On 5/10/07, Dave Taylor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Chuck,
<Stepping up on my soap box>
I suspect I'll end up on mine before this post is done, so I might as
well say so up front too.
As I have said before on this subject, "you never get a second chance to
make a good first impression".
I once spoke with a representative of another mv database who bragged that
they got over 2000 downloads of their eval. product per month.
When I asked him, "how many sales did you make", he had no clue.
If I download an eval copy of something and it doesn't work for me, do you
think I'm doing to say "Well, Self, this is really a good product, but
you're too stupid to figure out how to make it work"?
What we really *don't* need is 2000 downloads a month that result in 2000
disgruntled people who experimented with the product and concluded that *the
product* doesn't work!
NOTE TO IBM: this is the *last* place you want to refuse to provide product
technical support - *as you do today*.
This is our *first* chance to make a good first impression, and we're not
going to get another one.
This is where I think there could be a disconnect between teh goals of
IBM and the goals of the U2UG. I would be happy if this were not the
case, however, so just clarifying with IBM might be helpful.
I have no reason to believe that IBM is eager to attract end-customers
(non-VARs) to U2 and almost as little reason to believe that they want
to put any effort into attracting new VARs. Even those converting
from other Pick vendors (D3, jBASE, Revelation, OpenQM, UniVision)
might be of only ho-hum interest unless they are huge (and I think IBM
knows whether they have most of the huge ones already or not).
So, if the U2UG is trying to address any of those audiences, I am not
at all convinced that the support needed to "close the deal" with
anyone downloading the PE edition, however souped up it might be, will
be there.
Dave is right that having no support for those using PE is backwards.
Then if the users of the PE edition get that far, see if these folks
can figure out how to get pricing on a product that is not in IBM's
price book (or even listed as a product in many places where other
DBMS tools are listed).
There are no magazines I read that have Ads for IBM products,
including DB2, that give me any hint that IBM would like me to use U2
for any new projects (others might be seeing such advertising, but it
isn't in front of me). I made the decision not to beg IBM to market to
me.
This is not a sales pitch for Cache', just an anecdote to help make
this clear. InterSystems is flying people out here (to the middle of
the cornfields) for my project kickoff, even though I told them they
didn't have to or that I could meet them in Chicago (where these two
people are located). I don't know (yet) if they have better software,
but I do know they want me to be a customer. LIke IBM, they know that
with any software application (VAR or SaaS solution), their success is
directly related to the success of the app software, but unlike IBM,
they act on this to try to attract NEW VARs/SaaS companies.
So, if the U2UG is going to do something very cool like what has been
suggested for this Incubator, you might also want to know who it is
that IBM is passionate about bringing into the U2 fold. I suspect,
unless I see evidence to the contrary, that their target group, the
group for which they will spend money, are the prospective customers
of existing VARs, with their investments being in existing VARs,
period (or very close to "period"). Those are not, in general, folks
who need the PE edition as a sales tool--their VAR will get it all
working for them.
>Stepping down off my soap box>
OK, I'll do the same.
Good ideas below. Cheers! --dawn
With this in mind, may I suggest that we consider some of the following
ideas:
1. Adding an invitation to contact the u2ug group for technical support
at any time during or after the installation.
2. Ensuring that there are step-by-step tutorials, borrowed from IBM or
contributed by our members, starting with the Readme document, that attempt
to make it impossible to fail to install, connect and run the product,
including (1) creating a simple application and (2) moving a simple
application to the eval database.
3. Providing a complete listing of authorized U2 Resellers, by name,
address, contact information and areas of specialization, so a person
evaluating a product knows where to go to get pricing and to purchase the
product.
4. Ensuring that the PE release does *not* have a short expiration date,
because individuals often like to keep a 2-user copy on their laptop to play
with, even though they have a much larger-user copy on their production
system.
Since many of the new evaluators will come from the generic Pick sector, and
because neither Universe or Unidata support generic Pick spooler commands,
we will offer to contribute a copy of SpoolerPlus to the u2ug library to be
distributed with these eval copies of the PE. This will over come the most
difficult issue faced by most generic Pick people evaluating UV/UD.
Also, since UV and UD do not read generic Pick file saves and account saves,
we will also offer to contribute a copy of our File Caddy programs,
TAPE.DUMP and TAPE.LOAD, and our data cleaning programs to remove
unprintable ascii characters that will not load onto UV/UD, to enable them
to easily move an entire account from most generic Pick databases to UV or
UD.
I think that the u2ug needs to come up with a mutually acceptable policy for
licensing these products for use in the PE library.
We will also contribute to a growing documentation of issues faced in
converting to UV/UD as we become aware of them thru out conversion
activities.
I totally support this project and am glad to assist wherever we can.
Rgds,
Dave
Dave Taylor
CEO
Sysmark Information Systems, Inc.
49 Aspen Way
Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274
800-SYSMARK (800-797-6275)
(O) 310-544-1974
(C) 310-561-5200
(F) 310-377-3550
www.sysmarkinfo.com
Your Source for Integrated EDI Translation, DataSync Integration and
Software Migration
Authorized IBM Business Partner
----- Original Message -----
From: "Charles Barouch" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2007 7:39 PM
Subject: [U2] Incubator - News from the board
> All,
> The U2UG board has been discussing the 'incubator plan' and we will
> soon be presenting a draft proposal to membership. Here's what we are
> discussing in broad brushstrokes - all feedback appreciated.
>
> We want an *easy* *legal* way to get PE editions into the hands of
> business people, college students, entrepreneurs, and other market
> expanders. More than that, we need to get people a version of the PE
> software which is chock full of examples, training materials, and useful
> information.
>
> Here's what we have in mind: We want to build an installer which
> pulls the PE editions from the IBM website (allowing the user to sign
> the IBM agreement), pulls Learner Packs from the U2UG website (allowing
> the user to sign the U2UG agreement - designed to protect the content
> all of you will - hopefully - contribute). Finally, the installer will
> bootstrap the Learner Packs into the PE installation, so the accounts,
> files, and programs, etc. are all in place.
> The end result will be a full install, with URLs to get them to the
> U2UG and other key locations. It will allow people to see our technology
> in the best light possible. Opinions? Flames? Offers to Help?
>
> Charles Barouch ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
> www.KeyAlly.com (718) 762-3884 x 1
> P. O. Box 540957, Queens, NY 11354
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--
Dawn M. Wolthuis
Tincat Group, Inc. tincat-group.com
Take and give some delight today
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