[chapter-delegates] Re: MemeberShip System

[Władek Majewski]

Dear David,

> ISOC did a comprehensive survey of membership system needs, including 
> among chapter delegates, and then in early 2004 purchased a membership 
> system from GO Members.

Can you please give us some details about survey you mention and a 
specification on which purchase decision was based? Who was surveyed? 
How the needs for such a system were determined and which requirements 
were considered a vital?

Which other solutions were considered?  Why purchase procedure allowed 
only two weeks between call for bids and deadline for offers?

Is the purchase agreement available to ISOC members? Does it define of 
payments and delivery and the late delivery fines?

According to Gomembers' press release from January 28th, 2004 ( see 
http://www.gomembers.com/press/2004/PR_01282004a.html ) ISOC was their 
first international customer for Q system which key features were to 
include "integrated e-commerce and customer relation management". Go 
members hoped that it allow ISOC "to connect members to broader 
educational, financial and travel opportunities". Is it vital for ISOC 
to serve as a connection to broader financial and travel opportunities 
for its members?

Go Members were eager to use ISOC brand as a key asset in their 
marketing efforts:
http://www.gomembers.com/aboutus/our_customers.html
http://www.gomembers.com/press/2004/PR_02092004a.html
but was less in hurry to actually deliver vaporware they sold to us. In 
fact one year and one month later ISOC members can still use only their 
hope for future wonderland as promised in marketing lingo:

> The new system is sophisticated and involves the complexities you would
> expect with such a system. Nevertheless a great deal of progress has been
> made and chapter testing is about to begin (just a few more conversion
> wrinkles to iron out).  This is a good system, it is coming, it is near and
> we cannot now look at new or different systems.

Exactly opposite: Gomembers Q system seems to be dead on delivery. After 
one year on empty promises we need to leave it behind and look forward 
for another system. Hopefully we will be able to find one which meets 
our basic needs without using our money to fund the development of basic 
features.

Thanks and best regards

Wladek Majewski
ISOC Polska



----------------------------------------------------------------
To subscribe or unsubscribe from this elist use the subscription
manager: <http://lists.isoc.org/unsubscribe>