Re: Software Subscription strikes again.

> >Two months ago I received a letter from IBM telling me that since I
> >'sneaked' in an upgrade from a 200/2031 to a 620 that my monthly support
> >line contract would be retroactively increased from the date of the
upgrade
> >from $116/Mo to $463/Mo.  Included was a bill for $3,993
>
> The 200/2031 is in the P10 software tier.  The 620 series has two
> models in the P20 tier (2178/2179), two in the P30 tier (2180/2181),
> and one in the P40 tier (2182).

What happened to the 2175?

>
> I'm going to assume here that you got either a 2178 or 2179, because
> those are roughly 4 or 7times the CPW of your 200/2031 and a 2180
> would be roughly 10 times the CPW.  So I'll assume you are now in the
> P20 tier.

That is correct.

>
> When you did this upgrade, you would have had a substantial software
> price to pay to move from the P10 to the P20 tier.

That is correct.

> Had your rep/BP
> not explained that supportline and software subscription would also be
> affected by the change in tiers?

I already new the price of the software subscription and no, supportline was
not mentioned.  It has stayed the same since my 36 days and has declined in
value somewhat.

>
> It is real unusual for someone to move from a CISC machine to a higher
> software tier on a RISC machine, unless the company has had phenomenal
> growth.

Precisely.

>  Generally the RISC boxes have enough more horsepower to give
> you the speed increase you need without jumping tiers, and sometimes
> you can even lower your tier while gaining significant speed.

Not the case this time however.

>
> For example, the 620/2175 has a CPW rating of 50.0 and is in the P20
> group.  But the 170/2385 is still in the P10 group and also has a CPW
> rating of 50.0 for interactive work and a whopping 460.0 for
> client/server (batch) work.

Yes, I am familiar with the numbers though it has been a while. And I am
quite pleased with the performance of the box.

>
> Which model 620 did you get, and why?

It is a 2175 and If I remember correctly, it was because of the number of
twinax devices we support.  In any case the 170 had limits which were
outside our tolerance.

>There are legitimate reasons to
> get a 6xx over a 170, but one would hope it was from an informed
> position regarding ongoing support and software costs.

One can always hope.

> >    Has anyone had similar experiences?  What is the story?
>
> Everybody which moves up a software tier gets higher prices.

Well, as I said, I knew what the software was going to cost.  A nearly 300%
increase for support line took me by surprise.

> That's
> why there are tiers. <g>  The question is why didn't your rep/BP go
> over all the ramifications when deciding what you should upgrade to?

The question in regard to my BP could have been asked for every purchase I
have ever made. :)

OK look, it may be that we do things which are unusual.  Maybe I am reading
this wrong, but according to what I have read above,  you apparently think I
am simply stupid.  That may be so, I do the best I can.  I guess I don't
understand the direction you are taking this. This was a reply to someone
complaining about the enormous increases in IBM related expense.  I adopted
the subject in replying.  I wasn't complaining about software subscriptions
or tier charges,  I simply thought to mention that software subscriptions
are not the only things which have gone up in regard to IBM and to express
my puzzlement at being given two widely divergent prices for the same
service.  You ignored my primary questions, which you cut out of your reply.

*_Which one is right?_*

*_Will I soon get hit with another retroactive bill?_*

So, I ask again, which quoted price is right? $463/mo or $116/mo (it's
multiple choice ;)

If it is indeed $463/mo then I will do as I have already done and cough it
up or discontinue it.  If it is actually still $116/mo, which is the latest
figure I have, then I want to talk to whoever got my four grand earlier
(IBM).  The point being that it can't be BOTH!

> Also puzzled,
> Doug

Still puzzled
Rick

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