Issues with Dropping Support

Yahoo Archive
1
The same thing applies to virtualizing clients.

You could be running windows 2012 (codename Mayan Apocalypse) with a VM workstation running XP for the Vantage 6.1 client or whatever.


--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, Jason Claggett <jason@...> wrote:
>
> I've seen 6.1 run in Windows 2008 server. You could also use virtualization technology to move to new hardware, but keep the same server - yes, take a physical server and virtualize it. There are tools out there that allow you do to this.
>
> Jason Claggett
> Microsoft Small Business Specialist
> MCP #3856159
> 2W Technologies, LLC
> 312.533.4033 x8039
> jason@...<mailto:jason@...>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
2
I have been asked to consider dropping our maintenance & support for Vantage. I know all the issues like paying the back amounts if we were to re-instate it but was wondering what else there might be. Our CEO is perfectly willing to remain on 6.10 for the 5 years (factoring in time value) it would take to reach a break even with re-buying Epicor 9 (or 10 or 11) in the future - or even evaluating other systems at that time. More important to the CEO is making drastic cuts in costs and the perception we are not really getting much for the money spent on Support. And it is a lot of money. Enough to avoid a lay off or two or not do more unpaid leaves of absence.

I call support maybe once a year, and that mostly is related to startup issues when we added modules like AMM. 6.10 will no longer receive patches so we're on our own anyway. I've been told that under no circumstance will we consider re-implementing on Epicor 9 before 2012 or 2013. The problem is 6.10 has been far too successful for us and there is no compelling need to disrupt the business for a new implementation. Not to mention the costs for a super server and beefed up desktops required to run Epicor 9 and beyond.

The only changes I can see us making are adding licenses (mostly shop). For those sites now without support contracts how is this handled and what other issues have you had?

Thanks,
Todd Caughey
Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
3
Hi Todd,

Are you going to try to lock in server and client operating systems as well?

There could be some risk to operating system support too. If Microsoft moves
on in a way that prevents V6.1 from running on clients on Windows 7 or maybe
security patches potentially disable your ability to run 6.1.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

Mark W.
4
Yes, I had thought of that and told the CEO the same thing. Once upon a time I was hired into exactly that situation...the DEC VAX server running ASK-MANMAN was too slow and the new server they had bought ran a version of the VMS operating system incompatible with the file management system MANMAN required. They had dropped support several years earlier so could not upgrade to the version that would run on the new server. Ooops. So I had to pick up the pieces. We ended up getting a different system rather than pay ASK the back support.

Windows seems to be a lot less vulnerable in supporting legacy apps as well as playing well with servers running older versions. I think we could stretch out five years if we had to.

-Todd C.


________________________________
From: vantage@yahoogroups.com [mailto:vantage@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Mark Wonsil
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 11:14 AM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Vantage] Issues with Dropping Support




Hi Todd,

Are you going to try to lock in server and client operating systems as well?

There could be some risk to operating system support too. If Microsoft moves
on in a way that prevents V6.1 from running on clients on Windows 7 or maybe
security patches potentially disable your ability to run 6.1.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

Mark W.





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
5
Todd wrote:
> Windows seems to be a lot less vulnerable in supporting
> legacy apps as well as playing well with servers running
> older versions. I think we could stretch out five years if we had to.

I agree but I just thought I'd throw that out there. BTW, I used ASK-MANMAN
both on DEC and HP. (Actually worked for ASK one summer...)

Mark W.
6
I've seen 6.1 run in Windows 2008 server. You could also use virtualization technology to move to new hardware, but keep the same server - yes, take a physical server and virtualize it. There are tools out there that allow you do to this.

Jason Claggett
Microsoft Small Business Specialist
MCP #3856159
2W Technologies, LLC
312.533.4033 x8039
jason@...<mailto:jason@...>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
7
Wow! I'm another former Dec Vax (Alpha) Manman user. Manman sure was stable!!

We dropped support also. Before Y2k, we needed support to make sure that Manman was Y2k compliant. CA worked out a deal so that we didn't have to pay much over the annual support cost to re-engage Support.

Maybe Epicor would do the same thing to keep a customer.

--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, "Mark Wonsil" <mark_wonsil@...> wrote:
>
> Todd wrote:
> > Windows seems to be a lot less vulnerable in supporting
> > legacy apps as well as playing well with servers running
> > older versions. I think we could stretch out five years if we had to.
>
> I agree but I just thought I'd throw that out there. BTW, I used ASK-MANMAN
> both on DEC and HP. (Actually worked for ASK one summer...)
>
> Mark W.
>