RSSBig software support more ephemeral than ever?
Even as proprietary software gears up for the fight of its life against cloud-based and free, open-source alternatives, is one of the big remaining advantages it holds in the battle evaporating in the face of recessionary pressures?
TechFlash is reporting that among the hardest hit personnel areas in last years layoffs were in product support and consulting services… the two arms of the company that have the most interaction with customers in need of assistance. This comes even as the company's support policies were being tightened in recent years, slimming down from free phone support and moving more toward online self-help and paid phone support services.
It's too soon to say what effect the layoffs have had in long-term customer care, and it's also worth noting that even as support services have become a smaller and smaller area of focus for major software manufacturers, part of the reason is simply that they have become better at turning out software that generates fewer support cases. Say what you will about Windows 7, it's simply more reliable and easier to use than its predecessors… meaning that perhaps support cuts are due regardless of financial state.
Nonetheless, it's harder and harder for big software makers to claim that their leverage over FOSS alternatives is their degree of support when they continue to trim their own support offerings.
