Re: New redpaper: i5/OS Program Conversion: Getting readyfor i5/OSV6R1

Charles wrote:

Aaron,

Have you considered simply making available an older version of your software for those older
releases?

I'm sure there'd be differences in functionality, but if a customer is willing to accept the
difference in OS functionality, why should they expect the available software to be up to date?

I'm not Aaron, but I did work for an ISV for a decade. Everyone seems focussed on new sales (as in what customer buys new software to run on an antique machine?) From my perspective it's more a matter of supporting the existing customer base. When you sell your package to a customer who's on V4R4 way back when, then time passes and despite your advice, cajoling, wheedling and prayers they simply refuse to upgrade _but_ are willing to pay you your monthly support fee, what do you as a software house do? Tell your customer to buzz off? We don't want your money, your loyalty or your patronage? With upset existing customers, who do you turn to for referrals to sell the package to new customers?

If I was running Win95, I don't expect to be able run WinXP applications.

Probably not. But like most midrange vs PC analogies, this one's weakness is the matter of support. It's very unlikely that you are running your business on a Win 95 package that you pay support on. It's way more likely that you are running your business on my package on V4R5 and paying me for support. You want bugs fixed and you want new features for your monthly fee.

The ISV is in a difficult spot - telling a customer he can't have the new goodies is very likely to see him stop paying for support. We had better luck writing the cutoff into the original sales contract, which larger companies shrug at - of course they're going to stay current in their OS software. Little companies are not nearly as happy go lucky about buying the new OS, installing it or getting PTFs for it.

If you're an ISV selling to small organisations, you have a very different customer base compared to large organisations, which is a very different problem from standalone companies with their own IT staff.

--buck