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Defining Corporate Con Games:
Making sense of Vaporware, and sidestepping product grifters. |
| by Heather Gately |
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Recently, in the iSeries world, there has been a lot of buzz on the street about Java servlets, and the future of Open Source applications. And, along with this buzz, there have been a number of debates about longevity of proprietary solutions versus open source solutions...leading to further buzz about what the future will bring.
 The first rule of "buzz" is to take it for what it is. Whenever buzz is generated, be it as unprecedented as a technological breakthrough such as Java servlets, or something as regulated as the Super Bowl, there are going to be people who think up ways to capitalize on the excitement... often in the form of scams. This wends its way into legitimate business every day. And, just the same way you wouldn't buy a ticket to the Super Bowl from a scalper for less than face value without concern for its legitimacy, you should be doubly careful of the source when buying software that your business is going to rely on.
This article is meant to serve as a basic overview of what to look for and what to avoid when choosing a tool vendor for application development.
Smoke and Mirrors.
Everyone knows about vaporware. But, one interesting fact about vaporware is that it is the direct result of a steep surge in true demand, coupled with the panic of perceived demand in the market. Due to the recent fast pace of technological breakthroughs, the last decade has been full of vaporware horror stories. And, application development software companies wear much of the blame. They have been notorious for publicizing capabilities before features are ready for public consumption, sometimes before they have even begun to be developed.
One simple way to prevent falling into the Vaporware trap as a consumer is to ask companies directly about the current user base, and whether or not you can speak to these users. If the product is live, chances are somebody out there is using it. Or check their site for case studies specific to what you are looking for, like this one on Java servlets at work in local government.
Another way to check on such capabilities is to sign up for a live demo. Have a company representative actually show you live how to build a Java servlet application with their product, or if you have the ability to attend a product lab, you can use the software yourself. This will give you the added bonus of witnessing the degree of difficulty.
Bait and Switch.
Another confidence game that is played on unsuspecting buyers with regard to new technologies is the old 'bait and switch.' A company may advertise that they have Java servlets, since it is bound to achieve added attention, but with a skilled sales person, it is not difficult to then convince a buyer that while this new technology they supposedly offer is getting a lot of hot press, in reality the best solution for the buyer would be the item they currently sell...in this example, perhaps, a CGI-based solution.
If you approach a company for one solution, and this happens to you, that does not necessarily mean that the salesperson is trying to scam you, but be knowledgeable about your options to ensure that the choices being offered to you are the right choices for you, and not just the right choices for them.
There's also the threat of being sold one bill of goods by a vendor, and realizing later on, that it is not the same bill of goods that you thought you were buying. Darwin Magazine recommends the following to avoid this issue: "Compare competing applications on the features they offer and the requirements they meet. Don't rely on the comparison information supplied by the software vendor; make your own comparison chart by listing key features and requirements and how each vendor addresses them. " Make sure, at all times, that it is your company's needs that are driving the sale.
Three Card Monty.
Sometimes what appears to be one thing can actually change before your very eyes. Brian Crowley, Director of Development at mrc, explains, "Software architecture has to be strategically and developmentally evolved to not only keep pace with each new technology, but to also be true to each new technological capability. For example, mrc has recently been promoting Java servlet capabilities because we are excited not only about servlet speed and reliability, but about their full portability, and the full range of application options that that affords our clients."
"However, that portability is only possible when the architecture behind the product is built correctly. In fact, I recently heard of a company promoting their Java servlet capabilities, but upon closer inspection these servlets are actually non-portable. In reality, they can only work with the iSeries platform because they are architecturally limited." By taking advantage of media accolades for the advantages of Java servlet applications, vendors are dressing their wolfish applications in the proverbial sheep's clothing to blend into the herd.
The sure thing.
There are a few ways to make sure that throughout this process, you remain on the same page with your vendor. 1) Put it in writing. Write down exactly what it is that you are looking for, to make it perfectly clear between parties. This has the added bonus of helping you to fully clarify in your own mind what it is that you really want. 2) Check out all of your options. Keep a grid comparing your highest priorities, and how each vendor matches up across the board.
"Because we've been very concerned about the number of confusing marketing messages out there, we wanted to show our customers and our prospects what Java servlets could do for them," explained Crowley.
"And, perhaps more importantly, we wanted this to be entirely risk-free for our clients. We figured 'what better way to show the benefits of true Java servlets than to actually show users firsthand what a custom-made Java servlet running on their machine could do for them?', and furthermore, how easy it is to build. That's why we've developed the "Get into BEDTM summer promotion, which allows users to see live Java servlet applications built over their own files, with the mrc-Productivity Series, for free."
For more information, please click here to fill out the following form, or you can read the latest press release for more details: http://www.mrc-productivity.com/news/pr07152003.html.
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