On Thu, 5 Mar 2009, Longnecker, Dennis wrote: > In the 1980's and 1990's if we wanted the ability to access IBM's > support center online, we had to pay extra and subscribe to something > called S/390 Resolve. We had to pay extra for every user that wanted > it. We could call in for free, but if we wanted online access, it was > extra. > > In the 2000's I am still getting these bills. Is this still the norm > with IBM; that is if you want online access to PMR's and SIS you need to > pay extra? In today's model, it seems backwards and they would charge > extra for using the phone and using online should be free. > > Thanks, > Dennis
We pay for it. And pay, and pay, and pay ... It is normal to pay for online support, even in the FOSS area. I agree that it seems weird to need to pay for something which should actually cost less than "real time" voice communications. My example: I can call IBM and request PTF tapes. This is "built into" the costs of z/OS and the other program products. But if I want to use ShopzSeries, upload my CSIs, then download a consolidated set of PTFs, I need to pay. But the latter is totally automated. It just proves that you don't pay based on anything other than what the vendor thinks that they can get away with. Even if the historical method actually costs more. Business makes no sense to me. -- Q: What do theoretical physicists drink beer from? A: Ein Stein. Maranatha! John McKown ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
