ISV Updates

Welcome to the WarpSpeed Computers ISV Updates information page. This page will detail the services that I am willing to provide. WarpSpeed Computers is an ISV just like any other, and as such is accutely aware of the problems and issues that ISV's face. One of which is reaching our target audience: end users. Knowing where to go is one thing, but knowing when to go there is another. WarpSpeed Computers by providing a central repository for all ISV's updates and an automatic notification method via the mailing lists provides a simple single solution to these two problems.

Offerings

WarpSpeed Computers is currently offering two different services for use by all ISV's.

1: File Repository

WarpSpeed Computers is offering to hold the updates of participating ISV's on their server. This will give users access to the updates via the following protocols:

Standard Gopher(*)
Modified Gopher(*)
FTP
HTTP
Telnet
RSU

(*) A standard gopher server is just that, a standard gopher server using the gopher protocol on port 70. A modified gopher server is a gopher server using the standard gopher protocol on port 77. IBM uses a modified gopher server as the server for the Retrieve Software Updates program of Warp 3. Additionally, there is some meta information (the file size inbetween square brackets) added the the gopher line entry.

2: Mailing Lists

Providing a single unified site for the delivery of files is only part of the problem. Notifying users of new updates is probably a bigger problem. This is where the mailing lists come in. Each vendor has three different lists available to it. These lists are:

Announcements
Updates
Bugs

The announcement list is intended to be used by vendors to make any announcements that they want to, to those people who have subscribed to the list. The updates list is used to inform all subscribers of a new update. The bugs list is for the urgent notification of a really nasty bug and any possible workarounds whilst a bug fix is being worked upon.

To save the individual ISV from the drudgery of having to administer the lists, the lists are open and the users it themselves. Users can add or delete themselves from lists and also query which lists they are currently subscribed to.

The mailing lists page can be found at: maillist.htm.

Why do I do this?

Basically because it is a needed service. I saw the need, and insteading of whining that there was nothing like it, I simply set out and did it.

Also, not everone _can_ do what I am doing. To offer what I am you need full and complete access to a web server, which if you are simply using a normal ISP you may not have. The WarpSpeed Computers internet server machine is an OS/2 machine that I maintain (it sits on a bench in front of me). Having an OS/2 box there allows me to run things that I could not on a normal ISP's web server. This is what allows me to provide the international pricing updates. See intl.htm for more details.

What I need from you

Obviously, I need the updates files themselves. Just contact me and I'll give you the details of an FTP account that you can upload the files to. Any small graphics for the updates page (updates.htm) can also be provided. I also lay out a simple page for you and place it on my machine, for example see Sundial Systems or Spitfire Software as samples. I will also need a small (<32k) release notes file to be sent out in each email that is sent to all subscribers of that particular list.

Ok, what does it cost?

Nothing!

The cost to users and ISV's is zero. WarpSpeed Computers is bearing all related costs of providing this service to help OS/2 and ISV's survive.

Comments?

Email me: chrisg@warpspeed.com.au.

Accesses since June 2nd 1997.