Re: Informix Support? (long winded venting)
In article <6intmn$bak$1@news.xmission.com>, Dan_Weeks@agsea.com writes > > > > > >Here, here. > >Oh, if I only had six hours and a few beers I could share my >stories..................... > >My troubles begin with the annual maintenance renewals. Our maintenance >ends December 31 of each year but still are not complete for 1998. Five >months late!! I think they are going for a record. Last year the >maintenance didn't get paid until April. I was able to finally get >accurate billing for our development licenses just 2 weeks ago so our >support is not in jeopardy, but I still have two RT licenses outstanding. > >We have also experienced a problem with calling for an upgrade of an >existing product. Informix in there finite wisdom will at that point cease >support on the license you have called in to upgrade and automatically >update your records to indicate the new license number. This does sound >like a handy way of processing your request for the upgrade unless your >system crashes BEFORE you receive the new license number to call in with. >This has happened more then once in this shop. > ??? YOu mean when you ask for the serial number? In that case don't ask until you actaully install it.. >Informix also takes the standpoint when you call that if you don't have the >most current license number you don't get to play. This issue is truly a >sore subject with me. We have several upgrades that were ordered (before I >was hired) but never applied due to program dependencies and the lack of >programmers to test the applications on a newer version of Informix. Since >we are the ones paying good money for this support we should not have to go >through an interrogation process to obtain the support that we have already ??? Why order when you have nop=one to test. You normally received an ordered product within one month of ordering. What happened everyone leave within a month? Why can't you upgrade :- a) A development system can be upgraded as testing will catch any problems. b_ A customers test system can be upgraded for the same reason. c) A customers live system should not be upgrade until the test system has been upgraded Where is the problem? >paid for. You then get sent over to customer (dis)service to resolve the >problem. This often feels like being in the third grade and being sent to >the principals office. It leaves me feeling like a monkey humping a >football. > ??? Oh yes! great imagery. >I strongly believe that Informix has to begin using a new philosophy with >there maintenance and support. The number of man hours that get wasted Yes, enforcing it and no letting people get away with unlicensed software.. >each year supporting this pathetic, inefficient accounting system is a >strain on our relations with Informix. There is much more important things >I could be doing with my time. > >I know that someone at Informix will read this, but fear it will fall on >deaf ears. > As it should, where is the problem? Remember Informix versions are backward compatible with decently written software. We have had few problems and nothing that was not caught during testing.. >Dan - > > > > > >jlumbley@netcom.com on 05/05/98 08:35:38 AM > >Please respond to jlumbley@netcom.com > >To: informix-list@iiug.org >cc: (bcc: Dan Weeks/AGInc) >Subject: Informix Support? > > > > > >Is anyone else having a difficult time getting Support >to deliver services? Over the years, I've come to >expect to have to haggle and scream at the first-level >support folks, just to get them to admit/recognize that >I'm a support customer and that my systems are under support. >By now, I don't even get bothered enough to make an >issue of it. >Today I got a call from one of my flagship customers, who >touts my company's and Informix's products in seminars and >tradeshows around the country. They're threatening to jump >ship because every time they've called for support in the >last year, they've had to do a goat dance to prove that they are >supported. Informix seems to have one hell of a time tracking and >validating their Support contracts. >As my customer said, "I've called IBM for support for ten years. >Each time, I just give them my customer number and I never have any trouble >getting to a technical person. With Informix, I waste as much time >with the accounting bullshit as I do with the technical stuff. It's >just not worth it." >It seems to me that the crux of the problem is Informix's poor system >of managing renewals of support contracts. Anybody else with the same >issues? >Joe >-- >--------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Joe Lumbley(jlumbley@netcom.com) author of: "INFORMIX DBA Survival Guide" >Slaving away on "INFORMIX DEBUGGERS Survival Guide", available early 1998 >from Prentice Hall/Informix Press. If you have debugging tips, tools, or >ideas to share, please send me some e-mail. >--------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > > -- David Williams Maintainer of the Informix FAQ Primary site (Beta Version) http://www.smooth1.demon.co.uk Official site http://www.iiug.org/techinfo/faq/faq_top.html I see you standin', Standin' on your own, It's such a lonely place for you, For you to be If you need a shoulder, Or if you need a friend, I'll be here standing, Until the bitter end... So don't chastise me Or think I, I mean you harm... All I ever wanted Was for you To know that I care