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Steve Huey
Aluria Software an EarthLink Company
Vice President & General Manager
UpDate Strategy: Key to Increased Sales, UpDate Strategy: Key to Increased Sales, Lower Costs, and Greater Customer Lower Costs, and Greater Customer Satisfaction – Satisfaction – An EarthLink Case StudyAn EarthLink Case Study
Imagine If…Imagine If…
A software user always had the latest version of their most used programs
A user actually used all the features of your software product and understood how to maximize the benefit of each feature
The software fixed itself…
Where we are going during the discussionWhere we are going during the discussion
Discuss the evolutionary stages or update service use
EarthLink’s Case Study
• The goals of the update service
• Strategic considerations
• Product Requirements Pitfalls and Round Trippers The future of the update service
Uses of the Update Uses of the Update First StageFirst Stage
Fix Stuff Update software features Update product definitions Update device drivers Patch holes
Uses of the Update Uses of the Update Second StageSecond Stage
Sell Stuff Push content & applications Promote new products
Sell subscriptions / Product renewal
Uses of the Update Uses of the Update Next StageNext Stage
Connect with the user! Alert Communicate Educate
EarthLink’s Goals for an Update ManagerEarthLink’s Goals for an Update Manager
Reduce Churn through enhancement of the user experience by:• Access to product updates faster
• Reducing customer service requests
• Increase feature use
• Fast download time for updates – tied to modular nature ofclient software
Reduce costs:
• Reduce customer service costs
• Reduce server time to push downloads
• Reduce development effort required to release product updates
The Strategy of the Update ProcessThe Strategy of the Update Process
End Users Q: Want the update in the foreground or back ground?
A: Due to bandwidth considerations must be backgroundQ: Who is the client for the update (end user, network admin, etc.)?
A: Both high speed and dial usersQ: How many users do have and are you likely to have in the near future?
A: 5 million plus
Product NeedQ: Are you going to push or pull?
A: BothQ: Do you need different classes of updates (must take, nice to have,
totally optional)?A: Yes- Allows optional product adoption no forced product usage
Q: How will this affect my support of the product?A: Allows us to pump an update immediately so launching new products can go faster
Q: Will you have emergency updates?A: Yes
The Strategy Part of the Update ProcessThe Strategy Part of the Update Process
Technical Considerations Q: Size of updates?
A: From 25K to 10MegsQ: How many updates per month?
A: 1 to 30 (we no have the ability to pump one every 2 minutes)Q: will there be Forced updates?
A: Yes – Scam definitions
The Industry CompetitionQ: Is there a standard for the industry?
A: We were on the edge when we launchedQ: What are my competitors doing?
A: ???
Defining Update Product RequirementsDefining Update Product Requirements
EarthLink’s Requirements Modular Works in the Background – “Friendly Bandwidth” Hosting Neutral – (either by Earthlink or Outsourced 3rd Party) Supports Windows and Mac OS Integrated download and installation Byte Differencing Intuitive User Interface or NOT Reporting Requirements Trend Analysis of product usage User Authentication Staggered Delivery Targeted Updates Intelligent Notification Robust customer messaging
Defining Update Product RequirementsDefining Update Product Requirements
EarthLink’s Requirements Modular Works in the Background – “Friendly Bandwidth” Hosting Neutral – (either by Earthlink or Outsourced 3rd Party) Supports Windows and Mac OS Integrated download and installation Byte Differencing Intuitive User Interface or NOT Reporting Requirements Trend Analysis of product usage User Authentication Staggered Delivery Targeted Updates Intelligent Notification Robust customer messaging
After the Launch of the Update ServiceAfter the Launch of the Update Service
Lessons Learned (Pitfalls)– too many updates – too few resources– engineers are not marketers – ship it and forgot it– return realized too easily
Benefits of EarthLink’s Update ServiceBenefits of EarthLink’s Update Service
Round Trippers– Reduced Churn– Reduced Costs– Changed the way we thought about
software and software deployment– Made possible new products
Where Update Services are HeadingWhere Update Services are Heading
Increased automation – patching, fixing will be completed without fanfare
Self diagnostic and repair (this will rise from the techniques employed by spyware)
Over use of updates as a selling tool Only a few companies will hit the Next
Stage and connect with the user