Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!rutgers!ucla-cs!zen!ucbvax!DRCVAX.ARPA!graham From: graham@DRCVAX.ARPA Newsgroups: comp.os.vms Subject: HOW TO BECOME A BETA TEST SITE FOR A DEC PRODUCT Message-ID: <8709041737.AA09523@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> Date: Fri, 4-Sep-87 08:22:00 EDT Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8709041737.AA09523 Posted: Fri Sep 4 08:22:00 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 5-Sep-87 18:35:10 EDT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Reply-To: Organization: The ARPA Internet Lines: 28 Greetings and Betafications, A netmember asks how to become a beta test site for a DEC product. There are a couple of things you should know. First, you need to be pretty active in the purchase of DEC products. This is not always true, but it helps tremendously. Second, DEC must not perceive you as being in competition with them. Third, you have to ask your local sales rep several times, and act like you might make big purchases if you like the beta test. If this is really true, it's the way to go. I do not advocate lying to your sales rep just to become a beta site though. We do about $1 million/year with DEC, and when we asked to be a beta site for VAX/SQL, they were happy to oblige. They had a special 800 phone number and database for problem reporting and listing answered questions. They even had a three day class for all the beta testers. As it turned out, we didn't think much of the product, and bought another SQL, but the beta test was interesting and we were pleased that DEC supports its beta sites so well. Dan Graham GRAHAM@DRCVAX.ARPA Vini, Vidi, Hacki ==> Insert standard disclaimer here <== ------