Support: Bigger isn't always better
How is it possible for an open source application to provide the support level offered by giants like Microsoft?

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For many open source applications there are commercial entities that specialize in offering support for those products. Often, the support offered by them is superior to that offered by the big boys, because they are focused on that, while for the big boys, support is a necessary evil that is typically staffed by low-level personnel. Naturally, if one is going to consider purchasing commercial support, its quality should be assessed for the particular product.

This was first published in August 2006