RE: Reducing Annual License Fees

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With regards to the ALF fees versus the support received - I agree that
the ALF's are pretty steep, and are a strain on my  budget.  However, when
I have to explain them to the controller, I have been able to justify the
ALF with:

1.  No additional charge for new releases (which I generally apply
annually),
2.  E:Info (which I think is superb, and certainly costs MAPICS a fair
piece of coin),
3.  Good Q&A and advice from people knowledgable with the applications
when we want to try something new (or when we do something stupid),
4.  New application development and enhancement of existing applications.

#4 is a point that gets brought up as a problem - and it does seem that
MAPICS is putting a lot of money and effort into the MAPICS Browser
applications, Thru-Put and so on, that a lot of customers aren't
interested in.  However, they have to do that or they can't grow the
business!  R&D is essential for any company to succeed.  "If you aren't
moving forward, you are moving backwards" is what I was taught.  I look at
all the new applications as they are released to see if they are
applicable to our business.  We don't buy very many (actually, very few,
to the chagrin of my affiliate's sales rep), but we do get some.  My
company also looks at my department with the idea that I should be
continually looking at moving my IT department forward ("if you aren't
moving forward.....").  I have a small staff, and can't afford to develop
anything as sophisiticated as COM_Net, or Offline Shipping, or FCPS
myself.

They are also doing some work on existing applications, the new Offline
Shipping enhancement to COM is an example, plus a lot of user exits being
added in COM, and from my E:Info e-mails of fixes, patches, and minor
enhancements, there is a lot of work in MRP and other apps.

All in all, I think my company is getting our money's worth with the ALF.
I know what it cost us to implement MAPICS, and I shudder at what it would
cost us to change to something else.  I really shudder at the thought of
leaving the AS/400 (or whatever it is politically correct to call it now)
and moving to a PC platform.  I have applications on Windows and
applications on the AS/400, and I know which ones are more stable, and
easier to manage.

My opinion only!