[CONNECT] Release of Update 12?

Hello Mark,

MicroStation CONNECT Edition Update 12 is going through the final internal release procedures.  If everything goes as planned, we hope to have it out at the earliest by the end of this week.

Thanks,

Daniel Eng

Hi Dan,

Dan Eng said:

MicroStation CONNECT Edition Update 12 is going through the final internal release procedures.  If everything goes as planned, we hope to have it out at the earliest by the end of this week.

because you and other Bentley colleagues have repeated the same several times from end of the last year, it's not very reliable information anymore :-(

My feeling, based on what I have heard from customers, Bentley lost credit because of CONNECT Edition. Not only because very low quality (slowness and number of reported bugs are facts), but also because of not properly handled communication (subjective attitude and feeling of users). Unfortunately you (Bentley) are actively working towards such situation because of lack of communication. Bentley prefer (exceptions exist, but are rare) to don't tell anything and to use "IBM / INGR / ... style" from last century), which is "don't tell anything, do not provide any information".

I think I am consistent in my long term opinion that every problem with product release is an opportunity to communicate with customers and to build better bond with users. Some other companies (including Bentley competitors) understand it and use e.g. blogs to provide information "behind the door". I recall plenty of blogs in a style "Did you hear about this our problem? We do this and that, discovered this problem, and are changing these things." Such approach does not make the development faster or decrease number of bugs, but work with community and actively change community perception.

Not long ago one from my local customer started to evaluate alternatives to Bentley products for chosen tasks. He told me "this is company working hard on their product" ... whereas I know it's small local company with limited resources, with not bad product (but quite focused on specific functionality), but cannot be treated as "MicroStation replacement". But they are open, constantly communicating their plans and achievements, so the overall feeling is much better.

Maybe the source of the problem is that standard positions in companies today are "community manager, community/technology evangelists" etc. which Bentley don't have and don't want understand such activities as a profession.

With regards,

  Jan

100% agree with this.

Jan Šlegr said:

standard positions in companies today are "community manager, community/technology evangelists" etc. which Bentley don't have and don't want understand such activities

Phil Chouinard successfully held that rôle for many years, and is the author of the sticky post MicroStation Forum best practices on this Forum. He was fired left Bentley Systems in the cull of veteran staff several years ago.

I totally agree with Jan's comments.

Bentley's communication is certainly not the best. I wouldn't mind knowing a little more about why the stated goal of quarterly updates is rarely met these days. For example, it would be great if a list of known issues (and planned fixes) would be published. (Does one exist?)

If a company as large and established as Bentley cannot meet their own stated deadlines, then something needs to change.  I'm sure I'm not alone, when I ask that Bentley consider a clearer, firmer and more realistic timeframe for updates and to provide intermediate updates with fixes to urgent problems released as required.

OK my turn

I am finding a lot of clients that have requested moving to CONNECT soon find it unworkable.  Too SLOW is the main issue, followed by some very (in my opinion) annoying stupid bugs.  OK every software has bug, but to release a major upgrade, followed by the announcement that V8i support will be stopped, without a product that is either equal or better, is not forgiving, criminal to the user base.  It's  understandable the Users turn their backs on it and to get their trust back is huge task.  Its not only effecting Bentley reputation but its also effecting my business.  I have to offer free support for tools that I know are weak, faulty or just simply not fit for purpose.

What I want to know....

1. who on earth is testing these builds, how long have they used the software for, do they know every tools and how a users should use it....

2. What test criteria do you use.  I have sent my dataset to Bentley for testing and from this they have found major issues with CE that have contributed to its speed getting better, but this came at a cost to me... free support for bentley trouble shooting for them and no rewards back.....but SPEED is for me the #1 issue......

2. Where are the beta testers

3. I have logged so so so many SR's CR's, TRs and never get an email to say its fixed.  I have to test it myself to find out if any are resolved

4. why not tell the select few in this forum, that actually care for MS etc of your development plans, if you want us to sign a NDA we will.

5. Due to my clients requesting Revit, I have had to push my business more into that direction, at the same time I want CE to succeed.  Revit has so many good tools and it works.  Does anyone from Bentley development review ACAD and Revit and say WOW... we need to do that and more

6. in previous releases, there seems to be a lot of bug fixes within areas that I deem are not show stoppers ie. visualization.  OK I understand there are developers in a lot of different areas, but spend 6 months on the core product, gets its performance 10000000% better  and then do the nice things.

If you do not get this sorted, within 2 years you will not have any users left.  (refer to my point 5).  the big clients are already abandoning bentley for Revit which means they will then start to use ACAD via the Autodesk collections.  They are now talking about reducing there select fees so they dont have to pay for both.

Sorry but someone needs to stand up within bentley and say ..... the truth... bentley are failing to deliver..

Send out a questionnaire, do something so you know the full story.. please

IAN

Yes to all of this. Bentley need to stop believing their marketing and start dealing with reality.

Yes to all of this. Bentley need to stop believing their marketing and start dealing with reality.