IIUC, Apache is a non-profit and there are some limitations, both tax-wise and policy-wise, that don't allow for paid support revenue.
Realistically, there is currently free, essentially 24/7 support for Apache Flex via the mailing lists. We luckily have key committers and active community members in Australia and Europe as well as the US. And some of those folks would probably be willing to get paid to help out a customer who needs highly interactive private support for a critical issue. In fact, on my to do list is to try to get permission from Adobe to do that sort of thing. But some of these big enterprises seem to want to only purchase support from some big software firm that's been around for ages and that they know won't go away. It occurred to me that it would be interesting to know if Disney and other major Flex companies use other Apache software like HTTP server and how they handle support for those. -Alex On 1/4/14 12:02 AM, "Stephane Beladaci" <adobeflexengin...@gmail.com> wrote: >Good catch, thanks! They might limit to the "per incident" support. I'll >call Monday, ask and will let you guys know. > >Would it be totally unrealistic to consider the idea of Apache providing >this kind of support. Maybe not the unlimited plan, to be honnest it went >down the sink and the technician who handle those are, let's just say, >very >far away and not the most motivated, open minded and supportive people we >would expect. But the per incident at $300/ticket, it would be hard to >lose >money if the volume is sufficient. >On Jan 3, 2014 11:31 PM, "Alex Harui" <aha...@adobe.com> wrote: > >> It might be worth calling support and asking. According to [1]: >> >> Support contracts >> Adobe is fully committed to honoring support contracts for released >> versions of the Adobe Flex SDK and will continue to offer new support >> contracts for five years. Adobe does not have plans to provide support >>for >> Apache released versions of the Flex SDK. We anticipate that third >>parties >> will offer support for releases of Apache Flex. >> >> >> -Alex >> [1] http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flex/whitepapers/roadmap.html >> >> On 1/3/14 11:09 PM, "Stephane Beladaci" <adobeflexengin...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >> >Sorry my last email and the horribly broken English, I was on Caltrain >> >writing wit my phone and swap gesture lol. This is the contract I >>usually >> >ask my client to get, and there is no Flex anymore, only Flash Builder >>and >> >AIR. There used to be Flex SDK included. That is probably what Disney >> >referred to, as they were using AIR with Flex, not straight AS3. >> >http://www.adobe.com/devnet/aedp.html >> > >> >On Fri, Jan 3, 2014 at 10:59 PM, Stephane Beladaci < >> >adobeflexengin...@gmail.com> wrote: >> > >> >> I was told Disney Interactive os dropping AIR because Adobe ruled >> >>support >> >> to community basis, I checked the enterprise support program on Adobe >> >> website and saw AIR but not Flex. I answered my contact bringing good >> >> attention on it but the conversation went cold. I assumed it meant >>Flex >> >> since I could not find it on the enterprise support program. If you >> >>email >> >> privately I will be happy to give you my contact name and email. >> >> On Jan 3, 2014 6:45 PM, "Justin Mclean" <jus...@classsoftware.com> >> >>wrote: >> >> >> >>> Hi, >> >>> >> >>> > Which remind me of anothet concern I have: support. I should >>probably >> >>> send >> >>> > a separate email with a new title to create a new conversation, I >> >>>will >> >>> > after searching previous conversation first. But just as an >>example, >> >>> Disney >> >>> > Interactive in Palo Alto recently told me that they abandon AIR >> >>>because >> >>> > Flex support was now community based. >> >>> >> >>> No idea why they would think that. Adobe still offer paid support >>for >> >>> Flex and AIR (as far as I'm aware) - and there are still companies >>that >> >>> offer commercial support for Flex and AIR. >> >>> >> >>> And here's a short list of what community support have given Apache >> >>>Flex: >> >>> - Released versions 4.8, 4.9, 4.10, 4.11 and 4.12 is likely to be >>in a >> >>> month or two. >> >>> - Wider Flash Player and AIR version support including support for >> >>>Linux >> >>> - New spark components >> >>> - New mobile dpi skins >> >>> - There's been over 1000 resolved JIRA issues since the donation to >> >>> Apache, including "old" bugs Adobe had marked they wouldn't fix or >>fix >> >>> later. >> >>> - Significant speed and memory GC improvements. >> >>> - Close to 20,000 installs of the SDK via the installer in the last >>5 >> >>> months. >> >>> - Work on JS version of the Flex SDK progressing nicely. >> >>> >> >>> And probably lots I've missed out on in that list, but community >> >>>support >> >>> is more a reason to use Apache Flex rather than not use it. >> >>> >> >>> Thanks, >> >>> Justin >> >> >> >> >> >>
