Email sent to mgr @ Corporate that could use some "USER FEEDBACK"
This is an email i sent recently to someone at sw soft corporate, that might fit well into this post (especially since if the "multiple release versions" was part of plesk's business model, those of us who are willing could get the "immediate fix" for slowness - AND OTHER ISSUES - as soon as it was completed instead of waiting for the final release):
"I was holding off for sometime on the next plesk release, as well as trying to find another option to get a packaged software on my windows server that requires PHP5. My customers have been waiting for quite awhile for us to re-launch with this new infrastructure, and this is putting almost everything on hold for us. We have almost no web interaction with our customers, since our main system has to be down. I hope this client experience can help you gain better insight into other customers urgent needs. One thing I definitely feel is better in Cpanel’s business model was to offer different levels of releases. I think they had 3 levels of automatic daily updates to the server.
These automated update levels that each client selects for their control panel range from a “Fully Stable†to “Bleeding Edge†release. If you had this as even a “non-default optionâ€, I would pick the Bleeding Edge release of Plesk, since my need for PHP5 is more critical than waiting for the stable official release. Options (even if they are limited) are always good for clients.
This will also allow clients that want to be deeply involved in helping you make a better product, be in essence, beta testers that ALSO PAY for your product (the also pay part by cpanel is a bit fishy, but many of us still preferred to choose the bleeding edge earlier release – which eventually updated to the stable release when out). I for one am willing to provide free feedback and I’m sure there are many out there like me who would be willing to pay, as well as beta test, newer ALMOST STABLE releases. From a client management perspective, I also recommend maybe giving these beta tester clients (who are also paying for your product) a private line to give quicker feedback on what needs to be fixed urgently or improved in a future release.
Here’s your response on “By the way, could you tell me a bit more about your company, your plans, what we are not doing right for your business, what should we do so you can sell more Plesk and other SWsoft products to customers?â€
I set up Next Wave Network LLC in October of 2003 to be more of a parent company of several leveraged services. Our core product is Next Contact, which provides a revolutionary toolset to sales professionals. We emphasize the ability to use our automated technology to help these sales executives build stronger relationships with their clients. For example, we can send personalized greeting cards to all their clients with predefined text, personal signatures, on schedule, etc. We also utilize sophisticated IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems to provide TTS or real voice dynamic phone surveys. Next Contact is basically a communications system that allows a sales person to actually get out there and do what they do best. Build a relationship in person and connect instead of wasting time writing cards, calling busy signals, leaving voicemails, etc. We also have other divisions like
www.mleaders.com and in the plans to eventually get into the hosting business since it’s a good leverage to equipment we already manage. So we will probably be doing more business in the future.
I guess the only other suggestion I can think of for Plesk, in addition to the various release versions of your auto-updates is to
1. make sure there is an “option†to automate the updates on a daily basis and
2. allow your clients who are willing to be on the bleeding edge release to get access to a “Beta Tester Direct Research†number or extension (even if they are with the planet or another similar host).
If there is anything else I can help you with, don’t hesitate to let me know (now or in the future)."
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