Mike,
    I must say that the mathematics look good... but as my College Math Prof
loved to point out "Mathematics ain't the Real World" hehehe

    I am a single man shop... we pay for  PSS level support ($29k a year or so)
and we wouldn't do without it!

    My boss also recognises if the HP does burp (it don't but if it did what
would it sound like?)  She doesn't have the knowledge base here to bring it back
up on an even keel...so she calls the response center and they walk her thru
it!... ( I have the instructions on the wall for the RC call)

    How much would it call to not have the RC available for a system down call?
Which even with 4 hour response time (same as my contract) you get an engineer
right away.

Art "Ramblin' again hehe" Bahrs

>>> "Dobies, Mike" <[log in to unmask]> 10/24/97 07:05am >>>
Suppose you were in the following hypothetical situation.  Under
contract support costs you $1200/mth with a 4 hour response time.  If
you went without support, according to HP RC it would be $420     210/hr
(2 hour min)
                                        $240    (travel)
                                        $350    (for response within 24hours)
                                total  $1010
< snip >

The thought is, since we will be without a HP3000 within a year(so they
think) and we haven't made a call within the last six months why should
we pay 1200/mth when we could do a pay as you go for $1010?  I've never
had to go without a support contract, what am I missing to win this
battle?????

How I've gotten into this hypothetical battle, I'll never know?

Michael A. Dobies