Interesting Times (Was: Re: [cobalt-users] Re: Tech Support)

[Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 05:02 PM 2/5/00 -0500, you wrote:

> Wrong industry friend.  If I buy a Compaq from Sears, my support comes 
> from Compaq.
> When I bought my HP from Egghead, the support comes from HP.  When I buy 
> an IBM from
> Best Buy, the support comes from IBM.

True.

> The facts are that Cobalt sells the same way as the brands above.

Absolutely not.  There is a big difference between selling through 
resellers and selling through "Value Added Resellers" (VARs).  Frankly, I'm 
NOT going to go through a tutorial here; it's been discussed ad nauseum 
over the years in such publications as Computer Reseller News, and Smart 
Reseller.  Moans and groans over the years, too, as companies such as 
Compaq, HP and IBM have created no end of channel conflict and channel 
confusion by selling in both ways.  Read one of the good Value Added 
Reseller publications for rather complex and passionate discussions on both 
sides of the issue.

But importantly, at the bottom line, look at that term "Value 
Added".  Sears, Egghead, Best Buy, are hardly Value Added 
Resellers.  They're bulk box movers.

Value Added Resellers ADD VALUE.  They're expected to add value, under the 
contract they've got with the vendor (in this case Cobalt).  The value, in 
this case is support.

I sell a software package; it's a mail transport agent (such as Sendmail) 
that includes some features of a proxy (Squid) and a mailing-list server 
(Majordomo).  But it's a Windows-based product, not a Unix-based one.  You 
can find it at <www.mailtraqna.com>.

Want to resell it?  Fine.  You can get a nice discount and a link off our 
website.  But you need to sign a contract with us, and that contract says 
you'll be the first line of support for your own customers.  Yes, we offer 
24/7 support by telephone, by fax, and by email (and yes, we can charge for 
that support after 90 days, although frankly, we haven't done it yet, since 
most people don't call us after the 90 days).  And yes, we offer mailing 
lists where our clients can get a lot of self-help and interaction (similar 
to the cobalt-users list).  But the bottom line is that we expect our 
dealers to support our software.  And that's why, even though Mailtraq 
carries the Designed for Microsoft Windows logo, you won't find it at 
Sears, or Egghead, or Best Buy.

> And they should
> provide support that is just as good, IF they intend to survive.

Here, I think we agree partially.  They SHOULD supply tech support.  Even a 
high level of tech support.  But not for the reasons you state.  For a 
different reason:  because they sell it as an appliance.  And appliances 
are NOT sold to typical VAR customers.  Appliances are sold to 
non-knowledgeable end-users. By advertising it's product as an appliance, 
Cobalt holds it out as a different class of product than most 
computers.  It's now covered by consumer warranties, which are quite 
different than warranties that apply in commercial trade.  You did know, 
didn't you, that the Magnuson-Moss Warranty act DOES NOT cover your Dell 
computer but probably does cover your RaQ and Qube because of the way 
they're advertised, right?  And, by the way, Cobalt will probably deny that 
Magnuson-Moss covers them.  They'll probably parade a whole bunch of 
lawyers in front of you that tells you it doesn't.  My opinion (and 
although I'm not a lawyer, I've been writing consumer advocacy and 
muckraking columns for over ten years) is that because they hold the RaQs 
and Qubes to be appliances, they probably are.  The answer of course will 
be decided by juries, jurisdiction by jurisdiction, if and when any 
end-user/consumer decides to sue under it.  Or, more likely, by Cobalt, 
case by case, if and when they decide to settle.

If my RaQ is an appliance (which after all, is the way it's sold), I don't 
need a complex warranty.  I shouldn't need any complex level of customer 
support (just like I don't need it for my toaster or my washing 
machine).  I need repair when necessary (which can be supplied by either my 
dealer, Cobalt, service organizations designated by either, or independent 
service organizations I can pick and choose).  And I need to know if the 
appliance does the job I need done.  Just as I won't buy a two-cycle dryer 
when I need three cycles, and I won't buy a gas stove when I need electric, 
I won't buy an appliance that doesn't do the job I need done.

As you might imagine, the "appliance" designation isn't a mature one yet, 
in our industry; that's what the Magnuson-Moss warranty act is all 
about.  But lest you think the act helps YOU, the user/consumer, let me 
point out that the purpose of the act is to define how a manufacture can 
LIMIT his liability.  Want to know more about warranties?  Check out 
<http://www.freeadvice.com/gov_material/ftc-business-guide-to-fed-warranty-l 
aw-toc-5-87.htm>.

Cobalt may or may not sell me another RaQ (I'm renting the one I've got 
now, and can walk away from the month-to-month contract at any time).  Now 
that I know what a RaQ can and cannot due, frankly it depends on whether 
one fits my needs or not.  It's no coincidence that Linux has gotten to 
where it is today in spite of the fact that until recently no one company 
has offered "Customer Support".  And it's no wonder to me that Cobalt 
customers spend so much time demeaning current customer support; requesting 
better customer support.

I write a column called "Interesting Times"; it's a rather informative (and 
rather one-sided <grin>) discussion of how technology that's supposed to 
help us bites us instead.  It's name comes from an old Chinese curse: "May 
you live in Interesting Times."  And if I may close this post the way I 
often close one of my columns:

Cobalt is definitely a pioneer in this new class of product called 
"Internet Server Appliances."  And for Cobalt and its users, the next few 
years will indeed be Interesting Times.

Jeff Lasman