Issue with Outlook Connector Upgrades

Interesting question from info-iMS mailing list:

Hello,

We have a community of about 500 users who use the Outlook Connector. We're having significant difficulty is managing upgrades to the connector software and maintaining the most recent version across all 500 users' systems.

We're even having difficulty identifying which users/machines are using the outlook connector to even approach them to upgrade. When an upgrade becomes available, installing it involves sending support staff around to hundreds of users' PC to perform the upgrade, as most users aren't savvy enough or have appropriate access to perform the upgrade on their own.

Have others encountered this same problem and what have others done to manage connector upgrades?

Regards,

Andrew

Desktop connector deployment is always a challenge, not to mention upgrade. It's always a nightmare. 

That is why I seldom introduce my customers to Sun Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook.

From my ground experience, those who are hard-core Exchange/Outlook users will always ask for more if you introduce them to the Outlook Connector. Many times, I have to tell them the features they are looking for are proprietary/non-conforming standards. 

I'll move on most of the time. These are not the customers I'm targeting.  

Remember 80/20 rule: "Never spend 80% of my time on 20% of the requirements that I know I'll never be able to fulfill"