Re: SupportLine bundle (was Scoop on v5r3 CL enhancements)

I have contacts with Support Line on a daily basis, if not sooner.  It's 
mainly for defect, and some minor operational considerations.  However, if 
the operational considerations get too intense, or if you get a real jerk 
on the line, you may be referred to Consult Line.  Consult Line is another 
contract, and it's hourly.  I've been lucky.  Other than the complete 
dissatisfaction of being referred to it in the first place, every time 
that I went there they later realized that they have a problem and it went 
back to Support Line and I didn't get charged.  I sure wouldn't count on 
it though.

Think of it as some people on this list.  If you say, I read the RPG 
reference  manual and op code section says that if I do x = 1 + 1; but it 
still doesn't work, that will probably be Support Line.  But if you call 
up and ask how to add two numbers together in RPG you're going to Consult 
line.  (Feel free to change Consult line to an adjective and add hell as 
the noun.)

Rob Berendt
-- 
Group Dekko Services, LLC
Dept 01.073
PO Box 2000
Dock 108
6928N 400E
Kendallville, IN 46755
http://www.dekko.com





"Urbanek, Marty" <Marty_Urbanek@xxxxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent by: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
03/19/2004 10:00 AM
Please respond to
Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>


To
"'midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx'" <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
cc

Subject
SupportLine bundle (was Scoop on v5r3 CL enhancements)






What the heck is the deal with that? I just found out about this the other
day when our SupportLine contract expired. IBM told me that Software
Subscription was now bundled with SupportLine.

Maybe I just don't understand the "features" of the various offerings.

"SupportLine" is the one that gives me the ability to call in with
operational questions like "I'm trying to set up a remote XYZ via ABC.
What's the best way to go about it?" Right?

"Software Subscription" is how I get the new release of my IBM products 
(ex.
V5R3 versions when it comes out). Right?

Now where does the software support come in, which Joe mentioned. Doesn't
this in some cases turn out to be user error and in some cases is really
defect support, i.e. "I've set up a remote XYZ via ABC and I keep getting
CPFnnnn when I try to use it?" That could go either way. Sometimes I've 
set
something up wrong. But in some cases, it is something wrong with the IBM
code. Isn't that defect support and shouldn't that be free? Why should I 
be
paying when they had a bug?

And what about downloading PTFs. I been unable to download PTFs before
because some contract had expired. Seems like that was LIC PTFs were tied 
to
the hardware maintenance contract.

Furthermore, I know there are some other ISVs on the list, doesn't this
pretty much negate the idea of "free software" via PartnerWorld, because 
now
if I want to have operational support for that software (i.e. SupportLine) 
I
am also paying for my Software Subscription.

Sorry to be asking this on the list. I do plan to pursue these same
questions with my IBM reps, but sometimes the list is faster and more
realistic.

Seems like every year I feel like an idiot when I go to management with a
new contract because I thought I understood how things worked and what we
needed, but IBM has "repackaged" everything once again and I have no idea
how it works once again.

You need a full time staff just for keeping up with all the IBM contracts 
to
run your iSeries. You may not need any systems programmers to run it but 
you
sure do need a staff of pencil pushers.

Thanks,
-Marty

------------------------------

date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 22:18:31 -0600
from: "Joe Pluta" <joepluta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
subject: RE: Scoop on v5r3 CL enhancements

Absolutely.  Unbundle the supportline from my software maintenance, and
use some of that money.  I'll pay for support on a per-incident basis.

Joe
_______________________________________________
This is the Midrange Systems Technical Discussion (MIDRANGE-L) mailing 
list
To post a message email: MIDRANGE-L@xxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: http://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/midrange-l
or email: MIDRANGE-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l.