LTE 2.0

[CameronBornAndBred]

Creepy internet guys don't drive an A4, do they? ;)

oooh that's a good question. What do they drive?

1. Nothing - they take the bus if they have to go anywhere.
2. Some sort of rusted-out Detroit sled so old the engine has a carburetor.
3. Something with a diesel engine

Poll time!! Paging EJ!!

^^^^3000th LTE post^^^^

[Turk]

Are creepy internet guys the only ones who notice when post counts land on multiples of 1000? Hmmm....

[ArkieDukie]

Don't know about the rest of you, but I've had a week. I'll call this my "I hate Microsoft" post. Sorry, DA!

We found out about a month ago that the software package that is critical to our lab's work was being sold to Micosoft. We were a bit nervous about what this would mean, and we found out this week via a nice little form letter. New sales of the software package are ceasing immediately, which stops us from buying the additional licenses that we REALLY need. As an added bonus, tech support is being outsourced starting in September and then completely goes away in Sept. 2011. Our guess is that "outsourcing" means that tech support will be handled in a non English speaking country by people who don't know how to operate the software. So, basically, we put a lot of money into purchasing software and extra support for software that's going away because Microsoft wants to squelch another software package that the same company has (not the one we use). Additionally, the people who handle most of our questions, the ones who set up Webex sessions with us at the drop of a hat to help us with any difficulties we may encounter, are being laid off. AARGH!

Off to TGIF...

[YmoBeThere]

Does MSFT have a competing package?

[DevilAlumna]

Don't know about the rest of you, but I've had a week. I'll call this my "I hate Microsoft" post. Sorry, DA!

We found out about a month ago that the software package that is critical to our lab's work was being sold to Micosoft. We were a bit nervous about what this would mean, and we found out this week via a nice little form letter. New sales of the software package are ceasing immediately, which stops us from buying the additional licenses that we REALLY need. As an added bonus, tech support is being outsourced starting in September and then completely goes away in Sept. 2011. Our guess is that "outsourcing" means that tech support will be handled in a non English speaking country by people who don't know how to operate the software. So, basically, we put a lot of money into purchasing software and extra support for software that's going away because Microsoft wants to squelch another software package that the same company has (not the one we use). Additionally, the people who handle most of our questions, the ones who set up Webex sessions with us at the drop of a hat to help us with any difficulties we may encounter, are being laid off. AARGH!

Off to TGIF...

No worries, AD - it's a huge company; beyond a general understanding that MSFt is interested in moving into the Life Sciences software arena, I don't know anything about that part of things.

Sorry the company that is getting bought up is unable to provide better transitional support. I'd say forget about paying for the extra licenses (what are they gonna do, sue?) and find yourself the expert in house who can provide ad-hoc support. If your office has any higher-level ties to the company itself, maybe someone can arrange a "developer on retainer" contract where someone left at the company is able to answer questions/provide support for a set amount of time. Or see if one of those soon-to-be-laid-off folks would be willing to provide support as a consultant?

[DevilAlumna]

Don't know about the rest of you, but I've had a week. I'll call this my "I hate Microsoft" post. Sorry, DA!

BTW, if it makes you feel any better, I'm having a "I hate MSFT" day as well.

My group has been trying to figure out our next moves for about the past year. Last August, we thought we had a pretty good handle on what we were going to build for our next version. The numbers were good, the prototypes were being developed, life was good. Let's call this Plan A.

Then, we were given a direction to tie in more closely with a MAJOR msft product. Re-align with them, combine with some other services. It would make for a better story. Okay, fine, probably better for the customer (though not our original customer base/focus), good. Plan B - Re-do the prototypes, start running new numbers. This was Oct.-Dec.

January - cost-cuttings, eliminate duplicate work - your team needs to align with this other major product. A much better fit, reduces some redundancies. Well, no, not really, but okay - Plan C on prototyping, figuring out how the hell this works now, etc. Jan - March.

March - well, half the team keeps marching down the january path, but the rest of us actually do something much different, and gosh, that is a pretty compelling and unique service, so maybe we should put it in this other group. Reorg. Dig out some of the original Plan A work, but with a different look and feel.

Yesterday - we were told the Ballmer-level strategy review from Monday has now essentially put us back into Plan B mode. ARGH!!

Oh, and throughout it all, our ship date hasn't changed at all.

I'm trying not to think about it, by having a delish Red Hook Brewery seasonal offering, in the sunshine of my back patio.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Yesterday - we were told the Ballmer-level strategy review from Monday has now essentially put us back into Plan B mode. ARGH!!

Oh, and throughout it all, our ship date hasn't changed at all.

I'm trying not to think about it, by having a delish Red Hook Brewery seasonal offering, in the sunshine of my back patio.

... and that's why they pay you the big bucks!

[devildeac]

I saw Coach K on here tonight. What the hell is he doing here? Doesn't he have better things to do like signing recruits AND coaching Team USA for another 3-4 years? :roll: (putting on flame retardant outerwear now...)

He was removing "new members".

And a job well done

[ArkieDukie]

Does MSFT have a competing package?

Not for the software we use. However, my understanding is that MSFT is developing a product that would compete with one or more of the company's other software packages. Annoyingly, this particular company was a fully owned subsidiary of a major pharmaceutical company. Major Pharmaceutical Company X arranged, as part of the deal, to keep full technical support. They also got to hand-pick personnel from their former software company that they wanted to keep for that purpose. Of course, that leaves the other 100 or so users (including the Duke equivalent of our lab at Wash U) out in the cold. Nice, right?

[ArkieDukie]

No worries, AD - it's a huge company; beyond a general understanding that MSFt is interested in moving into the Life Sciences software arena, I don't know anything about that part of things.

Sorry the company that is getting bought up is unable to provide better transitional support. I'd say forget about paying for the extra licenses (what are they gonna do, sue?) and find yourself the expert in house who can provide ad-hoc support. If your office has any higher-level ties to the company itself, maybe someone can arrange a "developer on retainer" contract where someone left at the company is able to answer questions/provide support for a set amount of time. Or see if one of those soon-to-be-laid-off folks would be willing to provide support as a consultant?

Well, unfortunately, Microsoft takes over the company on Sept. 1. That's when our support goes bye-bye. The problem with extra copies is that we have a limited number of licenses - no additional users can log on once we've exceeded our number of licenses. We were all set to get at least 2 more licenses when everything went south for us. I think we're going down the avenue of trying to get someone who's going to be unemployed as of Sept 1. Maybe he could arrange things so we could log on to more than our set number of copies.

[ArkieDukie]

BTW, if it makes you feel any better, I'm having a "I hate MSFT" day as well.

My group has been trying to figure out our next moves for about the past year. Last August, we thought we had a pretty good handle on what we were going to build for our next version. The numbers were good, the prototypes were being developed, life was good. Let's call this Plan A.

Then, we were given a direction to tie in more closely with a MAJOR msft product. Re-align with them, combine with some other services. It would make for a better story. Okay, fine, probably better for the customer (though not our original customer base/focus), good. Plan B - Re-do the prototypes, start running new numbers. This was Oct.-Dec.

January - cost-cuttings, eliminate duplicate work - your team needs to align with this other major product. A much better fit, reduces some redundancies. Well, no, not really, but okay - Plan C on prototyping, figuring out how the hell this works now, etc. Jan - March.

March - well, half the team keeps marching down the january path, but the rest of us actually do something much different, and gosh, that is a pretty compelling and unique service, so maybe we should put it in this other group. Reorg. Dig out some of the original Plan A work, but with a different look and feel.

Yesterday - we were told the Ballmer-level strategy review from Monday has now essentially put us back into Plan B mode. ARGH!!

Oh, and throughout it all, our ship date hasn't changed at all.

I'm trying not to think about it, by having a delish Red Hook Brewery seasonal offering, in the sunshine of my back patio.

Sorry; DA. There are few things more annoying than having someone above you keep changing paths on you. Beer is a great strategy. I chose the wine strategy myself.

[YmoBeThere]

Does MSFT have a competing package?

Not for the software we use. However, my understanding is that MSFT is developing a product that would compete with one or more of the company's other software packages. Annoyingly, this particular company was a fully owned subsidiary of a major pharmaceutical company. Major Pharmaceutical Company X arranged, as part of the deal, to keep full technical support. They also got to hand-pick personnel from their former software company that they wanted to keep for that purpose. Of course, that leaves the other 100 or so users (including the Duke equivalent of our lab at Wash U) out in the cold. Nice, right?

Interesting, I've always heard of the buy and close strategy in business but this is the first I can recall of it really being used. It seems odd if they have no competing product lines that they would do that. But then, I'm sure there is an Excel jockey out there(I've had to do a lot of it lately myself) that can justify the move in a spreadsheet.

[colchar]

Why is this place so fucking dead today?!?

[DevilAlumna]

Why is this place so fucking dead today?!?

I, for one, was still asleep when you posted this. I love sleeping in on Saturday mornings.

[DevilAlumna]

Does MSFT have a competing package?

Not for the software we use. However, my understanding is that MSFT is developing a product that would compete with one or more of the company's other software packages. Annoyingly, this particular company was a fully owned subsidiary of a major pharmaceutical company. Major Pharmaceutical Company X arranged, as part of the deal, to keep full technical support. They also got to hand-pick personnel from their former software company that they wanted to keep for that purpose. Of course, that leaves the other 100 or so users (including the Duke equivalent of our lab at Wash U) out in the cold. Nice, right?

Interesting, I've always heard of the buy and close strategy in business but this is the first I can recall of it really being used. It seems odd if they have no competing product lines that they would do that. But then, I'm sure there is an Excel jockey out there(I've had to do a lot of it lately myself) that can justify the move in a spreadsheet.

Not usually a MSFT strategy - buy to stop the competition. What's more likely is that this acquired company has some intellectual property that they found cheaper to purchase than to license; or they have great software engineers/market experts that are needed.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Why is this place so fucking dead today?!?

It's beautiful outside here.

[wilson]

Creepy internet guys don't drive an A4, do they? ;)

oooh that's a good question. What do they drive?

1. Nothing - they take the bus if they have to go anywhere.
2. Some sort of rusted-out Detroit sled so old the engine has a carburetor.
3. Something with a diesel engine

Poll time!! Paging EJ!!

4. They crawl out of the basement every once in a while and borrow a car from their parents.

[DukieInKansas]

I'm playing with the new DVR - which I finally broke down and picked up. (Old cable box quit working so I was forced into it.)

Time to finish laundry so I can pack for the mission trip. We leave at 0 dark 30 tomorrow - vacation with other people's teenagers. I know how to have a good time!

I joke - the kids are really great and I anticipate a funfilled and rewarding week. Plus I get to look forward to a trip to the beach and meeting my non-creepy internet friends.

[DukePA]

I'm playing with the new DVR - which I finally broke down and picked up. (Old cable box quit working so I was forced into it.)

Time to finish laundry so I can pack for the mission trip. We leave at 0 dark 30 tomorrow - vacation with other people's teenagers. I know how to have a good time!

I joke - the kids are really great and I anticipate a funfilled and rewarding week. Plus I get to look forward to a trip to the beach and meeting my non-creepy internet friends.

Me too!! Stevo will likely be headed to Kerr Lake to hang out with my folks that weekend and finally get to use his boat for the first time this summer. I think the thought of all us Duke girls scares him. Besides, he realizes a girls weekend is no place for XX chromosome-types :lol:

[wilson]

Boy...I must have needed a nap worse than I though I did, because I just slept for a solid three hours.