ESRI support policy and cost for Business Analyst

Question

Our company initially purchased Business Analyst 10.0 with the 2010 dataset
and later, upgraded with the 2011 dataset.
We were incredulous to find that when we upgraded to ArcGIS 10.1 (from 10.0)
that BA no longer worked. ESRI's response to that was that we had to shell out another
10+K to buy BA 10.1 We find this an unacceptable way to do business
amounting, in our view, to sharp practice.

However ESRI have now gone a step further. When we now solicit a price
for BA with 2013 data we are quoted $22K. Apparently we are required
to buy the 2012 data in order that we can get the 2013 data. Our beloved
CSR informs us that we are expected to buy BA every year in order to buy
the latest dataset. Perhaps the simplest solution is for us to just rename
our company and buy the blessed product as a new customer.

Our response to that is simple. We will never again buy software from
a company so lacking in ethics. We are actively trying to migrate to
Open SOurce solutions and will ditch ArcGIS as well.

RobertStevens · Answer

You have doubtless identified that as a customer I am not
very happy with ESRI.

BA is not a cheap product. We find that the datasets,
while doubtless containing much useful information,
do not meet our needs. Nonetheless some of the supplied
tools seem useful and we are keeping an open mind
about continuing to use BA.

But.. when we discover that ESRI refuse to maintain
interface compatibility between BA10.0 and ArcGIS
Desktop 10.1 we become incensed. So we cannot
upgrade to ArcGIS 10.1, use the improvements
and bug fixes therein, without shelling out another
12K for BA -- a product which we have already purchased.

This is a continuing pattern with ESRI. The software
is already expensive but when purchased one finds that
there is something missing, something which casual
evaluation would think ought to be included in
an expensive product, and which is only available
if one shells out several thousand more dollars.

I believe that not maintaining interoperability
between two products with, respectively, version numbers
10.0 and 10.1,  goes against generally accepted good software
standrads, and indeed amounts to sharp practice.

I may say also that these products seem to be chock
full of bugs and that their performance leaves
much to be desired.

Rob Stevens
NSW Corp.

MarkBerry · Answer

Hello Robert,
I see that your Business Analyst 10.0 maintenance expired in April 2012 after you received the 2011 Data Update. Discounted maintenance pricing is available to customers who continue maintenance each year.  If you skip 1.5 years, you need to purchase a new license or pay back maintenance, whichever is least expensive.  It appears that you may have been quoted the back maintenance when a new license would have been more cost effective.  I'm asking one of our senior Customer Service Representatives to contact you to explain the correct price.

Best regards,
MarkOur company initially purchased Business Analyst 10.0 with the 2010 dataset
and later, upgraded with the 2011 dataset.
We were incredulous to find that when we upgraded to ArcGIS 10.1 (from 10.0)
that BA no longer worked. ESRI's response to that was that we had to shell out another
10+K to buy BA 10.1 We find this an unacceptable way to do business
amounting, in our view, to sharp practice.

However ESRI have now gone a step further. When we now solicit a price
for BA with 2013 data we are quoted $22K. Apparently we are required
to buy the 2012 data in order that we can get the 2013 data. Our beloved
CSR informs us that we are expected to buy BA every year in order to buy
the latest dataset. Perhaps the simplest solution is for us to just rename
our company and buy the blessed product as a new customer.

Our response to that is simple. We will never again buy software from
a company so lacking in ethics. We are actively trying to migrate to
Open SOurce solutions and will ditch ArcGIS as well.