"Terry" <TerryCLa@nospam.nospam> wrote in message
news:15F0ED3A-C188-4D81-879B-DE4E0BCE3C66@microsoft.com...
|I am at the point in converting a VB6 application to VS2008 that it is time
| to start to think about deployment.  My customer base runs from small
office
| environments to the HR/Payroll departments of fortune 500 companies.  Over
| the years, I have learned that the there is a lot of variety in how these
| companies deploy the product once they receive a CD from me.  Since the
| product deals with payroll taxes, there are can be several updates per
year.
| Since 2 more states have just joined the list of states making mid-year
| changes, we are looking at a fifth release already this year.  For some
| companies this is no problem, for others each release must go through
testing
| and 'packaging' before it is 'pushed' to the end users, resulting in the
end
| user not receiving the tax update in a timely manner.  Others run it as a
| network application and only need to update the single shared directory.
I
| am sure some of the customers would welcome a 'Click Once' approach, while
| others are forbidden to download anything.  It seems I could just do the
..msi
| approach, and continue as before and ignore the Click Once possibilities.
Or
| maybe send out a mailing explaining the advantages of Click Once and let
them
| choose and simply add another attribute to my customer database.  Is there
a
| way of sending both and letting them choose at install time?  And if there
| is, can it be done so as to not be too confusing?
| It might also be nice to be able to send out some clear and concise
article
| explaining the benefits of Click Once including addressing security
concerns
| that could be passed to the
| IT departments and get them thinking about the possibilities.   Any one
know
| of any such articles?  It is almost embarrassing to think that some of
these
| companies spend 1000 times the annual cost of the product every time an
| update goes out!
| Another issue I am having that is somewhat tied to deployment concerns the
| use of a SQLCE database with the application.  What the heck does Click
Once
| do with an application that is marked as on-line only and has a database
| associated with it?
| All and any comments and suggestions are welcome.
| TIA,
| --
| Terry

"Terry" wrote:

> I am at the point in converting a VB6 application to VS2008 that it is time
> to start to think about deployment.  My customer base runs from small office
> environments to the HR/Payroll departments of fortune 500 companies.  Over
> the years, I have learned that the there is a lot of variety in how these
> companies deploy the product once they receive a CD from me.  Since the
> product deals with payroll taxes, there are can be several updates per year. 
> Since 2 more states have just joined the list of states making mid-year
> changes, we are looking at a fifth release already this year.  For some
> companies this is no problem, for others each release must go through testing
> and ‘packaging’ before it is ‘pushed’ to the end users, resulting in the end
> user not receiving the tax update in a timely manner.  Others run it as a
> network application and only need to update the single shared directory.  I
> am sure some of the customers would welcome a ‘Click Once’ approach, while
> others are forbidden to download anything.  It seems I could just do the .msi
> approach, and continue as before and ignore the Click Once possibilities.  Or
> maybe send out a mailing explaining the advantages of Click Once and let them
> choose and simply add another attribute to my customer database.  Is there a
> way of sending both and letting them choose at install time?  And if there
> is, can it be done so as to not be too confusing? 
> It might also be nice to be able to send out some clear and concise article
> explaining the benefits of Click Once including addressing security concerns
> that could be passed to the
> IT departments and get them thinking about the possibilities.   Any one know
> of any such articles?  It is almost embarrassing to think that some of these
> companies spend 1000 times the annual cost of the product every time an
> update goes out!
> Another issue I am having that is somewhat tied to deployment concerns the
> use of a SQLCE database with the application.  What the heck does Click Once
> do with an application that is marked as on-line only and has a database
> associated with it? 
> All and any comments and suggestions are welcome. 
> TIA,
> --
> Terry