Trying to Purchase a Software Upgrade at Work

 Date: October 6, 2008

    I first made a request to my manager to go to FrameMaker 8 upgrade on my work PC when I upgraded my home system.
    Of course, it was denied.
    $299.
    Why the country is in trouble.
    People - you spend your way OUT of a recession!

    Anyway - at home I am following a business plan - prepare to publish ----you know - get something done.

    Finally, the director here said - get it - like $299? who cares?  Not even a decimal point. We are loosing millions.

    The complication comes because I am not an employee - I am a contractor (approved vendor) and therefore I have no ability to buy anything.
    So my manager has to buy it.

    I went to Adobe and looked up FrameMaker 8 upgrade (slow to load guys!)
    $299 - download (which I can do since IT long ago gave up and gave me admin rights.)

    I usually know more than they do. Just once in awhile - like when they installed Acrobat Reader 8 on my system, which has a full Acrobat 7 package and Acrobat 9 Reader already in place.
    Messed up my machine!

    I made them take it back off - I may have to make them re-install the Acrobat 7 package.
    Linping along at the moment.
    This was, of course, after I said "DON'T DO THAT!!!!"
    They did it anyway.

    So - I had suggested that I could pay for the upgrade myself (handy credit card) and then simply download the update and take the spare license in exchange (which would also need to be upgraded). They decided - no.

    OK - the other license will expire sitting in my overhead cabinet - because Adobe and most other software companies only allow an upgrade back about two revisions. Then you pay for a full version. .

    Seemed a reasonable no fuss no bother solution - but - they didn't want it.

    OK - then get me the upgrade.

    Back to square one.

    It seems that they need a quote from Adobe on Company letterhead for the total cost (shipping, handling) because they need the boxed version and not the download. (Wasteful.)

    First they asked if Adobe was an approved vendor-----  duh!

    After they get the quote  (for this small a purchase will Adobe do that? Considering their very poor track record with tech support - I wonder), then they go to "BizFlow" - the trip to Hell - and submit all that crap.

    Eventually a box may arrive (where???) and eventually I will have it (when?).

    I just hope that FrameMaker 9 hasn't come out by then!

    Meanwhile, I continue to upgrade at home with a credit card and a DSL download - voila!

    And wonder how businesses got to be so bloody cumbersome.

    But then, I am used to start-ups.  Where things actually get done.