DSXchange

Are there viable fee-per-call alternatives to IBM support for resolving technical issues?

If you're currently getting non-IBM support, I'd be interested in hearing how it's working for you.

We don't have, and cannot afford IBM support costs (we would have to upgrade first, and that's not an option).

Not to derail your topic as I'm interested in the answers, but there's no need to upgrade just to get support on your current version. Or at least no need that I'm aware of. We have support on our 7.5.x installs and they (sadly) have no intention of upgrading to 8 dot anything. Affordability is a horse of a different color, of course.

With friends like Chulett, Ray, ArndW and the rest of the DSxchange Heavy hitters, who needs Support? I don't see how any non-IBM support option, fees per call alternative can compete with this site. Indeed, I always search here first and we have IBM Support.

I have to chuckle about "using this site before contacting support" since that is what I do as well; much of the time I find the answers to my questions here while support responds back with "we will look into this". Of course DSXChange can't be used in lieu of support since there aren't too many bug fixes possible without source code.

As do I.

I find that RTFM* is a good strategy sometimes.

* = read the fine manuals (clean version)

(Though there are some annoying lapses in the version 8 manuals.)