Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2006 12:13:50 -0500
Reply-To: Kevin Myers <KMyers1@CLEARWIRE.NET>
Sender: "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From: Kevin Myers <KMyers1@CLEARWIRE.NET>
Subject: Re: SAS Pricing (was Re: SCL Questions (hijacked thread))
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Do I want a bunch more clueless posters? No.
Am I willing to put up them in the interests of introducing SAS to a much
larger audience and making a much more widely used language? You bet!...
It's easier to put up with more entry level questions when you have a lot
more knowledgeable SAS users out there who can help share the burden of
answering them.
s/KAM
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jack Hamilton" <jfh@stanfordalumni.org>
To: <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 11:50 AM
Subject: *****SPAM***** Re: [SAS-L] SAS Pricing (was Re: SCL Questions
(hijacked thread))
> Are you willing for SAS-L to get another 500 posters per day from
> people who don't know how to spell "data"?
>
> Perhaps a policy like "We will sell you a single PC SAS license for
> $500 if you have completed base SAS certification, taken two classes
> from SAS Institute, or given a paper at SUGI or regional conference;
> otherwise it will be $5000" would make SAS more availble without making
> technical support impossible.
>
>
>
> --- Kevin Myers <KMyers1@CLEARWIRE.NET> wrote:
>
> > Unfortunately I won't be able to make SESUG. I haven't even ever
> > been to a
> > SUGI yet. :-((
> > Long story... Hopefully that will change one of these days!
> >
> > I agree that the customer support issue is a potentially worrisome
> > aspect of
> > opening up SAS to a much larger audience. However, it seems that
> > issue
> > could be managed with an appropriate combination of pricing
> > structure,
> > software subset, and customer support policies. For example, a low
> > cost
> > version of the software might come with almost *no* customer support
> > (just
> > like similar offerings from SAS competitors). That would be one of
> > the
> > issues that customers would have to weigh in their decisions as to
> > whether a
> > full fledged SAS license or a more restricted version was right for
> > them.
> >
> > I wouldn't ever seriously suggest putting anything more than a
> > time-limited
> > trial version of SAS software in the extremely low cost or give-away
> > categories. However, a personal/small business version of SAS that
> > was
> > priced more along the lines of full versions of Windows and Office
> > (say
> > averaging a few hundred dollars per SAS product) would probably be
> > low
> > enough for most individuals and small businesses who could really
> > make use
> > of SAS to give it serious consideration, while at the same time being
> > high
> > enough to keep the worst of the riff-raff out.
> >
> > s/KAM
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Joe Whitehurst" <joewhitehurst@gmail.com>
> > To: "Kevin Myers" <KMyers1@CLEARWIRE.NET>
> > Cc: <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2006 5:44 PM
> > Subject: *****SPAM***** Re: SAS Pricing (was Re: SCL Questions
> > (hijacked
> > thread))
> >
> >
> > > Kevin,
> > >
> > > If you will be in Atlanta for SESUG, let's get together and swap
> > war
> > > stories. Except for working directly for SAS Institute, my
> > > experiences with SAS are a lot like yours. Do you know anything
> > about
> > > the laws of unintended consequences. SAS Tech Support is widely
> > > acknowledged as among the best in the software industry and is
> > free.
> > > What do you think would happen if SAS opened the flood gates by
> > > selling its software to many who fail to qualify as even an idiot?
> > > Even morons might have enough money if SAS made its software cheap
> > > enough.
> > >
> > > Joe
> > >
> > > On 7/27/06, Kevin Myers <KMyers1@clearwire.net> wrote:
> > > > Hi Joe,
> > > >
> > > > Just because someone or something does well doesn't mean there
> > isn't
> > room
> > > > for improvement. Yes, Goodnight and company have done very well
> > at
> > selling
> > > > SAS to large companies and government entities. But that doesn't
> > mean
> > SAS
> > > > couldn't do better. They have done absolutely *nothing* in the
> > > > individual/small business market, and as a result have largely
> > failed at
> > > > achieving significant name recognition other than among a
> > relatively
> > limited
> > > > group of industry specialists.
> > > >
> > > > I have been a SAS champion at a major corporation with hundred of
> > SAS
> > > > licenses on multiple platforms. I have been an independent
> > consultant.
> > I
> > > > have been both a consultant and developer at SAS Institute. And
> > I have
> > been
> > > > (am) a struggling small business owner who *knows* that SAS would
> > be
> > very
> > > > useful for my own business, but can't afford it (yet...). In
> > every
> > > > position, I have had to fight the battle of proving the worth of
> > SAS
> > > > against competing products with much larger market shares, more
> > well
> > known
> > > > names, and often lower prices. Sometimes I was successful, and
> > sometimes I
> > > > wasn't. But in every single situation I can absolutely guarantee
> > that
> > the
> > > > more widespread usage and familiarity with SAS which could be
> > brought
> > about
> > > > by a lower priced version of the software would have *greatly*
> > helped
> > the
> > > > situation by providing more people who could have expressed
> > familiarity
> > with
> > > > and voiced support for SAS products.
> > > >
> > > > Microsloth, Oracle, and others sell (or even give away) lower
> > cost
> > versions
> > > > of their high dollar software to help spread familiarity and
> > increase
> > > > comfort levels
> > > > with their products, which encourages more and larger subsequent
> > purchases.
> > > > Although SAS has done well, MS and others have done even better,
> > with
> > more
> > > > employees, more sales, and more revenues.
> > > >
> > > > So, yes, I dare to rock the boat in an attempt to bring SAS to an
> > even
> > wider
> > > > audience, and I will continue to do so at every opportunity.
> > Just like
> > you
> > > > with SCL. :-)
> > > >
> > > > s/KAM
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > From: "Joe Whitehurst" <joewhitehurst@gmail.com>
> > > > > To: "Kevin Myers" <KMyers@procominc.net>
> > > > > Cc: <SAS-L@listserv.uga.edu>
> > > > > Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2006 4:03 PM
> > > > > Subject: Re: SCL Questions (hijacked thread)
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > Kevin,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > You are much bolder than I. I wouldn't think of giving
> > business
> > > > > > advice to Jim Goodnight who has almost single handedly ( no
> > board to
> > > > > > retard his progress) led a business enterprise from a start
> > up with
> > 6
> > > > > > employees and a handful of customers to a multi-billion
> > dollar
> > > > > > enterprise with more than 40,000 customers and 10,000
> > employees
> > while
> > > > > > experiencing double digit growth for every one of 30 years,
> > remained
> > > > > > debt free and operated profitably every one of those 30
> > years, I
> > > > > > don't know for sure, but I guess his success is unparalleled
> > in
> > human
> > > > > > history. And he doesn't sell oil or snake oil.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Joe
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On 7/27/06, Kevin Myers <KMyers@procominc.net> wrote:
> > > > > > > "Joe Whitehurst" <joewhitehurst@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > <snip>
> > > > > > > > These tools are available at a very reasonable price in
> > the
> > SAS/AF
> > > > > > > > product.
> > > > > > > <snip>
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > On soapbox...
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > For larger and well established businesses, the price of AF
> > (and
> > other
> > > > > SAS
> > > > > > > products) may in fact be quite reasonable. Unfortunately
> > for most
> > > > > > > individuals and small businesses, and even some larger
> > start-ups,
> > the
> > > > > cost
> > > > > > > simply remains too high (or is at least perceived to be so
> > versus
> > much
> > > > > lower
> > > > > > > cost competing products), whether or not having the SAS
> > products
> > could
> > > > > > > generate a nice ROI.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I hope that SAS will come to realize sooner than later that
> > they
> > are
> > > > > missing
> > > > > > > out on a very large market by failing to provide a much
> > more
> > > > affordable
> > > > > > > offering geared toward individuals and small businesses.
> > Something
> > > > > similar
> > > > > > > to Oracle Personal, for example. The current Learning
> > Edition is
> > far
> > > > > too
> > > > > > > restricted to be of any real use other than
> > teaching/verifying
> > syntax.
> > > > > It
> > > > > > > is important that a more capable lower end offering only be
> > limited in
> > > > > ways
> > > > > > > that would primarily affect larger businesses, such support
> > for
> > > > > > > multi-processor servers, multi-disk data sets, perhaps some
> > level
> > of
> > > > > shared
> > > > > > > updating, and other "enterprise" class capabilities.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Perhaps the most important advantage for SAS that would be
> > obtained by
> > > > > > > creating a line of products geared toward individuals and
> > small
> > > > > businesses,
> > > > > > > is NOT simply the additional income that would be obtained
> > from a
> > very
> > > > > large
> > > > > > > number of potential sales to these smaller entities.
> > Rather it
> > would
> > > > be
> > > > > the
> > > > > > > creation of many more SAS experts and champions, and much
> > more
> > > > > widespread
> > > > > > > knowledge of and familiarity with the SAS System. That
> > would in
> > turn
> > > > > > > generate much greater SAS interest and acceptance in the
> > world of
> > big
> > > > > > > business, resulting in even greater sales to larger
> > companies.
> > > > > Availability
> > > > > > > of the SAS Learning Edition does *NOT* effectively
> > accomplish
> > these
> > > > > goals,
> > > > > > > because people aren't going to bother learning SAS unless
> > and
> > until
> > > > they
> > > > > > > know that they have a reasonable chance of actually getting
> > to use
> > SAS
> > > > > for
> > > > > > > some real world purpose. And currently, that simply isn't
> > an
> > option
> > > > for
> > > > > the
> > > > > > > vast majority.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Off soapbox.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > s/KAM
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>
>
> ---
> Jack Hamilton
> Sacramento, California
>
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