Maintenance for 3B systems

[Daniel Alan Fleming]

In article <1990Sep8.152326.2386 at unhtel.uucp> paul at unhtel.uucp (Paul S. Sawyer) writes:
>In article <296 at unf7.UUCP> tfb at unf7.UUCP (t blakely) writes:
>>We're basically fed up with AT&T's policies (and costs!) for their
>>maintenance contracts for 3B systems (we have a 3B2/500 and a 3B15).
>>Does anyone know of a 3rd party who will service/maintain these
>>machines?
>
>As a 3B15 administrator, I'm beginning to wonder if we should form a
>users' group and start collecting spare parts, similar to the "support"
>the 3B1 now gets.  Is the 3B15 the future 3B1?

IMHO the 3B2/4000 is/was the next 3B1.  When a company I worked for last
year purchased one it was supposedly the biggest and best available, 
with a long glorious future ahead of it.  Hardly 6 months after we paid
somewhere in the millions for our 4000 and Sys 85 we found that not only
was AT&T about to release the 7000 (aka Galaxy, aka Pyramid ???) it was
also releasing the Difinity series switches.  No notice to us, total
life span of maybe a production year outside of AT&T.  It response to
the cancelation of the machines, the maintenance costs went up by 50%.
The worse thing is that the machine had some really nice points.

Oh well, I guess it won't surprise anyone to know I own a 3B1.

I have seen companies advertising in UnixWorld offering parts for AT&T
systems, some of these may also do maint.  Another good place to find
maintenance is check with local VARS.  There are two in Atlanta that
do installation and service on AT&T equipment.

Another opinion from an AT&T data and telecommunication user.
- Alan   {uunet}!gatech.edu!daysinns!alanf