It’s always the other guy, when something goes wrong. Trim is a Electronic Document Repository Management program, beloved by large companies. Records Management types seem to love it, but from an IT support perspective, it’s a dog of a program. It was created by Tower Software, and was sold to HP in March 2008.
These are some of the Trim issues I’ve dealt with over the years:
Security update breaks Trim?
Tower Software answer:
“Microsoft will need to change their security patch.”
Can’t package Trim installation package to Microsoft standards
Tower Software answer:
“It’s acceptable to copy DLLs to the Windows System32 directory”
Minor version updates
Tower Software answer:
“We don’t use Microsoft Windows Installer MSP technology, you need to reinstall the whole Trim product.”
Not compatible with Office 2007, or the Office 2007 compatibility pack.
HP Support forum answers:
“There is a fix in the works, but because this is a limitation with ODMA itself, a Microsoft product, it is very difficult to resolve on our end.”
“Normally you will not have the 12.0 structure when only Office 2003 is installed.
But if the 12.0 structure DOES exist, we then assume that Office 2007 is installed and then check to see if the DefaultFormat key exists that I specified in my last post.”
You forgot the one where Trim breaks Security updates
(although they did, apparently, correct that mistake when it was revealed to them)
Wow don’t you have a beef, 4 issues “over the years” I’ve had more issues with off cheese. Sounds like my organisation should be looking at this product. Gartner and Forrester place it well in their respective quadrant/waves.
Apologies for the anon post I couldn’t work out how to sign up.
Burrito,
Thanks for your comments.
“Wow don’t you have a beef, 4 issues “over the years” I’ve had more issues with off cheese.”
Issues which dragged on and on since they were found. For example, Office 2007 was released December 2006, and Trim still doesn’t support it.
“Sounds like my organisation should be looking at this product. Gartner and Forrester place it well in their respective quadrant/waves.”
Having Gartner and Forresters recommendations might be one method to run away from Trim, very quickly.
Here’s some reading for you:
Reality Check: What does Gartner really DO?
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“Because Gartner thinks it’s good” will not save your butt when it hits the fan!
smee agrees that some companies do not place enough importance on their support obligations, and you would do well to consider this when entering into any expensive and long term relationship with a vendor.
Its funny cos it’s true…..
Heh. I used to work there, and believe me, trying to get problems fixed from the inside was a nightmare.
Go on ask me how long it took for us to get the code changed so it stopped passing passwords in the clear. Actually don’t, it would make you cry.
That wouldn’t surprise me, having worked for a large corporation. Getting anything done takes time. And a cost centre to charge it against.
Tower used to be awesome in the brief period between Captura and Context… Since then there have been few real updates to the product, and the SAME 10 or so bugs just keep dragging on and on and on.
IT folk always have and always will hate TRIM though, because they’ll never understand why records management is important in the first place. As far as IT are concerned, “records management” equals “stick everything on a tape drive” and so they can’t be worried working with a product they can’t see a reason for.
What soured me on Trim Software was the disagreement I had with Tower Software over the placement of DLL files into the SYSTEM32. They didn’t understand why it was a problem.
Some one sounds bitter… Go use hummingbird, and when they replace your system 32 dll’s you can complain. I’ve used a lot of products and your issues are minor annoyance compared to the cluster of useless products you get out there.
But Im not saying what they do is great, but it could be alot worse. And posting on their forum isnt requesting a response… John in his own time monitors that to provide you with some answer.
Someone sounds bitter, Go try some of the other records management products and enlighten yourself.. You have it good..
Ben, thanks for your reply.
No, I’m not bitter, just experienced
Some of the other RMS’s out there are equally crappy, but it’s often Trim which raises it’s ugly head with an issue.
No, I’m not bitter, just experienced
Some of the other RMS’s out there are equally crappy, but it’s often Trim which raises it’s ugly head with an issue.
Hummingbird is another wonderful application which we have (less) trouble with.
Ahhhhh TRIM ….the Coke machine that keeps taking your money.
I’ve been a TRIM admin for 6 or so years ….very lucrative. The fact that no one else wants to do it keeps our price up!