of time that the force majeure event continues.
4. AGREEMENT AMENDMENT: This Agreement may be amended only if agreed upon in writing and signed by both Customer and Accent. Neither Customer nor Accent have any formal obligation to amend this Agreement once signed and accepted.
5. ENTIRE AGREEMENT: This Agreement and any Exhibits or Schedules attached hereto or to be attached hereto, constitute the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all prior negotiations, understandings, and agreements with respect hereto, whether oral or written.
6. DISPUTE LIMITATIONS: Except for actions for non-payment or liability arising from Section 4, no claim, suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement may be brought by either Party more than two (2) years after the cause of action has accrued. Any actions, lawsuits, or proceedings must be conducted solely on an individual basis and the Parties expressly waive any right to bring any action, lawsuit or proceeding as a class or collective action, private attorney general action or in any other capacity acting in a representative capacity.
7. SURVIVAL: The rights and obligations of either Party that by their nature would continue beyond the expiration or termination of this Agreement or a Order will survive expiration or termination of this Agreement or the Order, including without limitation payment obligations, warranty disclaimers, indemnities, limitations of liability, definitions and miscellaneous.
8. GOVERNING LAW AND BINDING EFFECT: This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the validity and performances hereof shall be governed by the laws of the State of Ohio. The exclusive venue for all cases or disputes related to or arising out of this agreement shall be the state and federal courts in Franklin County, Ohio. This Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of each of the Parties and their successors and permitted assigns.

Exhibit A – Fair Use Policy

“Unlimited” calling plans are subject to a fair usage limit of 3,000 minutes per user per month. As an example, a Customer with 20 total users would be subject to a total Fair Usage amount of 60,000 minutes per month. Once this limit is met, the normal published per-minute Accent calling rates will apply for any additional minutes used, this rate is generally $.02 per minute.

Forwarded Calls/Find-Me/Follow-Me Calls: Minutes consumed during a Forwarded Call or Find-Me/Follow-Me Call will consume twice as many minutes as you are talking on the phone. This is due to there being two legs of the call you are responsible for (the call to your landline or mobile phone and the call connecting the other party).

Conference Calls: Minutes consumed during a Conference Call will be calculated by multiplying the number of parties on the call by the number of minutes of the call.

“Unlimited” SMS text messaging plans are intended for person-to-person text messaging only and are not intended for large one-to-many or man-to-many group distribution or mass campaign distributions. Accent may, at its sole discretion, limit SMS text messaging services if it identifies Customer’s use of this service violates this Fair Use Policy.

“Unlimited” E-Fax plans are intended for individual one-to-one faxing only and are not intended for large one-to-many or many-to-many group fax distribution or mass faxing campaign distributions. Accent may, at its sole discretion, limit E-Fax services if it identifies Customer’s use of this service violates this Fair Use Policy.

Accent reserves the right to change this Fair Use Policy at any time. Changes shall become effective within thirty (30) days of publication of the revised version available on https://www.accentvoice.com/fair-use-policy. Your continued use of your Services and calling plan after expiry of the 30-day period shall constitute your acceptance to be bound by the terms and conditions of the revised Fair Use Policy.

Exhibit B – Technical Sufficiency Criteria

Use of Accent’s products and services (collectively, “Services”) is dependent on meeting these Technical Sufficiency Criteria. These Technical Sufficiency Criteria are incorporated into and made a part of the applicable Service Agreement.

INTERNET SERVICES

The Services require a properly-configured, high performance, enterprise-grade broadband IP network and connection. Use of the Services with any network, services, or connection not compatible with the Services may result in partial or complete unavailability, interruption, or underperformance of the Services or other services utilizing the same network, services, or connection. Likewise, 2G, 3G, or LTE networks are not recommended for use with the Services. Customer will provide and maintain, at its own cost, an IP network, services, and connection meeting the foregoing standard and all equipment necessary for the Services to connect to and use such network, services, and connection.

Accent will not under any circumstances provide support for Internet Service or be held responsible for Services quality issues, call quality issues, or voice quality issues as a result of Internet Service provided to Customer via third party Internet Service Providers (“ISP”). Services outages, interruptions, errors, and call quality impairments which are a result of ISP service issues, errors, or service interruptions are the sole responsibility of Customer. Upon a Services outage or Services error as a result of an ISP outage or Internet Service degradation, Accent will verify Accent Services are operational and inform Customer of the then-current operational status.

In the event Customer Internet Service is not adequate enough to ensure reasonable and reliable Services delivery, Customer shall be responsible for any required upgrades or modifications to the Customer’s Internet Services including any costs which Customer incurs associated with these requirements.

LOCAL AND WIDE AREA NETWORK

The Services may require configuration of Customer-owned wide area network (“WAN”) and local area network (“LAN”) equipment to ensure proper and reliable delivery of Services. Customer LAN equipment must be capable of providing Ethernet based access and power to Customer VoIP telephones and endpoints. Customer physical cabling infrastructure of Category 5 or better and capable of supporting local VoIP communication where all VoIP phones are required must be provided by Customer.

Accent will not under any circumstances provide support for Customer LAN and WAN functionality or be held responsible for Services quality issues, call quality issues, or voice quality issues as a result of LAN or WAN based issues or errors. Services outages, interruptions, errors, and call quality impairments which are a result of LAN or WAN issues, errors, or interruptions are the sole responsibility of Customer. Upon a Services outage or Services error as a result of a LAN or WAN based outage, Accent will verify Accent Services are operational and inform Customer of the then-current Accent Services operational status.

Third-party professional services which may be required and any costs Customer incurs via Customer’s Support Personnel, hardware upgrade expenses, or third-parties to comply with the standards and requirements set forth herein shall be the sole responsibility of the Customer.

Exhibit C – Definitions

“Accent Network” means the network and supporting facilities between and among the Accent points of presence (“PoP(s)”), up to and including the interconnection point between the Accent network and facilities, and the public Internet, private IP networks, and the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The Accent Network does not include the public Internet, a Customer’s own private network, or the PSTN.
“Account” means the numbered account established with Accent and associated with Customer and the Services provided to Customer under this Agreement. For billing and convenience purposes, multiple services or End Users may be included in a single billing account, and/or a single Customer may have multiple billing accounts encompassing different geographic locations, business units, or other designations as requested by Customer and accepted by Accent.
“Affiliate(s)” means a person or entity that is controlled by a Party hereto, controls a Party hereto, or is under common control with a Party hereto, and “control” means beneficial ownership of great than fifty percent (50%) of an entity’s then-outstanding voting securities or ownership interests.
“Concurrent Call Path” means as a single 2-way concurrent call session to the Public Switched Telephone Network provided via the Service and includes caller ID and local and long distance calling within the continental United States and Canada.
“Customer Content” means the content of calls, facsimiles, SMS messages, voicemails, voice recordings, shared files, conferences or other communications transmitted or stored through the Services.
“Emergency Business Hours” shall be defined as Monday – Friday, 5PM – 8AM EST and Saturday – Sunday 12AM – 12PM, EST.
“Emergency Maintenance” means any maintenance necessary to preserve or protect the integrity of the Accent Network and the delivered Services, or if maintenance is not performed promptly could result in Service degradation or loss of Service to Customer, its End Users, or other users of Accent’s Services.
“End Point” means an application or device through which any End User might access and/or use any of the Services, including without limitation IP Desk Phones, Desktop Clients, Web Clients, Mobile Applications, and Software Integrations.
“End User” means an individual user to whom Customer makes the Service available, and may be a natural person, and may include but is not limited to Customer’s employees, consultants, Customers, external users, invitees, contractors and agents.
“Intellectual Property Rights” or “IP Rights” means all common law and statutory rights (whether registered or unregistered, or recorded or unrecorded, regardless of method) arising out of or associated with: (a) patents and patent applications, inventions, industrial designs, discoveries, business methods, and processes; (b) copyrights and copyright registrations, and “moral” rights; (c) the protection of trade and industrial secrets and Confidential Information; (d) other proprietary rights relating to intangible property; (e) trademarks, trade names and service marks; (f) a person’s name, likeness, voice, photograph or signature, including without limitation rights of personality, privacy, and publicity; (g) analogous rights to those set forth above; and (h) divisions, continuations, continuations-in-part, renewals, reissuances and extensions of the foregoing (as applicable).
“Law” means any law, statute, regulation, rule, ordinance, administrative guidance, treaty or convention, or court or administrative order or ruling of any governing Federal, State, local or non-U.S. governmental body with jurisdiction over the Services.
“Order(s)” means a request or order for Service describing the type and quantity of Services required by Customer and submitted and accepted by the Parties in accordance with Section 3.1 (Service Ordering). The Order may be presented and executed physically or by contemporary means of electronic signature.
“Service(s)” means all services provided under this Agreement, and set forth in one or more Order(s).
“Service Delivery Date” means the date of initial delivery of the Services by Accent to Customer.
“Service Outage” means an interruption or degradation of Service below industry specifications for the affected Service.
“Service Term” means the length of time in months in which Accent shall deliver the Services based on the Accent provided and Customer executed Order, including both the Initial Term and any Renewal Term(s).
“Standard Business Hours” shall be defined as Monday – Friday, 8AM – 5PM EST.
“VoIP” means Voice over Internet Protocol, a transmission protocol used to deliver voice communication services via the Internet.