Re: Passport Advantage
Not a technical issue but a gripe thread about IBM's Passport Advantage software distribution. Colin Bull received a box of 232 CDs that contained no copy of the IDS 9.4 upgrade he'd ordered. Others chimed in with similar complaints: one was told PA customers must download everything, including docs; European users found the Irish distribution arm slow (media shipped via London, three weeks); another spent over a year getting his licensed products posted to his PA customer page, with Informix and PA each blaming the other. That access problem was eventually fixed, but duplicate customer numbers remained; no general resolution is recorded.
Auto-generated by DrWatson from the posts below — may be imperfect; read the full thread.
At least you got a box of something. I was told that because we were under Passport Advantage, we had to download everything -- including documentation. Walt. "Colin Bull" <c.bull@videonetworks.com> wrote in message news:bejvpo$5mn$1@terabinaries.xmission.com... > > Today was our big day. The order has gone through for > Passport Advantage including upgrade to IDS 9.4. > > Big box arrives. Hands sweating ... > > Open it up. Loads and loads of CD roms. 232 to be precise. > Guess how many were IDS 9.4. > > Clue - < 1 > > Is this a big hint that someone wants us to evaluate DB2 ? > > Colin Bull > c.bull@videonetworks.com > sending to informix-list -- Walt Hultgren Manager, Information Technology Yerkes Research Center of Emory University Mailto:walt@rmy.emory.edu -- 404-727-0648
In fact, here, the converse applies here. The distribution organisation in Ireland are very slow. We often order stuff for customers and say "Just issue the licences; we already have the media", or ask them to provide the software via ftp .... but they simply cannot or will not do it, and add inordinate delay to the ordering process. "Walt Hultgren" <walt@rmy.emory.edu> wrote in message news:bekd18$sli$1@puck.cc.emory.edu... > At least you got a box of something. I was told that because we were under > Passport Advantage, we had to download everything -- including > documentation. > > Walt. > > "Colin Bull" <c.bull@videonetworks.com> wrote in message > news:bejvpo$5mn$1@terabinaries.xmission.com... > > > > Today was our big day. The order has gone through for > > Passport Advantage including upgrade to IDS 9.4. > > > > Big box arrives. Hands sweating ... > > > > Open it up. Loads and loads of CD roms. 232 to be precise. > > Guess how many were IDS 9.4. > > > > Clue - < 1 > > > > Is this a big hint that someone wants us to evaluate DB2 ? > > > > Colin Bull > > c.bull@videonetworks.com > > sending to informix-list > > -- > Walt Hultgren > Manager, Information Technology > Yerkes Research Center of Emory University > Mailto:walt@rmy.emory.edu -- 404-727-0648 > >
Same here. It has taken over a year-- yes, in excess of 365 days, for IBM to post the correct products (the ones we have licensed) to our Passport Advantage Customer Site page. In the mean time, IBM Informix insisted we needed to get software from PA, and PA thought it was an IBM Informix problem. Over the year, we have spoken or contacted over a dozen IBM folks (including our sales rep) in about half a dozen locations across the U.S. As the warden in Cool Hand Luke said, "What we've got here, is failure to communicate." Just to be fair.. the product access problems seem to be solved, only the multiple customer numbers remain. I am not optomistic. DG "Walt Hultgren" <walt@rmy.emory.edu> wrote in message news:bekd18$sli$1@puck.cc.emory.edu... > At least you got a box of something. I was told that because we were under > Passport Advantage, we had to download everything -- including > documentation. > > Walt. > > "Colin Bull" <c.bull@videonetworks.com> wrote in message > news:bejvpo$5mn$1@terabinaries.xmission.com... > > > > Today was our big day. The order has gone through for > > Passport Advantage including upgrade to IDS 9.4. > > > > Big box arrives. Hands sweating ... > > > > Open it up. Loads and loads of CD roms. 232 to be precise. > > Guess how many were IDS 9.4. > > > > Clue - < 1 > > > > Is this a big hint that someone wants us to evaluate DB2 ? > > > > Colin Bull > > c.bull@videonetworks.com > > sending to informix-list > > -- > Walt Hultgren > Manager, Information Technology > Yerkes Research Center of Emory University > Mailto:walt@rmy.emory.edu -- 404-727-0648 > >
"David E. Grove" <david_grove@correct.state.ak.us> wrote in message news:vgrmm7mjt1t885@corp.supernews.com... > > Over the year, we have spoken or contacted over a dozen IBM folks (including > our sales rep) in about half a dozen locations across the U.S. > > As the warden in Cool Hand Luke said, "What we've got here, is failure to > communicate." > Guns n Roses said it ... "What we've got here is failure to communicate some men you just can't reach so you get what we had here last week which is the way he wants it well, he gets it n'I don't like it any more than you men" "My hands are tied the billions shift from side to side" What has your Informix Account Manager had to say on the subject? > Just to be fair.. the product access problems seem to be solved, only the > multiple customer numbers remain. I am not optomistic. > > DG > > > "Walt Hultgren" <walt@rmy.emory.edu> wrote in message > news:bekd18$sli$1@puck.cc.emory.edu... > > At least you got a box of something. I was told that because we were > under > > Passport Advantage, we had to download everything -- including > > documentation. > > > > Walt. > > > > "Colin Bull" <c.bull@videonetworks.com> wrote in message > > news:bejvpo$5mn$1@terabinaries.xmission.com... > > > > > > Today was our big day. The order has gone through for > > > Passport Advantage including upgrade to IDS 9.4. > > > > > > Big box arrives. Hands sweating ... > > > > > > Open it up. Loads and loads of CD roms. 232 to be precise. > > > Guess how many were IDS 9.4. > > > > > > Clue - < 1 > > > > > > Is this a big hint that someone wants us to evaluate DB2 ? > > > > > > Colin Bull > > > c.bull@videonetworks.com > > > sending to informix-list > > > > -- > > Walt Hultgren > > Manager, Information Technology > > Yerkes Research Center of Emory University > > Mailto:walt@rmy.emory.edu -- 404-727-0648 > > > > > >
Neil Truby wrote: > > In fact, here, the converse applies here. > > The distribution organisation in Ireland are very slow. That is very non-controversial, Ireland go out of their way to make life difficult. I have a customer in Ireland that can see the IBM site that publishes/releases the software but they had to sent it to us via London so we could send it back. Only took 3 weeks!!! Now DB2 I can get the following day. > We often order > stuff for customers and say "Just issue the licences; we already have the > media", or ask them to provide the software via ftp .... but they simply > cannot or will not do it, and add inordinate delay to the ordering process. > > "Walt Hultgren" <walt@rmy.emory.edu> wrote in message > news:bekd18$sli$1@puck.cc.emory.edu... > > At least you got a box of something. I was told that because we were > under > > Passport Advantage, we had to download everything -- including > > documentation. > > > > Walt. > > > > "Colin Bull" <c.bull@videonetworks.com> wrote in message > > news:bejvpo$5mn$1@terabinaries.xmission.com... > > > > > > Today was our big day. The order has gone through for > > > Passport Advantage including upgrade to IDS 9.4. > > > > > > Big box arrives. Hands sweating ... > > > > > > Open it up. Loads and loads of CD roms. 232 to be precise. > > > Guess how many were IDS 9.4. > > > > > > Clue - < 1 > > > > > > Is this a big hint that someone wants us to evaluate DB2 ? > > > > > > Colin Bull > > > c.bull@videonetworks.com > > > sending to informix-list > > > > -- > > Walt Hultgren > > Manager, Information Technology > > Yerkes Research Center of Emory University > > Mailto:walt@rmy.emory.edu -- 404-727-0648 > > > > -- Paul Watson # Oninit Ltd # Growing old is mandatory Tel: +44 1436 672201 # Growing up is optional Fax: +44 1436 678693 # Mob: +44 7818 003457 # www.oninit.com #
He has been "in the loop" the whole time. He worked on the problem a lot, and apologized a lot. He tried, but he couldn't seem to get any support. IBM just seems unable to get the right hand to coordinate with the left hand. DG "David Williams" <djw@smooth1.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message news:bekpi7$g15$1@news8.svr.pol.co.uk... > > "David E. Grove" <david_grove@correct.state.ak.us> wrote in message > news:vgrmm7mjt1t885@corp.supernews.com... > > > > Over the year, we have spoken or contacted over a dozen IBM folks > (including > > our sales rep) in about half a dozen locations across the U.S. > > > > As the warden in Cool Hand Luke said, "What we've got here, is failure to > > communicate." > > > > Guns n Roses said it ... > > "What we've got here is failure to communicate > some men you just can't reach > so you get what we had here last week > which is the way he wants it > well, he gets it > n'I don't like it any more than you men" > > "My hands are tied > the billions shift from side to side" > > What has your Informix Account Manager had to say on the subject? > > > > > Just to be fair.. the product access problems seem to be solved, only the > > multiple customer numbers remain. I am not optomistic. > > > > DG > > > > > > "Walt Hultgren" <walt@rmy.emory.edu> wrote in message > > news:bekd18$sli$1@puck.cc.emory.edu... > > > At least you got a box of something. I was told that because we were > > under > > > Passport Advantage, we had to download everything -- including > > > documentation. > > > > > > Walt. > > > > > > "Colin Bull" <c.bull@videonetworks.com> wrote in message > > > news:bejvpo$5mn$1@terabinaries.xmission.com... > > > > > > > > Today was our big day. The order has gone through for > > > > Passport Advantage including upgrade to IDS 9.4. > > > > > > > > Big box arrives. Hands sweating ... > > > > > > > > Open it up. Loads and loads of CD roms. 232 to be precise. > > > > Guess how many were IDS 9.4. > > > > > > > > Clue - < 1 > > > > > > > > Is this a big hint that someone wants us to evaluate DB2 ? > > > > > > > > Colin Bull > > > > c.bull@videonetworks.com > > > > sending to informix-list > > > > > > -- > > > Walt Hultgren > > > Manager, Information Technology > > > Yerkes Research Center of Emory University > > > Mailto:walt@rmy.emory.edu -- 404-727-0648 > > > > > > > > > > > >
"David E. Grove" <david_grove@correct.state.ak.us> wrote in message news:vgtua6ombp8b97@corp.supernews.com... > He has been "in the loop" the whole time. > > He worked on the problem a lot, and apologized a lot. He tried, but he > couldn't seem to get any support. IBM just seems unable to get the right > hand to coordinate with the left hand. And we can take a pretty good guess at which activity the right hand is engaged in ....