I have always really, really liked the WS_FTP product from IpSwitch. I must admit, however, that I never actually paid for it until last year. August of 2006, to be exact. In August, I purchased a full license to WS_FTP 2007 Professional. Unfortunately, it only came with three months of support, it seems like. This is not a problem, in my mind. Why would I need basic support on a product that has always been a gem?

Well, because IpSwitch refuses to provide me with a patch or update to WS_FTP that will allow it to be Vista compatible.

I have been running Vista final release for a few months now. Out of the programs that I use, WS_FTP is the only one that does not work (unless you count Vista’s Backup system’s inability to backup to a Samba share on a FreeBSD machine). Sure, a few other programs threw off errors or warnings that were not actually a problem. But WS_FTP will not even run, it throws off an error, that appears to be a problem with its licensing system. IpSwitch has a Vista compatible version, but it is not available as a patch or an upgrade, only as an item provide by their Technical Support organization, who will not support me because my service contract ran out.

I can understand the lack of technical support for people with no contract. But to not even post a patch? To continue selling software that is not Vista compatible, without marking it as such on your Web site? That is a tough pill to swallow.

IpSwitch, I have a few questions for you:

·         Why does your Web site not make it plainly obvious that WS_FTP is not Vista compatible?

·         Why will you not provide a patch or upgrade to customers who have already paid for their software and can no longer use it?

·         Why does your service contract cost so much money that if I were to extend my contract to get the Vista patch, it would be cheaper to buy a competitor’s product?

In short, why are you acting like Symantec?!

J.Ja