I'd print this page out an show it to them: http://www.clarksupport.com/whynotca.htm
I use Arcserve 6.x. Had lots of problems, but it does do the job, for the most part. Not going to go to Arc2000 at all. I've already dumped Inoculan on all my servers and clients and went with Trend. It is 1000 times the products of Inoculan. When it comes time to upgrade to Arc2000 BU (which is now), I am going to install Backup Exec. My biggest grip with CA is licensing. To much of their code is doing licensing and I've had NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS with it. Licenses dropped, valid licenses turning invalid after 90 days, etc. totally sucks. Try to get a license for 6.x and they say "upgrade" and we do it. so, I am going to upgrade..... anyone know what the latest version of Backup Exec is? :-) > -----Original Message----- > From: Sean Martin [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, November 02, 2001 10:18 AM > To: MS-Exchange Admin Issues > Subject: RE: CA Meeting > > Let them know that the majority of a 6000 subscribed email list despise > their products.....for starters..... > > Hell, I'd print William's email and give them a copy. > > Regards, > > Sean Martin, MCSE > Network Administrator > Ribelin Lowell & Company > Insurance Brokers, Inc. > 3111 C Street, Suite 300 > Anchorage, Alaska 99503 > Ph: (907) 561-1250 > Fax: (907) 561-4315 > Cell: (907) 229-0885 > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Micciche Robert [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, November 02, 2001 9:10 AM > To: MS-Exchange Admin Issues > Subject: CA Meeting > > > This is really making my day. I will have CA in my office today at 2:00 > PM. > Why are they coming? Well my opinions really didn't matter when I worked > for a pidly little 25 million dollar company. Now that I am with a > fortune > 500 company, and I am canceling all of their products and replacing them > at > every opportunity with direct competitors- NOW my opinion matters to them. > > Greatest beef with them- Tech support. I absolutely can not understand a > damn word any of their techs say to me. They balked at that, but said > they > were still "very concerned". Guess what? I tape recorded a conversation > I > had with Inoculate IT License Compliance on Tuesday. After I play the > tape > for them they are going to receive a grin from ear to ear- and be escorted > out of the building. > > Anyone want me to bring anything else up at 2:00? ;-) > > -----Original Message----- > From: Lefkovics, William [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, November 02, 2001 12:59 PM > To: MS-Exchange Admin Issues > Subject: RE: Computer Associates > > > Personally, I don't mind vendors participating as long as they are > reactive > and not proactive. This is not a sales floor. > > The example I presented to them was that of Macromedia Software. They pay > someone to answer questions in peer forums. They do not market their > products or try to upsell. They just answer difficult questions. > Sometimes > that includes a "Sorry, our product can't do that." > > I have 'invited' CA here many times, by emailing every address I could > find > at www.cai.com. This time they answered. I imagine it might have to do > with the 46% decline in revenue for fiscal period ending September 30, > 2001. > But I speculate. > > The CA bashing is getting old. We can only come up with so many > euphimisms > for ArcServeIT [1]. > > William > > [1] ArghServeIT. AckServeIT. ArcSmurf. ArkWreckIT. ArcServeS*it. > UnNerveIT. etc. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Boswell Tim [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, November 02, 2001 8:58 AM > To: MS-Exchange Admin Issues > Subject: RE: Computer Associates > > > "In the past it has not been their policy to participate in these forums > because vendors aren't always treated very well." > > Would that be vendors in general, or just ones who produce lousy, > unreliable > products with a comical level of support, and expect people to use them to > get business critical systems back up and running in the event of a > disaster > which was quite possibly caused from using said product in the first > place? > > -----Original Message----- > From: Lefkovics, William [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: 02 November 2001 16:38 > To: MS-Exchange Admin Issues > Subject: Computer Associates > > > CA contacted me, concerned about posts I've made regarding their products. > In the past it has not been their policy to participate in these forums > because vendors aren't always treated very well. They are reconsidering > this policy. > > William Lefkovics, MCSE, A+, ExchangeMVP > > Here is the list of ACTUAL quotes I assembled for them in response to > their > sudden concern (I did not include names, but these are from public > forums): > > When someone made a comment like this: > > -"We have bought Arcserve 2000 w/ the backup agent for Exchange to backup > our Exchange Server and have been having nothing but problems." - Saul, > October 10, 2001 > > The ACTUAL replies were as follows: > > -"Do you really want us to go for the entire day about how HORRIBLE of a > product Jerkserv is/???? NTBACK2k [1] is 1000 times better. Return the > Jerkserv and install Backup Exec" > > -"The best thing to do with CA products, is to place them in the dumpster, > where they belong." > > -"We have been using Arcserve 2000 for awhile now and I would have to say > that it DOES SUCK." > > -"why do people buy that program? I have never heard anyone say anything > nice about it?" > > -"Don't get started on that crappy as*s piece of software." > > > Other comments about CA software, by those who actually use it: > > -"Let me clue you in on something. I've got a good friend at > CA - he told me that they have a bad time getting their E2K servers backed > up > using their product!!!!" > > -"ArcCrap is exactly that... Unreliable, no support, a pain in the arse, > breaks more than it fixes... Shall I go on?" > > -"Arcserve does an excellent job of backup things up, it's > downfall is the ability to restore things...." > > -"Arcserve and anything is not a good choice." > > -"I agree on Arcserve, which is the lowliest of backup products anyway." > > -"Arcserve and a dumpster are a perfect fit." > > -"There's only so much overtime one man can do, and my quota's > fully taken by using AarghServe" > > -"Run away! Fast! Seriously. There are very few here who like working with > ANY CA products even if they inherit them, much less ask for them." > > -"you can switch to arcserve if your current backup is too fast for you" > > -"Running Innoculan was somewhat akin to flogging myself." > > -"I've only purchased a few products from CA and the support was > absolutely horrid. I have had other system administrators with the same > experience. Most of the products themselves were very good until CA > buys the company, then the support seems to go down the tubes." > > -"I can't seem to get ARCServe to back up my (WINNT 4.0 SP6) Exchange > server > 5.5 SP2 data files." > > -"EjaculateIT has worked well for us as a desktop antivirus solution for > our > office, but for the Exchange Agent, I'd recommend hiring a tibetan monk to > analyse code segments manually for viral patterns than ever recommend this > piece of crap clearly written by laid off AOL programmers." > > -"The last time I remember any kind of success with ArcServe was when > Computer > Associates didn't own it and it was running on Novell. Ever since Computer > Associates got involved, it has become unreliable garbage." > > -"Yes, although usually alot of things tend to not work after a CA product > is > installed." > > -"When it comes time to update CA's stuff, maybe an alternative would be > in > order > here." > > -"in my short time in the IT industry InoculateIT 4.53 is the worst piece > of > software I have had the displeasure > to work with. Closely followed by Arcserve." > > -"I don't feel like playing with ArcServe**It right now." > > -"I just started a new job. they have this SQL server that is all hosed > up. I uninstall JarkServ and it all worked better : > no more problems > go figure." > > -"Don't use arcserve - its horrible." > > -"We cannot get a good IS backup using ArcServe2000..." > > -"Given the knowledge (or lack or it) exhibited by various CA > techs, I trust them about as far as I can throw them." > > -"You hate ARCServe? Can't understand why. Don't you like being pummeled > by > a brain-dead licensing and registration process that's just an extra added > bit of torture?" > > -"when we moved to Exchange instead of Netscape Messaging Server, we > discovered that Arcserve wasn't too friendly" > > -"If our damn Arcserve was working could have restored the whole box, but > it > has been failing > for a while." > > -"We use InocIT because the tech people aren't making enough of the buying > decisions around here. I would choose anything but InocIT. Actually I > would stay away from any CA product..." > > -"A search on ArcServe's tech support FAQs revealed nothing." > > -"licensing was the worst aspect of CAI products. Make that 2nd worst, > after > tech support" > > -"ArcWreckIT will do exactly that..." > > -"Arcserve backups have been failing and I haven't got a backup." > > -"this InoculateIT software sucks!" > > -"I gave up using Arcserve 2000 - went back to using NTBackup, and then > onto > Backup Exec." > > -"I hate ArcServe... I am holding my breath until we get the new servers > up > and running -- and they won't be > using ArcServe." > > -"I am a fully signed up member of the CA bashing bandwagon." > > -"We unfortunately still use InnoculateIT on the desktops. Innoculate > couldn't catch a virus if it were sprinkled with anthrax powder." > > -"Unfortunately, yes, I have tried the CA support site. Spent 3 > hours going round in circles on it trying to find a decent answer!!" > > -"the answer would be, 'Anything but Arcserve.'" > > -"Federal law prohibits using the words "CA", "Exchange" and "scan" in the > same sentence." > > -"...having nothing at all is better than having InnoculateIT because then > you don't have a false sense of security?" > > -"It tells me the Database is corrupted. THANK YOU COMPUTER ASSOCIATES!" > > -"It goes great with the Inoculan Antivirus and Log File > Discombobulator system from Compooter Assoshiates." > > -"A similar thing happened to me when installing Computer Associate's > Inoculate IT according to the installation instructions on their CD. I do > not recall exactly all the changes I made, but it had to do with > permissions > and/or search privileges. CA sent the "proper" installation instructions > via email saying, "Oh yeah, the instructions on the CD are wrong". It > still > took several hours with PSS to get things back to normal.... > I don't know if this helps or if is just another anti-CA rant." > > -"We are trying to set up Arcserve 2000 to backup our Exchange 2000 > server, > we > have bought the Exchange backup agent but are having a hell of a time > trying > to set it up!!!!" > > -"ahem, I think that this just might be another quality CA experience." > > -"We bought ARCserve but it's just sitting here, unused and unloved." > > > Still, I close with a Haiku discussion from an Exchange Discussions forum, > which in its own way summarizes sentiment about your products : > > It's Five-Seven-Five > Your first line was only four > Go Punish yourself > > I screwed up haiku > So must now punish myself > Installing arcserv > > Installing Arcserve > Is not enough punishment > You must make it work. > > And backup alone > Is not good enough either. > You must restore too. > > And when you are done > Please call CA and let them > Know how you did it > > List Charter and FAQ at: > http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm > > List Charter and FAQ at: > http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm > > List Charter and FAQ at: > http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm > > List Charter and FAQ at: > http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm > DO NOT read, copy or disseminate this communication unless you are the > intended addressee. This e-mail communication contains confidential and/or > privileged information intended only for the addressee. If you have > received > this communication in error, please call us immediately at (907) 561-1250 > and ask to speak to the sender of the communication. Also, please e-mail > the > sender and notify the sender immediately that you have received the > communication in error. > > List Charter and FAQ at: > http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm List Charter and FAQ at: http://www.sunbelt-software.com/exchange_list_charter.htm
