The Impact of Client Server on User Support Needs

4 Pages·1994·0.43 MB·English

INPUT
A Publication from INPUT’S Software Product Support Programme - Europe
Vol. No. 6 November 1994
I,
The Impact on
of Client/server
User Support Needs
As the movement to client/server (C/S) Cost reduction resulting from competitive
computing accelerates, users are increasingly open support providers is a route pioneered by
faced with new support challenges radically hardware support organisations, and is now
different from those appropriate to a being followed by software support firms.
centralised mainframe environment. Exhibit 1 illustrates this broad trend in
support markets.
Supporting the relatively mature mainframe
or medium system-centric systems has
become a market characterised by cost control
issues.
Exhibit 1
Software Support Enters the Open Market
Source: INPUT
©1994 by INPUT. Reproduction prohibited. MSSP-E
INPUT Research
Bulletin
In contrast, support for client/server Support Needs Grow as Client/Server
Goes
computing presenting completely new Enterprisewide
is
challenges to vendors.
Exhibit 2 shows results from a recent survey
INPUT research indicates three main user indicating increasing reliance on external
concerns: support, as a result of adoption of client/server
computing at an enterprise level. In contrast
• The availability of support users adopting client/server, only at the
departmental level, reported, on average, a
The development of relationships with
• lower level of requirement.
support providers
• The improvement in client/server skills
amongst their own staff
Exhibit 2
Change User Support Need
in
Following Transition to Client/Server
Departmental
Enterprise-wide
Source: INPUT
Enterprise-wide users, not surprisingly, were • Greater dependence on the new systems
far more aware of the importance of support,
and were better able to articulate the reasons • The need for new skill sets
why their support needs had changed;
• Staffing increases
reasons given included:
• Greater complexity of client/server
applications
2
©1994 by INPUT. Reproduction prohibited.
INPUT Research
Bulletin
These comments contrast sharply with the Evidently, once the transition to client/server
reasons given by organisations who had only has been made, a significant proportion of
implemented departmental client/server organisations appreciate the difficulties of
systems. Their comments included: managing multiple supplier relationships in a
highly distributed computing environment. In
• "Client/server systems are more robust" consequence they favour utilising one vendor
to overcome this issue.
• "The cost of supporting client/server is
certainly less" Additionally, several respondents expressed
concern about the ability of their internal IS
• "The department planned it that way" groups to provide adequate support for
client/server computing, and considered the
Vendor Preferences for Client/Server
use of external client/server expertise to be a
Support
vital requirement.
User opinion, as reflected in INPUT'S recent
In client/server environments, the issue
survey, indicated that the majority of users
appears to be less whether to use external
saw the transition to client/server as an
vendors for support, but how to select the best
opportunity to escape vendor lock-in, and (in
firms to support the environment effectively.
the words of one respondent) "w^elcomed the
ability to switch between service suppliers if Exhibit 3 shows user's expressed preference
necessary".
for different categories of client/server
computing support.
INPUT
Previous research has indicated,
however, that about one third of the market The only vendor grouping to obtain a strong
prefers to use just one organisation for rating was equipment vendors; indicating the
support, once client/server systems have been
need perhaps for stronger client/server
implemented.
marketing messages to be conveyed by other
types of vendor.
3 ©1994 by INPUT. Reproduction prohibited.
INPUT Research
Bulletin
Exhibit 3
Suitability of Suppliers of Client/Server Support
Equipment Vendor 3.8
PC Vendor
Central IS
Local IS
Independent
Software
Network Equipment
Vendor
Dealer/Dlstributor
Independent
Maintenance
H
1
1
3 4 5
Unsuitable Very Suitable
Source: INPUT
This Research Bulletin is issued as part of INPUT'S Software Product Support Programme—Europe. If you
have questions or comments on this bulletin, please call your local INPUT organisation or Peter Lines at
WIX
INPUT, 17 Hill Street, London, 7FB, UK, [phone].
(0)
4
©1994 by INPUT. Reproduction prohibited.