Scitools Announcements: July 2008 Archives

Historically we have always had a very small percentage of our revenue as services. As our customer base has grown (over 4,000 customer sites as of last month), requests for customizations, training, new reports, new metrics, new analysis features have increased to the point where we need to have an organized way of responding.

Towards that end we’ve created a Professional Services group within Scitools. Currently it is a Lead Engineer (Rob Shurtliff – a senior engineer with a number of years experience providing professional services) and three other engineers. We can matrix a variety of other engineers with special skills through the group as well.

So what can the new Scitools PSG do for you?

http://www.scitools.com/products/proservices.php

has the details.  But in short, anything related to improving your benefit from using our tools. That could include training, special scripts, new metrics, adding an assembler or other language, helping you create architectures, a multi-site metrics collection system. Whatever you need that depends on our technology.

Our new Scitools PSG works in these ways:

•  fixed price deliverable – we agree on a deliverable. You pay when we deliver and you are happy.
•  on going hourly  – this is for ongoing work; a budget or contract is set, we bill against it.
•  retainer – the group sells 40, 80 and 200 hour retainers. There are also product bundles that include licenses and service hours. When you have a need they tell you the hours required and after your e-mailed approval they proceed.

If you have something in mind e-mail our support@scitools.com folks.

You will notice that our website (http://www.scitools.com) is completely redone.  This coincides with Understand 2.0’s release and with the Engineer, Pro, and Analyst versions of Understand.

I hope you like it. If you notice anything bogus, please e-mail.

Concurrent to Understand 2.0’s movement from beta to release we are also announcing some product structure changes.

2.0 adds a lot of features, but not all those features are of interest to all engineers.  Or if of interest, then some do not need the same level of functionality.  And not all features require the same support (one of our major expenses).  And, frankly, some of those features are worth more to some customers than others (I’m not going to hide that we do hope to make some more money).

To make sure that customers can buy tools closer to their exact needs Understand 2.0 is offered in four different levels. The “lowest”, Understand Engineer offers what 1.4 offered.  So the segmentation mainly involves new features only. The four levels are:

1. Understand 2.0 Non-Commercial
   This version has all features of the highest Understand level, but only supports C/C++/Java and C#.
   We are still finalizing license agreements for this version, but it is intended for use by students and open source developers.
   If you wish to be notified when it is available, just e-mail sales@scitools.com.  We can supply temp codes to permit use until the final shrinkwrap agreement for this version is finished.  The eventual license will be an annual license.
   
   
2. Understand 2.0 Engineer
   This version supports C/C++/Java and C#.  Understand Engineer provides similar capabilities to Understand 1.4 including the excellent navigation, graphics, maintenance editor, reporting and project metrics. 2.0 adds combined language analysis, basic change analysis, single scenario maintenance estimations and metrics charts/graphs.  Our standard for this version was that it be better than 1.4 but cost the same. One key difference, Understand Engineer will not be offered with a floating license. For that, get Pro or Analyst.
   
   
3. Understand 2.0 Pro
   This version comes in two language variants – L1 (C/C++/Java/FORTRAN) and L2 (L1+Ada, PL/M, Jovial). It provides all the capabilities of Understand Engineer, but offers advanced snapshot based change analysis, a full set of metrics, broader metrics charting capabilities, and multi-scenario maintenance estimation.  We envision Understand Pro as what a team would typically outfit an engineer with if they are trying to create a rigourous programming environment.
   
   
4. Understand 2.0 Analyst
   This version also comes in L1 and L2 language variants. It provides Pro capabilities, plus advanced multi-snapshot change analysis and change metrics, detailed multi-time metrics charting, and multi-scenario/multi-plan maintenance estimation. We’ve also placed API development in Analyst, although scripts or API programs built with Analyst can be used by Pro or Engineer versions of Understand 2.0 .  We envision Analyst as what an IVV, QA, Test team members would use, and also as something a team operating in a rigorous environment would have a license or two available as team members rolled through IVV/metrics analysis/change analysis roles. 
   

THe exact differences can best be seen by running 2.0 and alternating Run Levels via the Help menu.  Or you can check out the feature comparison matrix on our revised website.

What about 1.4 licenses?   Understand for C++, Java, FORTRAN map to Understand 2.0 Pro with their respective languages and API usage enabled.  Understand for Ada, JOVIAL and PL/M licenses map to Understand 2.0 Analyst licenses with their respective languages enabled.  Combined language analysis is avialable but will consume a legacy license for each language. No new license is needed, your existing ones will work.   If you want to have your licenses upgraded to L1 or L2 language packs then our sales@scitools.com folks can help with quotations for that.

What about TrackBack?   TrackBack is a cool product that helps us every day. We are fully committed to TrackBack and plan near term improvements for it.  But it will be part of Understand 2.0 going forward.  We just think it is something that every engineer should have.  It will be in each Understand 2.0 kit.  Customers who have TrackBack but not Understand will be sent a download link for updating separate from Understand.

I’ll caveat that the features between the versions can change, and probably will, once we get feedback from customers and experience selling this way. 

At the beginning of July we released Understand 2.0. It represented the culmination of about 3 years of work where we maintained and improved Understand 1.4 while simultenously developing a brand new version of Understand.

Our goal for 2.0 was to make a tool that is a “must have” if you are maintaining code (and who isn’t??).