Old School? Really.
feddx
Posts: 183
in AMX Hardware
A rant. Sorry. This is my day.
A salesman with his head on fire just stopped in to ask what the turnaround on reprogramming an old system would be. Their projector just died and no one has the source. Of course they don't.
He described the system. 2 Displays, a DSP, a switcher and a few sources. Simple enough
I asked what they user interface was, he said a TXC-32 remote.
"Hmmmmm...."
"Any pictures?" I ask.
He shows me a few pictures. And I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry.
"That's an Axcent2." I tell him. He looks at me blankly.
"It's four generations behind the current processor and the last one was made over 20 years ago." Still nothing.
I tell him, "You need to explain to the client that even if we reprogram this, when this system fails, the only way to replace that device will be to buy something new, and then we will have to write new code for them again. The Axcent 2 barely uses AMX's early code, and new processors will work better if you use current code."
"So how long?" he asks.
Now it's my turn to stare. "50 hours. Maybe more," I tell him.
Now he wakes up. "Are you kidding me?" he asks incredulously. "You programmed a system twice this size, with VTC a month ago, and it wasn't that many hours!"
I reply, "It will take me a lot longer to figure out what they were doing with the system, and then try to reprogram that system for them with code I barely use, and AMX no longer supports (NS4 has no Axcess compiler), then it would for me to write new code using NetLinx on a new NX Master." I continued, "Now ask yourself, what would be more cost effective? Giving the client a new system with a new processor? Or reprogramming a system that is obsolete, over 20 years old, and cannot be replaced, all for the same price?"
He grumbled something about how he was going to talk to the client. No head on fire now, but certainly steaming.
I have in the past taken a hard stance. NO programming the Axcent 2 anymore. I have no problem programming Axcess, and still do the occasional Axcent 3, but I HATE the Axcent 2.
Am I alone in this? I understand the want for a client to stick with something that works (and FFS those old Axcent 2's keep going and going...) but even I am perplexed why a salesman wouldn't want to help himself, and his client by upgrading antiquated gear.
Just sharing to see what everyone else thinks.
I'd hate to think I keep that old XP laptop for no good reason.
A salesman with his head on fire just stopped in to ask what the turnaround on reprogramming an old system would be. Their projector just died and no one has the source. Of course they don't.
He described the system. 2 Displays, a DSP, a switcher and a few sources. Simple enough
I asked what they user interface was, he said a TXC-32 remote.
"Hmmmmm...."
"Any pictures?" I ask.
He shows me a few pictures. And I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry.
"That's an Axcent2." I tell him. He looks at me blankly.
"It's four generations behind the current processor and the last one was made over 20 years ago." Still nothing.
I tell him, "You need to explain to the client that even if we reprogram this, when this system fails, the only way to replace that device will be to buy something new, and then we will have to write new code for them again. The Axcent 2 barely uses AMX's early code, and new processors will work better if you use current code."
"So how long?" he asks.
Now it's my turn to stare. "50 hours. Maybe more," I tell him.
Now he wakes up. "Are you kidding me?" he asks incredulously. "You programmed a system twice this size, with VTC a month ago, and it wasn't that many hours!"
I reply, "It will take me a lot longer to figure out what they were doing with the system, and then try to reprogram that system for them with code I barely use, and AMX no longer supports (NS4 has no Axcess compiler), then it would for me to write new code using NetLinx on a new NX Master." I continued, "Now ask yourself, what would be more cost effective? Giving the client a new system with a new processor? Or reprogramming a system that is obsolete, over 20 years old, and cannot be replaced, all for the same price?"
He grumbled something about how he was going to talk to the client. No head on fire now, but certainly steaming.
I have in the past taken a hard stance. NO programming the Axcent 2 anymore. I have no problem programming Axcess, and still do the occasional Axcent 3, but I HATE the Axcent 2.
Am I alone in this? I understand the want for a client to stick with something that works (and FFS those old Axcent 2's keep going and going...) but even I am perplexed why a salesman wouldn't want to help himself, and his client by upgrading antiquated gear.
Just sharing to see what everyone else thinks.
I'd hate to think I keep that old XP laptop for no good reason.
0
Comments
Paul
Not all salesman are bad. And usually this guy isn't. But he's being short-sighted this time.
He could make a sale, make a little commission money on the new gear, help his client out, all for right around the same money. It's always surprising to me when a salesman is so willing to spend my time especially when there is a serious reduction in cost of my time is he'd get new equipment.
I do see it a lot, but still it is surprising.
Well many salespeople are afraid of their clients, especially AMX clients who tend to be wealthy and can be demanding, and fear usually trumps greed. So while the commission may be much better on a complete upgrade of the system to modern spec, and its better for the AV company and the client as well, the fear of blow back from the client when they tell them what it will cost easily overrides any benefit in increased commissions. At least that's what I've noticed. I hope you get it worked out.
Paul
If we had flatly said NO, new or nothing at any prior point along this path without trying, we'd have gotten nothing, and some hack would make yet another wedge for them, and so it goes. Now we're looking at a major job and a customer who trusts us implicitly.
But most important, nothing of this is supported by AMX anymore, they won't even give out RMA's for NI-x000 anymore, and most, if not all NI-x100's. Or any equipment from that time period. So no more repairs on dead RS232 ports.
Quote:
So, I don't think it makes sense to invest time and the customer's money into 'upgrading' equipment that could die anytime, with the only option to throw it away Although AMX seems to think that I should be 'delighted' about this, I'm really not. It does mean that you probably have to make a disclaimer when programatically upgrading AMX equipment older than 3 years, that the investment made would have to done again (whole or in part) when the equipment dies.