RE: [IMail Forum] Cross-grade concerns addressed

[Mike Odryna]

Microsoft has been criticized for forcing you to use a product that would eliminate the competition.  Internet Explorer versus Netscape how about  (Symantec versus. Declude)   But in the end I can still get support for Win98SE.   Mike From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Matt Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2004 6:36 PM To: Mike Odryna Subject: Re: [IMail Forum] Cross-grade concerns addressed Jill Jones wrote: If you have a current Service Agreement for IMail or IIM, and are not interested in crossgrading to ICS, you will receive service for the life of your SA.  This means that when we release software updates, such as 8.14, 8.15, etc., you will get those updates just as you always have.  You will also continue to receive phone support for the life of your agreement.  Ipswitch is not taking anything away in terms of service or support for the current product. What kind of crack did you bring with you from Lotus to Ipswitch?  Whatever it is, your customers aren't smoking it as well, and this stuff just doesn't cut the cake. Minor version updates have always been free, and Ipswitch has never come up with a dot-one release after a new full version was released.  What this says is that service agreement holders now only get support for a dead product version.  What you don't get now are the major version releases, which is the key to the damn agreement. You are now selling the same product, but you are just simply bundling it together with a very expensive virus scanning engine and add-ons for instant messaging and collaboration that are rarely sought after by your customers (why would we be using IMail if we wanted these things in the first place).  This isn't a "cross-grade", it's the cancellation of service agreements with forced repurchase and unwanted bundling of bloatware. I hope Ipswitch gets sued for forcing the repurchase of software covered under service agreements, and I hope that whoever the genius is that devised this shaft, whether it is you or otherwise, gets fired :) It really doesn't matter to me anyway because I just saved $495 from renewing my service agreement and I refuse to do business with a company that treats their customers like this.  A quick about face and some firings might change my mind, but I don't think Ipswitch could get rid of enough of their upper management to please me considering that most probably went along with something so contrary to their customer's needs. Matt