Yeah, do you guys know why you want 6.4?
Your reseller may be thinking:
1. We have an obligation to keep our clients on the latest version of the Aloha Product if that is the service level they are seeking. There are also penalties for going off of software maintenance and trying to get back on it later. Without software maintenance, clients are not entitled to software upgrades. Software maintenance contracts are greatly under Radiant control and little under reseller control.
2. We don't want to upgrade the software too soon because early releases are ALWAYS "buggy" and the reseller ALWAYS gets blamed for this! Radiant does the best they can to work out all bugs and problems but the honest truth is this is very difficult considering the huge number of variables that occur in the "real world." The reseller client often suffers for this.
3. It is much safer to do our won testing in our lab, or to let other clients or other companies go through the hassles of newer releases so that our clients don't have to. Because of this, it takes time to feel confident enough to release the software even after Radiant has deployed it to the masses.
So as a client, here is what you must ask yourself:
Are the benefits of the latest version of Aloha worth going through the hassle of finding bugs and working with my reseller to get them fixed? This involves time and commitment to providing as much testing and information as possible.
Do I have a really good relationship with my reseller such that this process will be as smooth as possible?
Is my reseller responsive to these issues such that the greatest effort is made to fix or work around them asap??
Will I get charged by my reseller for this service in these situations?
Can I afford to have my system get refreshed or rebooted a lot while testing is taking place?
Can my staff handle the constant changes and feedback necessary to facilitate this research?
Does my company or reseller have enough Aloha Terminals to be heard?
- - As it has been explained to me, the more actual terminals you have, the louder your voice is to Radiant. When complaints come through, they weigh in the number of terminals (not number of customers) that are involved in the problem. So one company with 100 sites of 10 terminals each = 1000 terminals. One company of 500 sites with 1 terminal each = 500 terminals. The one with 1000 terminals may get more attention.
Remember - new software can be all roses. Everything may go just fine for you on the latest version.
However, if something goes wrong, you have to be prepared to face the above questions and be ready to help get it resolved as soon as possible.
Hope this helps.