New Support services from SCO

[Noel B. Del More Nashua]

In article <3188 at viscous.sco.COM> uunet!sco!rosso (Ross Oliver) writes:
>SCO is now offering three new support services that I thought
>would interest comp.unix.xenix readers.
>
>First is our SCO Online Support (SOS) Basic Service.  SOS is our
>technical support BBS, which up until now, you had to have at least a
>SoftCare II support contract to gain access.  SOS Basic Service
>gives you read-only acess to all the technical information on the system,
>including a database of over 800 problems and solutions for the majority
>of our product line.  Also available are technical articles and tutorials
>from our DiSCOver newsletter, product announcements, the SCO training
>schedule, and product question and answer documents.  SOS Basic Service
>is $95 per year.  Contact our Customer Service department at 1-800-626-4381,
>or mail to uunet!sco!support for more information.

$95.00 per year to read about what's what with SCO!  Come on  Ross,  now
if  you  had  made it $95.00 year for SOFTCARE I and SOS then I might be
interested.

Most companies would (and do) provide this type  of  support  for  their
customers for free, especially when you consider what it costs to employ
a "live" technician to handle technical support via telephone.

SCO's problem continues to be that it fails to see that  with  the  ever
increasing  popularity  of Xenix, that more and more neophytes are going
to be using the product for the first time.  Additionally, many of these
"new"  customers  are  NOT  going  to be businesses, rather they will be
individuals with families to feed and mortgages to make,  ie.   no  deep
pockets, as well as the small businessman emigrating from DOS to a Xenix
environment.

SCO needs to address the needs of these users with a low cost, efficient
and  comprehensive  support  plan,  which SOFTCARE I and SOS could be if
they were combined.

It is really ludicrous to consider  paying  $95.00  a  year  to  call  a
machine and search for information concerning (often times)(at least for
me) a problem with SCO's product, on your own time and have to  pay  the
telephone charges as well.

One thing you fail to mention is that you can get a 15% discount on  all
support  contracts  within 30 days of registering a product.  And fellow
netlanders, are all your packages registered?  I  sent  in  my  cards  8
months  ago  for  the  current system that I have, as late as March they
still had not registered  all  of  the  packages.   Consider  your  Text
Processing,  Man  pages,  CGI etc.  if they do't have it registered then
you may be able to obtain the discount.

Additionally, what with SCO's currently overloaded support system  you'd
think that  SCO  would  be trying to do anything to ease that burden.  A
free SOS system would obtain that result.  Machines ARE  less  expensive
than people!

SCO might also consider sending DISCOVER free  to  registered  customers
and  using it as a marketing tool.  Or you might even consider expanding
the publication and selling subscriptions to it, even I would buy one!

>The second new service is our Developers Program, which includes special
>technical support services, discounts on products and training,
>listings of your products in our SCO XENIX System V Directory,
>and other goodies.  Contact our Developer Relations department
>at (408) 425-7222, or mail uunet!sco!devrel for more information.

Did I mention that this is, and the  previous  paragraph  where  perfect
examples  of  commercial  use  of  the  net.   I mean you are "peddling"
products here.  (No flame ...  just mentioning it).

>The third new service is annonymous UUCP downloads of selected Support
>Level Supplements.   <stuff deleted>

Now no fees are mentioned in this paragraph so I assume that this  is  a
free service.  CONGRATULATIONS SCO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This IS a wonderful example of how to promote  your  business,  generate
good  will,  and provide a valuable and timely service to your customers
while at the same time reducing costs for manpower and materials.

Now carry  it  a  step  further,  require  that  the  calling  party  be
registered  for the product and provide all of the free updates that one
would normally have to obtain through your media department.

Add  SOS  and  DISCOVER,  either  free  or  an  expanded,   subscription
supported, publication and you now have all of the above advantages, ie.
reduced costs and manpower, plus you have  a  marketing  advantage  over
your competition!

Yep, I can see it now...

<scene 1> VAR (Consultant) attempting to convince a local businessperson
to buy his SCO Xenix based product.

	Businessperson:  But I understand Xenix is so difficult to
		master, setup and use!  Were will I get help if I need
		it?

	VAR:	Well, your first step would be to contact me for any
		assistance you might require..

	Businessperson:  Yeah, but what if your not around, and I need
		help.  And, I'm really not going to want to pay you your
		megabuck fees for every simple question.

	VAR:	Yes, I can see your point.  Well, not only can I train
		to use the system and software, but SCO provides training
		on a wide variety of subjects at a reasonable fee.
		Additionally they provide free with their OS unlimited
		access to a database of questions and answers about the 
		OS which is available by calling their system in Ca.
		Additionally, you download current updates and "patches" 
		for the OS from the same system via uucp.  And finally,
		they provide you with a subscription to DISCOVER, a 
		publication which will inform you about new products and
		services, Software Supplements, and articles about how
		other businesses are using SCO Xenix to solve their 
		computing needs.

	Businessperson:	Thats wonderful but what if I need to actually
		talk with someone?

	VAR:	Well then their are various level of Support Contracts
		available.  The cost based upon your needs. 

	Businessperson:	Great!  I'm sold, between SCO's support and yours
		I think we can make this project work!

<scene 2>  VAR (Consultant) leaving the client's place of business.  In a
low half-mutter, half exclamiation he says...

	VAR:  Yooo SCO, way to go!



Gads... its enough to bring tears to your eyes and a positive balance in
the ole check book isn't it?



BTW Ross, does SCO need a slightly radical marketing executive?

Noel
-- 
Noel B. Del More             |                             decvax!ubbs-nh!noel
17 Meredith Drive            |                             noel at ubbs-nh.mv.com 
Nashua, New Hampshire  03063 | It's unix me son!  `taint spozed tah make cents