Free versus paid support in open source
,----[ Quote ]
| Indeed, in talking with commercial open-source vendors who charge for
| support, it seems clear that for the first few years of a project's
| existence, support is a highly viable business model.
`----
http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13505_1-9755134-16.html
Related:
The top Linux support weaknesses, then and now
,----[ Quote ]
| In 2003, SearchEnterpriseLinux.com visited the Linux support landscape
| with a list of Linux support weaknesses. A lot has happened over the
| past four years, as is evident in the success of Red Hat and
| Novell's subscription-based support models and the meteoric
| rise of commercial-grade Ubuntu support, to name a few.
`----
http://searchenterpriselinux.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid39_gci1262974,00.html
Which is better for technical support
,----[ Quote ]
| I have found in general that with open source support you often get
| more than what you pay for but with closed source support, by some of
| the biggest names in software, the support is often lacking in the
| value department. With open source asking for support has generally
| resulted in a solution within a week and I have never paid for it.
| However with closed source companies I have open tickets that have
| not been resolved in months. With open source I can communicate
| directly with the author(s) of the program and work closely with
| them to find a solution. Closed source on the other hand has just
| requested information, verified the bug and then informed us that
| the solution may be available in the next release of the program.
`----
http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/linux/locutus/archives/which-is-better-for-technical-support-13621
http://tinyurl.com/ygspn7
Microsoft's Genuine Advantage
,----[ Snippet ]
| A lot of managers are afraid to use Open Source Software, because it
| doesn't come with any support. Of course that isn't true. It is a classical
| piece of FUD. And then again, how much is support worth?
|
| [...]
|
| MS: Microsoft Support. Good morning, sir. Can I help you.
| IC: Windows displays some strange message on my screen.
| MS: What's the message, sir.
| IC: ReadStringFromInf: UpdSpGetLineText failed: 0xe0000102; Microsoft
| Windows is Not Present
| MS: May I have your product key, sir.
| IC: [gives completely valid product key]
| MS: Ok, sir. Can you please reboot your PC?
| IC: Will that solve the problem?
| MS: Please reboot your PC, sir.
| IC: Ok, ok, wait a minute.
| MS: Please call us again if you eXPerience any more problems. Have a
| nice day, sir. [click]
`----
http://thebeez.vnunetblogs.com/the_beez_speaks/2006/09/microsofts_genu.html
I work for MS but even I struggle to get a hot-fix
,----[ Quote ]
| The problem took 260 minutes to resolve from start to
| finish and an estimated 90 minutes of Ledgard's time,
| not including the time it took to write-up his problems...
| Still, the frustrations experienced by Ledgard give
| a salutary lesson that Microsoft's online product
| support is mediocre, at best, and will surely strike
| a chord with many long-suffering sys admins.
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/24/ms_hot-fix_hell/
|
|
