Why wouldn't a system builder want to cut supports costs?

System Builders Summit, Monte Carlo Software vendor Bigfix is searching for an alternative way to sell its technology, an application which searches for and identifies PC problems, to UK system builders.

Its usual sales pitch is that the software can cut support costs. The software checks a users PC for problems and also communicates with the user when viruses are about, or new software patches have been released. A system builder, using Bigfix, would author messages giving information and links to downloads and fixes, which would be picked up by the customers PC.

Evesham.com has started installing the software on their PCs and hope to slash support costs by 25 per cent.

But other UK PC manufacturers aren't interested in this approach. Nanci Herring, VP of business development, was told by one vendor that it wanted to keep its premium rate support line because it made money. She wouldn't say who, but there's a lot of possible candidates.

The customer support call is also a great selling opportunity for upgrades and consumables. Why, for example, would PC World want this kind of software pre-installed on its Advent boxes, when it can charge for a good old PC Health Check come sales seminar.

But some software vendors, which might need to issue alerts and patches about compatibility problems their product is suffering, have been in touch with Bigfix.

At the IFE/System Builder Summit in Monte Carlo, Roxio, the company having a nightmare with its Easy CD Creator software and Win2k machines, paid a visit to the Bigfix stand. ®

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