Alan, Maybe it is just me... but....
"Open beta" should not require me to get "approved" by the vendor. I should be able to go to their web site (like here: http://www.bmc.com/beta_program/public/available_betas.cfm) and get the software. Oh look... it is not just me.... Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_test#Beta " Developers release either a closed beta or an open beta; closed beta versions are released to a select group of individuals for a user test, while open betas are to a larger community group, usually the general public. The testers report any bugs that they found and sometimes minor features they would like to see in the final version. " But the article does go on to say this too... " When a beta becomes available to the general public it is often widely used by the technologically savvy and those familiar with previous versions as though it were the finished product. Usually developers of freeware or open-source betas release them to the general public while proprietary betas go to a relatively small group of testers. Recipients of highly proprietary betas may have to sign a non-disclosure agreement. A release is called feature complete when the product team agrees that functional requirements of the system are met and no new features will be put into the release, but significant software bugs may still exist. Companies with a formal software process will tend to enter the beta period with a list of known bugs that must be fixed to exit the beta period, and some companies make this list available to customers and testers. " So I guess what BMC means by "Open beta" must be more along the lines of the "proprietary beta" process. Which really sounds like a "closed beta" to me. (AKA: "released to a select group of individuals for a user test") Maybe they will someday make the switch to an open beta and use their entire customer/partner base. Maybe they could do that in the form of a "Patch" site download? That should keep the faint of heart and the "non-paying customers" out of the beta. Shrug. I asked my sales rep to be included in the beta... then he left the company. So I guess my request to be in the Alpha/beta likely left with him. I is simply "to hard" to know when and how to request access to a closed beta. FWIW: In a very general way, I have these thoughts on "Beta testing programs" from any software manufacturer: I think the "benefits" of the closed beta programs are so limited to almost be "self fulling prophesy" for the company. If you only ask your customers that only use your OOB applications and they only test your OOB applications, then the company has a good shot at being able to do that same testing in Alpha and knowing the results before the beta starts. But that also means that you learned almost nothing by expending all of those resource outsourcing (to the customer) the testing that you have already done internally. However, if all of the existing customers were to test what they do with the product, then the company is likely to not have tested all of the strange and special ways that those crazy customers out there end up making the product fit that square hole problem. And trust me the crazy customers want/need to test the next version because they know that they are pushing the envelope of the product and are on the (often) bleeding edge of the tech. So those testers are more likely to participate than the "just OOB" customers anyway. However those crazy customers will likely result in more known issues/bugs and a decrease in customer confidence due to the well known broken state of the next version. That hurts sales of the new version and thus hurts the company. So the company decides to keep the beta testers more "exclusive" to avoid the pain points and to try to keep the customers "happy with the non-existent experience" instead of "satisfied with the quality of the product that they used in the testing program". But maybe it is just me..... Maybe some day when I am running my own software company.... :) -- Carey Matthew Black Remedy Skilled Professional (RSP) ARS = Action Request System(Remedy) Love, then teach Solution = People + Process + Tools Fast, Accurate, Cheap.... Pick two. On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 3:09 PM, Alan Blake <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > ** > > The open BETA started beginning of Sept. You can send an inquiry here > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Alan <snip> > ----- Original Message ---- > From: Alan Blake <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Thursday, October 9, 2008 12:26:58 PM > Subject: Re: AR System 7.5 > > ** > > The BETA test is still underway. I understood they are targeting early next > year. > > Alan _______________________________________________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE or access ARSlist Archives at www.arslist.org Platinum Sponsor: www.rmsportal.com ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are"
