Yes, the company also said it wouldn't stop providing security fixes for NT until January 2005, when premier and pay-per-incident support would also be terminated, so maybe the message wasn't entirely clear. Still, we should be able to take a hint: Once mainstream support for a product expires, you're taking your chances if you keep using that product.

Just Part of the Job

The fact that Microsoft posts life cycles and retirement dates for its products is commendable, and should serve as a reminder that planning software purchasing cycles, upgrades and new development is an essential part of an IT manager's job. Let that slip off your priority list, and you're taking an unnecessary risk.

And there's more to it than just checking your vendors' Web sites from time to time. You have to develop good working relationships with vendors so you know what's on their agendas. You have to continually evaluate new products, ideally in your own environment, so you know the options should you need to make a change. And you have to coordinate with your business office so you have the budget to pay for new applications, upgrades and developers' time.

I've heard more than my share of horror stories about applications that no one wants to touch for fear they'll crumble. Often these applications have been running for ages, and they keep running as long as no one messes with the configuration or reboots the server.

My mother taught me never to wait until the last minute to get my work done. That advice applies here. Put a software transition plan in place now.

Read the Fine Print

It's also crucial to revisit license and support agreements occasionally. Get familiar with the terms of each contract so you know exactly what you are--and are not--entitled to. You don't need surprises, particularly in the midst of a technology crisis.

If you discover that the terms of a contract have outlived their usefulness, don't be shy about asking the vendor to rework them, even if the contract isn't up yet. Most vendors will be flexible if your requests are reasonable.

You may even be able to save yourself some money by "downgrading" the level of support. If, for instance you've been using a particular product for a few years and you feel comfortable dealing with most minor problems that might arise, why spring for the platinum plan? As long as the contract covers you for the major problems, work with the vendor to devise a less exhaustive, and less costly, service plan.

And set your calendar to ping you when a contract is coming due, so you can address any concerns sooner rather than later. Better yet, build automatic renewals into your contracts to avoid last-minute scrambles.

Last But Not Least

I've said it before and I'll say it again (and again and again): Hold your vendors' feet to the fire if they've promised something but haven't delivered. Make them live up to their end of the bargain. Software and support are pricey, so be sure to get your money's worth. Just don't expect that support to last forever.

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Mike Lee, mlee@nwc.com