[sdpd] Another kind of Round-Robin : comparing costs...

[Armel Le Bail <alb...@cristal.org>]

Hi,

Following the publication of the results and conclusions
of the internet based "search/match round robin 2002",
(J.-M. Le Meins, L.M.D. Cranswick & A. Le Bail, Powder
Diffraction 18 (2003)106-116), it is logical that Bruker AXS
uses the excellent results from users of DIFFRACplus SEARCH
(EVA software by Socabim) in many advertisements. See
one of them at :
http://www.bruker-axs.de/binarydata/download/diffracplussearchh88e00004.pdf

This is an oportunity to make another comparison about
the commercial policy of companies. Gaining markets can
be done by proposing advanced technology and software, but
another aspect is the cost and advantages offered.

I don't know if this is the same eveywhere in the world because
every diffractometer purchase is the subject of secret tractations,
since laboratories try to obtain the better conditions. Probably
not 2 diffractometers in the world were purchased at the same
cost, discount can probably attain 20-30% ;-).

Concerning my own lab, here is the current situation :
- A search-match software (EVA) is installed on 3 different PCs,
but only one is really practicable (being in common, this is an old
unefficient and slow machine) and has to be shared by 25 users.
- Researchers would prefer to have the software installed on their
own PC, but this is impossible because we would bave to buy 25
licences at a prohibitive cost !
- Researchers are suffering of that situation since many years and
have accumulated some angry against the seller...

Is it the same situation everywhere in the world or can the Bruker-AXS
policy be different in other countries ? I mean : is a multi-user licence
available in some countries for the cost of a mono-user licence in
France ?

What is the policy of other companies like, for instance, Panalytical
(ex-Philips) with their search-match software Highscore (seems that
a multi-users licence is proposed) ?

If people had the choice between Highscore installed on their own
PC and EVA installed on only one PC in the lab, do you really think
that they would continue to use EVA (most of the time they walk
100m and find another guy already using it, come come back to
their office, and try again later) ?

Well, and we have just bought a new Panalytical diffractometer with
Highscore... Time for Brucker-AXS to make some accomodations
with its software licences ? A lab licence without limitations of
the number of installations would be nice...

Please comment.

Armel




 

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