graham@DRCVAX.ARPA (09/04/87)
Greetings and Betafications, A netmember asks how to become a beta test site for a DEC product. There are a couple of things you should know. First, you need to be pretty active in the purchase of DEC products. This is not always true, but it helps tremendously. Second, DEC must not perceive you as being in competition with them. Third, you have to ask your local sales rep several times, and act like you might make big purchases if you like the beta test. If this is really true, it's the way to go. I do not advocate lying to your sales rep just to become a beta site though. We do about $1 million/year with DEC, and when we asked to be a beta site for VAX/SQL, they were happy to oblige. They had a special 800 phone number and database for problem reporting and listing answered questions. They even had a three day class for all the beta testers. As it turned out, we didn't think much of the product, and bought another SQL, but the beta test was interesting and we were pleased that DEC supports its beta sites so well. Dan Graham GRAHAM@DRCVAX.ARPA Vini, Vidi, Hacki ==> Insert standard disclaimer here <== ------
art@MITRE.ARPA (Art McClinton) (09/04/87)
To follow up on what Dan said about how to become a DEC field test
site. I agree with what he has said. In addition, field test takes
alot of time by both your organization and the local DEC sales office.
You will only become field test following the recomendation of the
local office. Once field test, expect to receive questionaires as well as
software/hardware that may or may not run. Hardware field test requires
that the local field service must be trained in the hardware. It generally
does not get very far from the key field service organizations.
Often time the way to become field test is thru active participation in
DECUS. Lets think about it. The person who just submitted 10-15 valid
SPR's on your latest version of the xxx compiler, and complains loudly
at DECUS would be an excellent person to field test the next release.
Also, the person who meets with the developers at DECUS and says when
are you going to develop X, I think it should have the capabilities to
... is a good choice for field testing X when it comes out in the future.
Anticipate several man months of extra work to field test a major product.
It however is very satisfying to see the products and be able to say that
they are better for the field test. I am not saying that their is always time
to find the bugs early enough for DEC to get them fixed by the time the
first version comes out to the user.
*
*---Art
*
*Arthur T. McClinton Jr. ARPA: ART@MITRE.ARPA
*Mitre Corporation MS-Z305 Phone: 703-883-6356
*1820 Dolley Madison Blvd Internal Mitre: ART@MWVMS or M10319@MWVM
*McLean, Va. 22102 DECUS DCS: MCCLINTON
*