~ 90% BPCS customer shrink // IBM i v6r1 + 4.05CD + ERP LX + INFOR

<vendor>

Back in the 1997-98 era, SSA claimed roughly >16,500 BPCS customers (or maybe
they meant installed sites ... that was never made clear). It's far from
precise math, but based on movements in the contact database we use to sell
our ERP LX + BPCS bolt-ons and services, I'll take a wild guess there are
less than 1,750 installed BPCS + ERP LX sites still standing. Shucks.

In my humble opinion, part of that 90% shrink has to be laid at the door of
how SSA/SSA-GT/Infor (INFOR) negotiate(d) with their customers. I have
heard dozens of first-party testimonies about flamboyant charges and fees
invented by INFOR .... invented from thin air. I recall one company president
at a furniture place who was enormously infuriated by the bill for a new key.
He decided to leave BPCS at that moment. I think there's still a dent in his
office ceiling right below where he first saw the quote.

The old SSA software license agreements I've seen promise "perpetual
enjoyment" of the software. That promise was made into a market which has
always been typified by machine churning and operating system upgrades. Those
SLAs carry no language about charging for a key ..... and if challenged in a
courtroom, I don't think a judge would invent that language. Judges interpret
contracts or throw contracts out .... they don't write new lines into
contracts. Doesn't "perpetual enjoyment" include supporting moves like CISC
to RISC and v5 to v6? Shucks.

I am NOT an attorney .... but in my experience ..... companies which initiate
legal research in response to a flamboyant INFOR quote end up with a much,
much better $ deal. INFOR doesn't want a legal precedent. And, they know if
an action ends up filed, a court would grant temporary
injunctions/fixes/key(s) pending resolution on the grounds of manufacturing
enterprise employment continuity. Contact me off-line for details.

Net/net .... the implosion of the BPCS base has been a very sad thing for us
to witness. Unbeaten Path was founded 19.x years ago to help BPCS users. It's
hard to prosper when 90% of the market disappears. So, strategically we must
go elsewhere. A clever/unique new product we've invented for IBM i/iSeries is
now slated for installation at an alpha site. (The functionality of the new
product is in no way limited to just INFOR's product line)

If your company is thinking of going elsewhere too, here's some practical
tips on "how to escape BPCS well" --->
www.unbeatenpath.com/up-a-notch/leavingBPCS/departure-advice.pdf

Warm regards and Merry Christmas,

Milt Habeck
Owner
Unbeaten Path
(888) 874-8008
+262-681-3151
mhabeck@xxxxxxxxxx


P.S. --- if you want to hear details about the critical turning points
that, in my opinion, decisively changed SSA's trajectory
(BPCS v6.0.0.0 and v7.0.0.0), give me a ring.


</vendor>






From: rob@xxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 2010 9:47 AM
To: BPCS ERP System
Subject: Re: [BPCS-L] IBM i 6.1 and 405CD

Why are you suggesting that? Are you hoping there's strength in numbers to
get BPCS to lower their upgrade prices? I can just see them shuddering now.
"Let's see, company XYZ hasn't spent a dime with us in 5 years and now they
are saying they want free a free upgrade because of that. While company ABC
has paid their maintenance diligently." I suppose a counter argument might
be made that if you can get a nickel out of XYZ in upgrade fees that's better
than nothing. However, you still make company ABC look like an idiot for
paying maintenance.

Don't make Infor the heavy here. It was the user's management that was being
penny wise and pound foolish. It was their IT department that didn't take
advantage of something they were already paying for and call Infor on a
periodic basis and report problems and take advantage of their maintenance
dollars.

And, it will be the company buying them that will seriously ding them during
the due diligence phase for allowing their software and hardware to get so
out of date. The buying company is going to know they will be hit with huge
upgrade charges.
Hardware should be leased, maintained and upgraded regularly.

Rob Berendt
Group Dekko






From: "Carr, Wally"
To: BPCS ERP System
Date: 12/07/2010 10:25 AM
Subject: Re: [BPCS-L] IBM i 6.1 and 405CD
Sent by: bpcs-l-bounces+rob=dekko.com@xxxxxxxxxxxx

I think your client might want to look at biting the bullet and getting
off BPCS entirely.