Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!bloom-beacon!spdcc!dyer
From: dyer@spdcc.COM (Steve Dyer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.rt
Subject: Re: IBM bug notification/update policy
Message-ID: <4187@ursa-major.SPDCC.COM>
Date: 11 Aug 89 15:14:01 GMT
References: <550@pan.UUCP> <990@ks.UUCP> <8147@spool.cs.wisc.edu>
Reply-To: dyer@ursa-major.spdcc.COM (Steve Dyer)
Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA
Lines: 16

Using SCO as a typical UNIX System V vendor, I can state that they
do not have a policy of distributing bug fixes to all supported
customers, yet the sentiment about the quality of their support
is generally quite positive.  I wonder why?  First, they have
relatively frequent minor releases encompassing all bug fixes;
second, their support team is skilled and responsive.

I think if customers do not have faith in the quality of the
support service to begin with, then they will focus on minutiae
such as not being sent bug fixes immediately, when in fact it
indicates a more general dissatisfaction.

-- 
Steve Dyer
dyer@ursa-major.spdcc.com aka {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!dyer
dyer@arktouros.mit.edu