Dale Halterman wrote:

> I agree that fancy looking annual reports do give the *appearance* of
> stability.  However decision makers, if they have any sense at all,
understand
> this and will base decisions on more objective factors.

Actually, an annual report is just one of the factors that a decision maker
looks at - and let me clarify, if that decision maker is performing a proper
"due diligence" on the vendor.  If the annual report is reviewed, it's the
numbers and history that are looked at, not the fluff, which is disregarded.

There are other things which are looked at as well - in addition to an
annual report.  Customer references, Surveys of Satisfaction, a whole load
of things.

Case in point - I was looking at several Client-Server app generators
several years ago.  I got a mess of stuff from a whole lot of vendors.  Many
had annual reports as well as glossies and datasheets.  There was one in
particular (which shall remain nameless) that piqued my interest.  I asked
for reference accounts and of course, found that all of them thought it was
the best thing since sliced bread.  I looked at the annual report and saw
only two years worth of financials - gave me the willies to say the least.

Went to Usenet... found where the product was discussed.  It was not
pleasant, to say the least --- and all I did was lurk.  The posters were
about 80% against (and ready to burn the vendor's building down).

Hmmm... decisions, decisions...  Again, an annual report is but one thing a
person looks at - but it's an important tool.

Oh - and we did not buy the product.  After I told the sales rep about MY
fact finding - he offered an eval.  I took it... it stayed on my PC for
exactly 10 days, and the box (and diskettes and what they thought passed for
a manual) hit the burn-bin.

FWIW...

Joe