And then the past several months stuck with Wildfire software. I can summarize the experience like this:

CUSTOM SOFTWARE: Very difficult to design and implement. Very 'buggy' and very hard to explain the nuances to offshore programmers.

PLEXUM ONLINE: Promises a lot but not that dependable. Not that easy to customize. Worst of all the customer service made me feel that we were going to depend on them at our mercy. Not as a customer but as a SLAVE. I didn't want anything to do with Plexum Software. In fact, the experience cost us a lot --not just the software, but all that we built using it. In the end I can say it was not dependable at all.

Then came WILDFIRE SOFTWARE: In the case of Wildfire, the software and database are actually good --when it is setup correctly. What failed and gave a miserable experience was the ONLINE PART. For software the costs $10,000.00, it was a "bomb" and worst of all the company was 100% dependent on the success of the program. That was too much to ask.

Finally, the what "broke my trust" of WILDFIRE was the way their customer service worked. Because of the time difference we lost a day between the time that a question was asked and I got an answer. I adjusted to that. Then the problem was that the ONLINE part never worked to send email. The problem was never solved. In the end, I was told to wait, then I was told to wait again. I finally said "enough is enough" and I pulled the plug. The cost of that decision was $10,000, as I am sure we'll not see a dollar of that.

In the end the problem was this: We were fully dependent on the software and with us made to "walk the plank" everyday, I didn't feel even 1% confidence that we'd 'stay the long run' with them.

Then came RICHOCHET SOFTWARE -- finally, it's setup and running http://www.maxsimo.net >> and what's been rather refreshing is the customer service and the work put to help us get the program going.

I have really felt comfortable and all the problems that surfaced so far have been answered in a timely manner. What a relief!

I feel so comfortable that I am going to extend RICHOCHET the next step in my plan -- have it help run the entire AFFILIATE NETWORK. The software is so flexible we can do some items that would have had our programmers working several months. Now, in a few days, it's all ready to go.

I'll expand what we can do with the Affiliate Program at a later time. Well, I'll just mention this now: The Affiliate Program that is part of Maxsimo.NET will allow local merchants to OFFER SALES INCENTIVES which pay a small commission to Representatives and also "transfer" the same amount to local schools that are registered at Maxsimo.ORG.

With that note, I am off to a major update to Maxsimo.ORG, where I am using the "slower days of this holiday season" to upgrade the Maxsimo.ORG site with about a dozen articles. I hope to get the first of those articles done this weekend.

Carpe Diem. Sam.

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