Rockwell Software Support-Renew or not?

OK, we are an OEM and have been using AB/Rockwell products and services for almost 15 years and we have always tried to keep our software in support. The last 2 years we have renewed using the Tech Connect program which encompasses all our Rockwell products. Supposedly you can't renew support for individual products anymore. We are a small company and the cost of this support is quite a sizeable hit. In the past we renewed with the mid level of support which gives you Monday to Friday 8 to 4 phone support. We are thinking about going with the E-Connect which gives us software updates but no phone support. We are responsible for maintaining several Micrologix and SLC based systems, ie our customers call us when they have a problem. We can call our local AB distributor but they are not always available. What are some of you guys doing now in regards to support?

Randy

support?

a lot of us are using plcs.net

IMHO

I used to complain alot about the service contract thing - in my heart-of-hearts, I don't think you shaould have to pay at all. But since most companies (except Unitronics, ) are going this route, I made a decision not to hold it against AB anymore.

That said, we got the support contract at the DirectConnect level, and I have been impressed and pleased. We're working with a Plantmetrics system right now, and the support has been stellar. I or my IT guy can call on just about anything, no matter how far out we think it is, and they have an answer in a couple of minutes.

Consider this - if you have one or two PLCs with no fancy stuff (networks, servo drives, scada) then it's probably more than you need. But if you have that many machines out there, with that many customers relying on YOU to come through, then phone support is essential, at minimum. And I find AB support to be worth the $$$

TM

We go the E-Connect route. As an OEM we are typically not under the gun so much that we can't wait a day for an answer. We also have enough internal experience that we don't get into much trouble in the first place. Lastly our local distributor has a VERY good internal tech support group. I don't think I've actually talked to a Rockwell guy in over four years. We keep up support mostly for the software upgrades. And, as the mystery poster said, the people on this forum are pretty bright. You can get quite a bit of help that way.

Keith

Timothy,

This has always been my attitude about support also. I hate to think about being at a customers site and not have this resource. It's just getting harder to justify it to the powers that be.

R.

Keith,

The e-connect is actually what we are considering this year. I have also used the Rockwell knowledge base a lot.

R.

We are kinda of a self-supporting end user, downtime is a killer.
But we are using the e-connect, mostly to get the software upgrades. We almost never have to call AB support, once every year or two.
Plus the local AB dealer has one decent person on staff.

And you do get unlimed online support.


I liked it a lot better, when hardware support was free, and you only had to pay for software, almost every problem we've every had was hardware related.

I pay for tech connect, with some reluctance. It is actually a little cheaper than the old program, but not significantly.

However, a couple of comments:

1) You do not have to pay for support on every package or product you have. For example, I am never again going to use the Enhanced PanelView, so I'm not paying for support on its programming package. You may have to raise cain with your distributor, but you can do it.

2) Obviously, you can't expect support on packages where you don't pay for it.

RANT ALERT

3) Despite the fact that you are paying thousands of dollars for this support, Rockwell doesn't automatically send you updates or upgrades on the products covered. Rockwell doesn't even automatically send you notices that there are upgrades available for covered products. ROCKWELL DOESN'T EVEN AUTOMATICALLY SEND A GENERAL NOTICE OF AVAILABLE UPGRADES ON A ROUTINE BASIS. Theoretically if you go to the support website and check the right fields you will get the upgrades, but we have found a lot of exceptions to that too.

RANT OFF

If you are doing on going development you almost have to bite the bullet and pay for the support - there are too many product upgrades that suddenly make the firmware in the PLC you just purchased incompatible with the version of the software.

A different point of view.......

First off, let me say that I am an end user and that our company has standardized on AB hardware. Perhaps I have been spoiled by the fact that our company has always been receptive to purchasing programming software for PLC's, HMI's, etc. because they believe that if we can support ourselves, we should. Therefore, I have always felt that when an OEM hands off a system to me after the final FAT has been done, it is MY responsibility to support that system, including the hardware. Therefore, we have a TechConnect contract of our own, which often makes us less dependent on the OEM.

I know that some of you guys deal with customers that don't understand what true ownership of a system means, and some of them just don't have the resources available to maintain the system, so I admire your patience and diligence in providing them with the support that they all too often aren't grateful for. For me, dealing with an OEM that has their own support channel to AB or any other manufacturer is a blessing.

Jeff

Tom,

The thing about the notices for upgrades has always puzzled me too. It's my understanding that they are supposed to be doing some kind of coordinated release like once or twice a year. However I have not received any updates in over 6 months even though I know some of my products have new versions.

While we are a smaller panel shop, we do use a good number of plcs. We had paid in the past to get support, but as of January 1, NO MORE! So, if we have a problem, we have to figure it out, call a friend, come here for help, or do without. As budgets get tighter, I see more companies doing that, too! If it becomes a problem, no more Allen Bradley. We appreciate those companies that offer free assistance, like we have to provide.

Paul

Tom Jenkins said:

notices that there are upgrades available for covered products. ROCKWELL DOESN'T EVEN AUTOMATICALLY SEND A GENERAL NOTICE OF AVAILABLE UPGRADES ON A ROUTINE BASIS.

Click to expand...

You can sign up for a weekly email for updates.

As an OEM, we are under a plan in which we pay on a per-engineer basis. All software is set for upgrades, regardless. My AI software that was out of support came back in. Since I am the only engineer, I think it was a little cheaper for us than under the old plan.

I know the end-users pay on a per-PLC basis which can be costly.

Since so many of our customer specify AB, there is no question that we will pay for the support plan.

I cannot recommend whether you should renew. I have not used their tech support, so I can't make the judgement on if it is a true value or not.

I wouldn't pay for tech support, unless there was no other way. The first 8 years I was invloved with plc's, it was all Allen bradley. I didn't know that there was anything other then manuals or the local sales rep for support.

If renewing your AB tech support in some small way will help Ken keep his job, and help keep him here on the plcs.net as a valuable resource, then by all means RENEW!

regards.....casey

As Rick mentioned you can sign up for weekly email updates. I get an email every Friday afternoon without fail.

Free support (like this site) is great when you can get it, but more and more companies are moving to a similar support model.

Companies used to rake in the dollars on hardware so they could afford to give away software or support. As hardware prices drive down, the added cost of software and/or support becomes much more obvious to us. I'm sure many of you remember hardly blinking an eye at paying $5,000 or more for 6200 DOS software.

Also, consider for a moment, 10 or 15 years ago how many people were calling for tech support? Do you think that number has increased or decreased? Also, have these newer controllers become more or less complicated to use?

OG

Sometimes there is a lot to be said for old technology. The older stuph was sure a lot easier to use.

Though some of the new functions do come in handy! And some plc's have expanded math functions that really help.

Back in the dark ages, I loved board drafting, but eventually succomb to CAD. I was happy with AutoCAD 11, had more capabilities then I thought I'd ever need. Then I got 12. Still more then I use. I did have the opportunity at Komatsu to convert a CAD drawing BACK to a manual drawing, and successful got it past change control. While only a minor victory, I felt like I won the WAR at the time.

regards.....casey