Allen Bradley Software Practices

I just recently purchased Drive Executive from my Rockwell Automation distributor, so I went online to verify it was the latest version and had no patches. When I went to the update site it showed a message serial number not in database,so I called tech support, bet you will never guess what I found out. They did have my software registered to me, but they told me that the software support went out the day you purchase it. What ever happened to service what you sell? But they did tell me I could purchase a support agreement for a year for a fee.

Try this - (and I love AB products & the local rep, BTW)

Had a couple of questions about capabilities of a frequency drive with Ethernet/IP installed. Called up Rockwell, operator needed the Catalog Number, not the part number.

Got it off the AB website, OK. Next she demands my support authorization #. I explain to her I don't need one, this is pre sales engineering, connect me to the correct people. She declines, I tell her alright, I'll buy someone else's solution for this project, and hang up.

I couldn't believe she wanted me to have a support contract in place (which I do, I didn't have the # on me), to speak to pre sales.

MAJOR TURN OFF!!!!

welcome to AB

Ab

The lack of a first year free support no longer exists with AB. They now require you to get "Direct Connect" support. They charge you based on the number of processors in your plant and what type of software you use. Regular RSLogix is one price then if you use HMI software, SQL software, or others the price continues to go up. There are different options as well. 24/7 support, 8am-5pm, online email support only. This again changes the price.

They are forcing you to use your AB rep as a front line of support before calling and hopefully getting someone to understand and aswer your problem correctly.

I used to be able to upgrade software for around $400-1000 and now they want $9000 due to all the processors in my plant, annually. Great to have the largest piece of the pie in the market. I'm not sure they want to keep it...

For what it's worth, here are some clarifications on what the two of you experienced. This is by no means a comprehensive explanation and I am apprehensive about reading another thread about technical support.

The way Rockwell Automation provides technical support is through a program called "Tech Connect". Your Tech Connect contract number entitles you to software updates, firmware updates, e-mail technical support and telephone technical support. You can buy Tech Connect in several variations, from web and limited phone support to 24/7 phone support from the worldwide support system, and it's scaled to the amount of hardware you are supporting, rather than to the number of software licenses for each software product.

You no longer have support that's tied to individual software license numbers. It used to be pretty disorganized; you had to pay a bunch of different support fees on different software packages that expired at different times.

The downside of unifying all the software under a "support contract" is that you don't get the "one year of support included" with each new software license purchase. If you did, we'd be back to square one.

Often I get the question "but I just bought something new... shouldn't it be supported for free" ?

There are two kinds of free support in Tech Connect.

The first is "New Customer" contracts. These are very simple; if you are buying one of a category of products for the first time, you get a free 1-year Tech Connect contract. An eligible example is a competitive product user who buys RSLogix 5000 for the first time; he gets 1-year New Customer contract. An inelegible example is a PLC/SLC user who buys RSLogix 5000 for the first time, because he is considered an existing user.

The second is a "Grace Period" contract. This system is meant to bring more people into the fold, not drive them out. So if you do not have a Tech Connect contract, or yours has expired, your phone call request triggers a Grace Period contract and you get 90 days of support, as well as a quote to get your Tech Connect contract underway. Once that 90 days has elapsed, you need to purchase a Tech Connect contract to continue receiving support.

In the case of nswu1, you sound like you're already an A-B user, but your DriveExecutive package is new. If your company has refused to purchase a Tech Connect contract, and you have exhausted your 90 day grace period, that's why you were told you need to purchase a contract.

In the case of CroCop, this is just a change in policy. A few years ago, Tech Support decided it was a great idea to perform pre-sales engineering and support. Eventually it was decided that this function was better served by distributor and local office sales and product specialists, so the "free pre-sales support" function was discontinued. You can still talk to Tech Support engineers about pre-sales questions if you wish, but not for free.

In both of your cases, it sounds like maybe the eligibility issue was bobbled a little bit on Rockwell's side. Have a little sympathy for the poor screeners on the phone queue, and go have a talk with your A-B distributor to understand what Tech Connect option is right for you.

Ken Roach said:

In the case of CroCop, this is just a change in policy. A few years ago, Tech Support decided it was a great idea to perform pre-sales engineering and support. Eventually it was decided that this function was better served by distributor and local office sales and product specialists, so the "free pre-sales support" function was discontinued. You can still talk to Tech Support engineers about pre-sales questions if you wish, but not for free.

In both of your cases, it sounds like maybe the eligibility issue was bobbled a little bit on Rockwell's side. Have a little sympathy for the poor screeners on the phone queue, and go have a talk with your A-B distributor to understand what Tech Connect option is right for you.

Click to expand...

I'll put it this way, it doesn't ring right that they don't have a quick & easy pre-sales engineer available for their line of great, capable products, of which I'm a pretty good user, but by no means know all.

I had a chat with my local rep (good dude) and he's going to either answer or get any answer I need (about product capabilities & pre-sales stuff) within a day. Fair enough.

I'm that guy !

Ken Roach said:

I'm that guy !

Click to expand...

Kewl.
Like I said, my local guy is awesome.
But I still don't expect him to know all aspects of every product.

Ken Roach said:

For what it's worth, here are some clarifications on what the two of you experienced. This is by no means a comprehensive explanation and I am apprehensive about reading another thread about technical support.

The way Rockwell Automation provides technical support is through a program called "Tech Connect". Your Tech Connect contract number entitles you to software updates, firmware updates, e-mail technical support and telephone technical support. You can buy Tech Connect in several variations, from web and limited phone support to 24/7 phone support from the worldwide support system, and it's scaled to the amount of hardware you are supporting, rather than to the number of software licenses for each software product.

You no longer have support that's tied to individual software license numbers. It used to be pretty disorganized; you had to pay a bunch of different support fees on different software packages that expired at different times.

The downside of unifying all the software under a "support contract" is that you don't get the "one year of support included" with each new software license purchase. If you did, we'd be back to square one.

Often I get the question "but I just bought something new... shouldn't it be supported for free" ?

There are two kinds of free support in Tech Connect.

The first is "New Customer" contracts. These are very simple; if you are buying one of a category of products for the first time, you get a free 1-year Tech Connect contract. An eligible example is a competitive product user who buys RSLogix 5000 for the first time; he gets 1-year New Customer contract. An inelegible example is a PLC/SLC user who buys RSLogix 5000 for the first time, because he is considered an existing user.

The second is a "Grace Period" contract. This system is meant to bring more people into the fold, not drive them out. So if you do not have a Tech Connect contract, or yours has expired, your phone call request triggers a Grace Period contract and you get 90 days of support, as well as a quote to get your Tech Connect contract underway. Once that 90 days has elapsed, you need to purchase a Tech Connect contract to continue receiving support.

In the case of nswu1, you sound like you're already an A-B user, but your DriveExecutive package is new. If your company has refused to purchase a Tech Connect contract, and you have exhausted your 90 day grace period, that's why you were told you need to purchase a contract.

In the case of CroCop, this is just a change in policy. A few years ago, Tech Support decided it was a great idea to perform pre-sales engineering and support. Eventually it was decided that this function was better served by distributor and local office sales and product specialists, so the "free pre-sales support" function was discontinued. You can still talk to Tech Support engineers about pre-sales questions if you wish, but not for free.

In both of your cases, it sounds like maybe the eligibility issue was bobbled a little bit on Rockwell's side. Have a little sympathy for the poor screeners on the phone queue, and go have a talk with your A-B distributor to understand what Tech Connect option is right for you.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the explanation Ken. I expreienced this problem about a month ago after purchasing RS Logix 5000. I just want to say the Bottom Line is I will not buy anymore software or products from Rockwell or Allen Bradley unless tech support is included. The QUOTE PRICE will include tech support. Rockwell and Allen Bradley products are already over priced, I hope they can compete. You can explain all you want, but everyone I've talked to thinks that if you buy software, tech support for a 1 year period should be included.

AB the antichrist?

Take all the letters in the english alphabet. Assign each to a numeric code...it's positional weight times 6.

So:
A=6
B=12
C=18
and so on.

Now add up the values of common words.

Allen Bradley = 666
Computer = 666

Coincidence?
LOL

How long did it take you to think of that???
Regards Alan

It's weird, huh?

You know, I haven't found any other meaniingful words or combinations of words that adds up like that.

Many years ago, I wrote a Qbasic program to scan .txt files and use the code above to print the words that are "satanic" (=666). It only found a few odd combinations of short words other than those two...

I am a old AB user and no I havent used the 90 day support, I just recieved the software 10 days ago. Although I have been using more Automation Direct lately. I do think this will break the ties I once had with AB. If anyone else did this it would be called strong arming or extortion. If this is their practice it should be stated to the consumer before the transaction is taken place. I sure wish I could charge a more then premium price for a service and then not have to service or support it after the check has cleared.

To OkiePC: I think 'positional weight times 6' is rather artificial. How about just 'positional weight'? Do any words make it then? (As if it matters at all.) What about if the words are written in Aramaic? That's closer to the biblical languages. How about in Mandarin Chinese? Thats the most used primary language. How about in Klingon? The possibilities are nearly endless. The relevance to anything meaningful is the reciprocal of that.

This is not some sort of bait-and-switch or underhanded thing. Tech Connect has been a prominent part of Rockwell's business for the past five years and it's featured in a lot of our literature and websites.

NSWU1, go to your Rockwell Automation dealer and talk with them about your circumstances regarding your support contract.

Please.