Why not to use subscription software (or why Oracle and SAP are evil)
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Following up to a discussion on here yesterday, about why you would or wouldn't use subscription software, this interesting article showed up in my feed: Oracle & SAP are waging a secret war against third-party support | ITProPortal[^] I haven't fact checked the article, so I don't know how much of it is true, but I don't read anything that sounds odd to me. The idea is that you pay huge sums to use ("regular") Oracle and SAP software and about 90% of it is profit for them. The other 10% is for bug fixing and updates. Now there are other companies who gladly take up on that bug fixing and updating for only half the price, which is a problem for Oracle and SAP. One of the tactics of fighting these third-party support providers is by moving customers to their SaaS offering. These SaaS offerings aren't necessarily cheaper or more expensive, but because it's SaaS, the software is hosted on servers owned by Oracle and SAP. Meaning Oracle and SAP are in charge and third-party support providers can't access it anymore. So there's a reason not to use subscription software, or SaaS, I guess, since the "regular" software required support contracts as well. And more specifically, a good reason not to use Oracle or SAP, but I don't think we needed more of those :laugh:
Best, Sander sanderrossel.com Migrating Applications to the Cloud with Azure arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly
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Following up to a discussion on here yesterday, about why you would or wouldn't use subscription software, this interesting article showed up in my feed: Oracle & SAP are waging a secret war against third-party support | ITProPortal[^] I haven't fact checked the article, so I don't know how much of it is true, but I don't read anything that sounds odd to me. The idea is that you pay huge sums to use ("regular") Oracle and SAP software and about 90% of it is profit for them. The other 10% is for bug fixing and updates. Now there are other companies who gladly take up on that bug fixing and updating for only half the price, which is a problem for Oracle and SAP. One of the tactics of fighting these third-party support providers is by moving customers to their SaaS offering. These SaaS offerings aren't necessarily cheaper or more expensive, but because it's SaaS, the software is hosted on servers owned by Oracle and SAP. Meaning Oracle and SAP are in charge and third-party support providers can't access it anymore. So there's a reason not to use subscription software, or SaaS, I guess, since the "regular" software required support contracts as well. And more specifically, a good reason not to use Oracle or SAP, but I don't think we needed more of those :laugh:
Best, Sander sanderrossel.com Migrating Applications to the Cloud with Azure arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly
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Following up to a discussion on here yesterday, about why you would or wouldn't use subscription software, this interesting article showed up in my feed: Oracle & SAP are waging a secret war against third-party support | ITProPortal[^] I haven't fact checked the article, so I don't know how much of it is true, but I don't read anything that sounds odd to me. The idea is that you pay huge sums to use ("regular") Oracle and SAP software and about 90% of it is profit for them. The other 10% is for bug fixing and updates. Now there are other companies who gladly take up on that bug fixing and updating for only half the price, which is a problem for Oracle and SAP. One of the tactics of fighting these third-party support providers is by moving customers to their SaaS offering. These SaaS offerings aren't necessarily cheaper or more expensive, but because it's SaaS, the software is hosted on servers owned by Oracle and SAP. Meaning Oracle and SAP are in charge and third-party support providers can't access it anymore. So there's a reason not to use subscription software, or SaaS, I guess, since the "regular" software required support contracts as well. And more specifically, a good reason not to use Oracle or SAP, but I don't think we needed more of those :laugh:
Best, Sander sanderrossel.com Migrating Applications to the Cloud with Azure arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly
Maintaining the "servers" is (vendor) systems programming IMO (in the case of Oracle / SAP cloud subscriptions); you still need database "administrators" / designers "locally". "Fixes", 24/7 and backups, are vendor problems. Subscription costs tend to creep though if you don't keep an eye on them. It all still depends on the smallest hose you'll be going through.
It was only in wine that he laid down no limit for himself, but he did not allow himself to be confused by it. ― Confucian Analects: Rules of Confucius about his food
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Following up to a discussion on here yesterday, about why you would or wouldn't use subscription software, this interesting article showed up in my feed: Oracle & SAP are waging a secret war against third-party support | ITProPortal[^] I haven't fact checked the article, so I don't know how much of it is true, but I don't read anything that sounds odd to me. The idea is that you pay huge sums to use ("regular") Oracle and SAP software and about 90% of it is profit for them. The other 10% is for bug fixing and updates. Now there are other companies who gladly take up on that bug fixing and updating for only half the price, which is a problem for Oracle and SAP. One of the tactics of fighting these third-party support providers is by moving customers to their SaaS offering. These SaaS offerings aren't necessarily cheaper or more expensive, but because it's SaaS, the software is hosted on servers owned by Oracle and SAP. Meaning Oracle and SAP are in charge and third-party support providers can't access it anymore. So there's a reason not to use subscription software, or SaaS, I guess, since the "regular" software required support contracts as well. And more specifically, a good reason not to use Oracle or SAP, but I don't think we needed more of those :laugh:
Best, Sander sanderrossel.com Migrating Applications to the Cloud with Azure arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly
Funnily enough, you don't seem to mind Azure that much.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello Never stop dreaming - Freddie Kruger
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Software subscriptions make no sense to the customer, it's user hostile.
Depends on the product. Seems perfectly fine for MMORPG's, for example.
Best, Sander sanderrossel.com Migrating Applications to the Cloud with Azure arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly
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Funnily enough, you don't seem to mind Azure that much.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello Never stop dreaming - Freddie Kruger
I don't, and I don't mind subscription software at all actually. As long as prices are fair and you get worth for your money. In the case of Azure, I know what a server would cost me, and how much time I'd spend maintaining that server. Choosing Azure for my web app is more cost effective in the short run, probably more expensive in the long run, but a lot easier for both me and my customers. I say, that's good worth for my customer's money (obviously, I don't pay for their environments). I say Azure because I know the platform, but I'm sure AWS and GC could be equally cost effective. In a reply above, I gave the example of World of Warcraft, which I think totally justifies the monthly subscription. In the case of Oracle and SAP, it obviously isn't, because I can get support for half the price somewhere else. I also don't like the PlayStation Plus subscription, which allows me to play online with friends. I already pay for my internet and the PlayStation obviously has the ability to connect to that internet so I can play with friends. They're not running any servers for it, as far as I know, so why the heck do I have to pay extra for it!? Unfortunately, I don't have an alternative if I want to play online with friends, so I pay their price.
Best, Sander sanderrossel.com Migrating Applications to the Cloud with Azure arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly
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I don't, and I don't mind subscription software at all actually. As long as prices are fair and you get worth for your money. In the case of Azure, I know what a server would cost me, and how much time I'd spend maintaining that server. Choosing Azure for my web app is more cost effective in the short run, probably more expensive in the long run, but a lot easier for both me and my customers. I say, that's good worth for my customer's money (obviously, I don't pay for their environments). I say Azure because I know the platform, but I'm sure AWS and GC could be equally cost effective. In a reply above, I gave the example of World of Warcraft, which I think totally justifies the monthly subscription. In the case of Oracle and SAP, it obviously isn't, because I can get support for half the price somewhere else. I also don't like the PlayStation Plus subscription, which allows me to play online with friends. I already pay for my internet and the PlayStation obviously has the ability to connect to that internet so I can play with friends. They're not running any servers for it, as far as I know, so why the heck do I have to pay extra for it!? Unfortunately, I don't have an alternative if I want to play online with friends, so I pay their price.
Best, Sander sanderrossel.com Migrating Applications to the Cloud with Azure arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly
Can't say anything about SAP (except that the Germans tell me it's an abbreviation for Schreck Angst Panik) But I used to work with Oracle at my old job, and the cost for the support includes all upgrades and updates of the software which has to be said is the greater part of the support cost. In fact, the comparison to SQL Server was a breakeven if we would have kept upgrading it to the latest version. Also, I used to work with Crystal Reports before SAP bought it. It's the most aggravating piece of software I have ever worked with. To the level that I swapped it out for DevExpress. (In hindsight, that was one of the best decisions I've made work wise.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello Never stop dreaming - Freddie Kruger
