No idea why but lately support services at 2 major vendors are really slow to respond.
In one case Symantec has been working on a backup issue, we can't get BackupExec to "see" the Domino directories to select them for backup on a primary mail server at a client. This has been dragging on for weeks. Along the way we resolved some other minor issues with other servers, but this is a main mail server. The files are of course replicated elsewhere, but still, weeks? I go days without hearing from them, then I get like 2 days of emails and calls and more log files FTP'd.
Because of this we are looking at some other vendors, Appassure looks promising, but they have no idea how Domino will work with them, I am a first client. Will get to them May 1 or so.
Another case involves a vendor which promises support for their Cloud offerings. They do and replied quickly, but have yet to reply to my replies asking for an email or account to share the file in question. Hard to discuss an issue if support can not look at the files. I emailed it to them finally in frustration only to get some email about my using FF4 and Windows7, or the 2 together was not approved. Well, sorry but I am testing for a client and that is what they use. Also was told the file should not have advanced formulas in it.
Please define advanced formulas? Is HTML advanced? Colors? Math calculations? This one left me scratching my head a bit.
So the Cloud is getting people to use it, but if it is less useful than an iPad or laptop or even my phone, what is the point? Doesn't everyone have file servers and shared location sites for files? Maybe Google Apps really is that good? Client wants to look at everyone's Cloud offerings now, MS, IBM, Google, you name it I guess stay away from local Cloud vendors?
All in all not a productive use of my time but since these are deep issues for clients I deal with them because my creative mind and troubleshooting may fix it when or if I get a support person to talk to me.
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Keith:
ReplyDeleteWe brought in BackupExec because it supported everything we ran. Quite a time getting it all working, even though our local vendor did most of the work. Backs up Domino, Quickr and Novell servers but still have issues with loss of connectivity and random rejection of backup media.
Working on a blog post of my own about Salesforce. I think folks moving from premises to the cloud are going to be disappointed in what passes for support in that environment.
David, Agreed, support is a lost art and dying more and more daily.
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