Cognos Support Site

[kmuller]

I am curious to see what other users think of the Cognos Support website after the integration with IBM?

From a end user perspective, I think it is the worst thing that has happened to Cognos.  They went from a easy to use site that was user friendly to one that is really useless to me.

I REALLY miss the old site.

What do the rest of you think?

I feel sorry for the Sales Reps that have to defend this site and sell the tool from it.

K

[nj]

Super_K

I really do struggle with the new site. It seems they are trying to run before they can walk. The 8.4.1 release was handled fairly well and the new support portal will perhaps have potential, especially for smaller businesses where one person will be looking after multiple IBM products, but it's not too useful if you just select the widgets on there for Cognos 8 only... It gets pretty cluttered.

When I say "run before they can walk" I mean simple error code searching, for instance. I can put a code in any number of search boxes on the support site but somehow bring back no relevant entries. However, if I do an internet search for the same code, I get back the right answer on the IBM site - it's like they can't make a search engine for their own site.

With that, here is a trip down memory lane for you:

http://web.archive.org/web/20070108091824/support.cognos.com/en/support/index.html

I've heard similar opinions to your's from a number of consultants...

[RudiHendrix]

Yes, same here! It is really a pain to find something! You have to login 10 times!

Worst thing is: before the transition we had a possibility to download products, raise issues and download training material. Fortunately we have found a way again to download products and raise issues, but downloading training material is still impossible!

How is it possible that a company that values information management this much can screw up big time on information for their own customers?!?

[sjallipalli]

Try finding something on this site and it is the worst experience you can get.  Been developing Cognos for 13 years and never been more frustrated about finding stuff. >:(

[kmuller]

Has IBM put such a low priority on Cognos that they dont even care?  The Borg has assimilated Cognos and I wonder how long they will exist as a seperate entity.....

[MFGF]

Has IBM put such a low priority on Cognos that they dont even care?  The Borg has assimilated Cognos and I wonder how long they will exist as a seperate entity.....

...resistance was futile!  ;)

Seriously, Business Analytics appears to be top of the IBM agenda at the moment, and features strongly in the key messaging for Smarter Planet (Interconnected, Instrumented and Intelligent - BA is the Intelligent bit), so I'd expect to see the Cognos and Business Analytics part of IBM gain a higher profile in future rather than ceasing to exist.  Time will tell! :)

On the topic of the Support site, I can only agree.  To be honest, I seem to have better success when searching in Google than directly on the IBM website!

Regards,

MF.

[kmuller]

MFGF,
I have had the same success with Google over the Cognos site.

I even had a Cognos support rep tell me that he uses Google over their own site...  That says alot.

I just get tired of the site constantly changing....

[sir_jeroen]

ReportNet_Addict is longing for the good old times and wipes away a tear....

[cognostechie]

Completely agree. IBM support site is horrible and google is much better. Cognos site was much much better. 

[RobsWalker68]

Aye those were the days....

I had to get up in the morning at ten o'clock at night half an hour before I went to bed, drink a cup of sulphuric acid, work twenty-nine hours a day down mill, and pay mill owner for permission to come to work, and when we got home, our Dad and our mother would kill us and dance about on our graves singing Haelujah.

And you try and tell the young people of today that ..... they won't believe you.

But still, at least the Cognos web site was good, bloody luxury  ;D

[MFGF]

Aye.  Luxury! :D