Lotus Symphony had some big changes between Beta 1 and the Gold version
Category Lotus Symphony
I still have my doubts as to how successful Symphony can be in the marketplace, and I think the IBM support pricing structure is screwed up for most small businesses, I think you need 1000 users to buy it? Here's a challenge try and find out on the IBM website how to buy support for Symphony. I tried the online chat with an IBMer on their website to get an answer, this was the conversation not very promising:
Anyway, the point of this post was to say that if you downloaded the beta of Symphony be sure to download the Gold, there are many improvements in the Gold version, more functionality was exposed in the properties panels (more should still be exposed), page sorter was added to presentations, and overall it feels snappier than the earlier versions, still not as fast as other Office Suites, but faster than the beta.
I still have my doubts as to how successful Symphony can be in the marketplace, and I think the IBM support pricing structure is screwed up for most small businesses, I think you need 1000 users to buy it? Here's a challenge try and find out on the IBM website how to buy support for Symphony. I tried the online chat with an IBMer on their website to get an answer, this was the conversation not very promising:
| Please wait for
your IBM representative to respond. You are now chatting with 'Dan' Dan: Thank you for accepting our chat service, how may I assist you? you: Hello I wonder if you can help me. I am a small company interested in Lotus Symphony you: How can I purchase support, and how much is it for 10 employees? Dan: Symphony is free you: Great, what about support? Dan: Symphony Dan: there is no support you: Can I not purchase a support package for it? you: What if I have problems? Dan: There is support here you: Is there no one I can call when I have an emergency problem? you: I am willing to pay for some kind of support package. Dan: I was referring to the usual support for licenced software, but we have these public forums you: Yes. you: So there is no purchasable support for Lotus Symphony? Dan: common FAQ, common problems shared by mutual users Dan: no, because this is not licenced software you: What about this press release: you: http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/24375.wss Dan: but the general feedback has been easy to use you: that says: IBM is also announcing fee-based services to support the needs of large organizations. you: Is it only for large organizations? Dan: thanks for bringing this up...it's news to me you: So this is a little crazy, I can buy SmartSuite (a dead product) and get support, but not get support for the latest and greatest? you: Thanks, I was worried I had missed an obvious page on the website, as I could not find out where to buy support for Symphony. Dan: well, SS is licenced, that's the main difference Dan: let me check this for you Dan: can i keep in touch via email? you: sure, my email is xxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.com Note: I did give a real email address you: OK I will let you get on, thanks Dan. Dan: who am I speaking to today? you: Carl Tyler |
Anyway, the point of this post was to say that if you downloaded the beta of Symphony be sure to download the Gold, there are many improvements in the Gold version, more functionality was exposed in the properties panels (more should still be exposed), page sorter was added to presentations, and overall it feels snappier than the earlier versions, still not as fast as other Office Suites, but faster than the beta.
| Permalink | 
Comments
Product#: D04BQLL
Description: "IBM ELITE SUPPORT FOR LOTUS SYMPHONY 20,000 AUTHORIZED USERS, 20 CONTACTS SW SUPPORT 12 MONTHS"
Price at all Passport levels: $25,000
So Carl, you can buy it for 10 users, no problem. $2500 per seat.
That said I do feel a kinship with anyone who is struggling with a pricing model for support of free software.
Posted by Rob Novak At 05:39:22 PM On 07/08/2008 | - Website - |
I do think that the best opportunity Symphony has initially is with Small Medium Business, they are the ones that would find it easiest to switch. So it amazes me, especially as IBM has been talking about how important the SMB market is to them, that there isn't a support offering for SMB.
Posted by Carl tyler At 06:39:39 PM On 07/08/2008 | - Website - |