That is a really good idea and would be an EXCELLENT PR move on their part. It might hurt financially in the short run, but the positive spin they would get would be so great.
> -----Original Message----- > From: JaMi Smith [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, August 30, 2002 7:47 PM > To: Protel EDA Forum > Cc: JaMi Smith > Subject: Re: [PEDA] Will ATS kill Altium? > > > You know, if Altium was smart, they would . . . > > Let me rephrase that. > > If Altium even cares about what their customers think about > them, and the want those customers to remain customers, I > would suggest that they consider "tolling" (in the legal > sense) the duration of the ATS "contract", for the length of > time that it takes to get DXP up and running in the real > world (in plain English that means don't start the 1 year > time duration of ATS yet). > > People in the DXP Forum realistically estimate that it will > be a year before DXP is really ready for use as a productive tool. > > I would respectfully submit that if Altium were NOT to "start > the clock" on ATS until after the point that they really > deliver a fully functional DXP product (and they may surprise > us and do it in much less than that year projected in the DXP > forum), and let the 1 year of ATS begin there, at that point, > irrespective of when you bought it, then I would think that > much of the discussion regarding ATS here in this forum (and > the DXP forum as well) could begin to see a more positive trend. > > Many appear to have questioned the wisdom of releasing DXP at > this point in time, since it is certainly not ready for > release. On this issue, I would maintain that they had no > choice - they promised too many people with the lure of 1 > year of free ATS, which included DXP, beginning on October > 1st 2001, that ATS would in fact deliver. As I stated here in > this forum back on April 11 of this year, Altium would have > to release it before October 1st of this year just to keep > their promise (and legal obligation) to the customers who > "bought into" ATS at that time, irrespective of whether it > was ready for release or not. > > That post back on April 11, was in response to a post by > Darren More the day before, which I will copy here: > > > This from the Australian stock exchange today.... > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------- > > This revised estimate is made following the cautious > economic climate > > seen in Q3, which is expected to continue into Q4. A > revised release > > date for Altium's new Protel DXP product, originally > announced for a > > Q1 release but now scheduled for July 2002, has also contributed to > > the modified revenue estimate. > > ------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > Sorry for the bad news, > > > > Darren Moore > > I would venture to say that everything that Altium has done > in the last year respecting DXP has been driven by the stock > market, and by "management" decisions, looking for new money > from old customers at any price, and not by whether or not > the product was ready, or what the product could do for the customer. > > What is it now, a one year delay in the original release date > of DXP? Who cares if it is ready or not, it had to be released! > > That post was driven by a stock market announcement, and some > of the other responses to this particular thread here also > seem to discuss "management practices" and at least one > mentions the "stock market". > > Maybe it is about time that we track down some of the people > who write the "stock market" stories about Altium, and also > some of people who do some of the "rating" of stocks in the > EDA Market such as Altium, and get their email addresses and > sign them up to this forum and the DXP forum (or at least > forward them a few choice posts that really discuss and admit > the problems with DXP), and then sit back and wait for the > next "review" of Altium stock. > > Talk about a way to get Altiums' attention . . . > > OK Altium, now that we really do have your attention, please > consider extending the "time limit" on everyone's ATS > "subscription" as discussed above. > > Not only is it the right thing to do, it will make many of > your customers happier, and in fact, probably save a few > customers too, and probably actually even benefit you > financially in the future simply by not losing as many of > your customers as it appears that you may do if you continue > down your current course of "customer dissatisfaction". > > JaMi Smith > > PS. I still want my SP7 too! > > * * * * * * * * * * > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Bruce Walter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Protel EDA Forum" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Friday, August 30, 2002 3:19 PM > Subject: [PEDA] Will ATS kill Altium? > > > Heck, I am still using P98, PCB only! > > We have a P99SE license, but I have been unwilling to go > through the learning curve for PCB, much less use P99SE > schematic vs. OrCAD 7.2! > > That being the case, why would I want to spend ANY money on > DXP, and get trapped into annual maintenance? > > Once again, support and maintenance included in the purchase > price is what made Protel what it was yesterday (as opposed > what it is today). > > Regardless of DXP, its features, and not being able to > separate features and pricing, ATS seems like the deathnell > that has consumed so many other companies. Sure, penneyheads > might think it is a terrific source of ongoing revenue, but > it will probably turn so many off, that their revenue may > actually go down, and kill the company!! > > Hey Protel (Altium), it still may not be too late!!! Until > you actually charge someone for just ATS, you can still > regain your sanity, and flush this whole annual maintenance > crap where it belongs! Otherwise, I would just start > counting the days until Altium becomes just another carcass > on the smelly heap of business failures - not because of a > poor products, but from bad business decisions. > > Maybe what has happened is what I have experienced before at > other companies. New management (with a great resume) comes > from a company we've heard of who just went down the tubes > (through no fault of their own, of course), gets hired to > take over, and quickly hires all his buddies (who also worked > at the previous failed company), institutes significant > changes in policy and management style, and within a year or > three, sends this company down the tubes too, then moves on > to the next victim with an additional VERY impressive title > from an even bigger company on his resume. (and so on, and so on...) > > I wonder who the next victim will be? > > ************************************************************** > ********** > * Tracking #: 06485DE01192B04997B35FF92E1C5958075623B7 > * > ************************************************************** > ********** > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * To post a message: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * To leave this list visit: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/leave.html * * Contact the list manager: * mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * Forum Guidelines Rules: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/forumrules.html * * Browse or Search previous postings: * http://www.mail-archive.com/proteledaforum@techservinc.com * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
