[Info-vax] OT: HP restricts firmware upgrades to only those on warranty.

[Bill Gunshannon]

In article <ld6gad$554$1 at dont-email.me>,
	David Froble <davef at tsoft-inc.com> writes:
> Michael Kraemer wrote:
>> JF Mezei schrieb:
>>>> http://h30507.www3.hp.com/t5/Technical-Support-Services-Blog/Customers-for-life/ba-p/154423#.UvaOcPam-tU 
>>>>
>>>
>>> ##
>>> This week, HP announced that effective February 19, 2014, we will
>>> provide firmware updates through the HP Support Center only to customers
>>> with a valid warranty, Care Pack Service or support agreement.
>>> ##
>>>
>>> Remember when HP restricted access to patches ? Well they keep on
>>> expanding the bonehead move. 
>> 
>> Well, this is in line with other vendors' practices, unfortunately.
>> Last summer, for example IBM have restricted access to newer firmware
>> to systems under warranty or support, claiming this would be
>> in line with other vendors' practices.
>> Seems they are leap frogging each other as far as milking the
>> dwindling customer base is concerned.
>> 
> 
> Well, let's take a look elsewhere ....
> 
> Auto industry:
> 
> Warranty, if it breaks, they fix it.
> 
> If it doesn't work due to poor design, they recall and fix, regardless 
> of warranty.
> 
> At least that's how I understand things.
> 
> So, why would you need a firmware upgrade?
> 
> My impression is that if the firmware upgrade is needed to make the 
> product you bought work correctly, then it's not a warranty issue, it's 
> an issue of they sold you a defective product.  More like a recall I'd 
> think.  But, nobody has asked me.

I download firmware updates for my servers all the time.  As a matter
of fact, it is one of the firt things you do when you get a new one
before even loading an OS on it.  I have never seen any restrictions.
Sounds like yet another reason to avoid doing business with the company.

bill



-- 
Bill Gunshannon          |  de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n.  Three wolves
billg999 at cs.scranton.edu |  and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
University of Scranton   |
Scranton, Pennsylvania   |         #include <std.disclaimer.h>