Percussion’s Good Idea Gone Bad

November 1, 2005 Blog No Comments

Percussion Software had a good idea. They created a Sample Content Management Request for Information form designed to help those interested in content management “objectively measure” a content management system’s ability to meet requirements and provide a low total cost of ownership.

Then, they advertised this offer in E-Content Magazine. I tried to obtain the free form. I clicked the link and was asked to register at the Percussion website by completing a simple form.

Unfortunately for Percussion, they hadn’t worked out all the bugs in the system. I attempted to register by clicking on the “create a new account” button. But I was unable to fill out the registration form because I got the dreaded “Error 400” message.

No free Content Management Request for Information form for me. No registration information collected by Percussion. Marketing dollars wasted. Another good idea gone bad.

Update

Several minutes after posting this article, I received an email from E-Content magazine which included an advertisement for Percussion, this time touting a service designed to help you determine your enterprise content management needs. The ad asks, “Will it take a Million Dollars to meet your Content Management needs?” A good question and one many folks are asking themselves these days. So, I followed the link. It took me to an online survey. I completed it and the system provided me with some useful information based on the answers I provided in the survey.

Then, I was offered a free Enterprise Content Management Buyer’s Kit. I had to have it, I thought. So I completed the registration form and clicked “Register for the ECM Buyer’s Kit”.

“The email address you have chosen is currently part of a valid user account,” the website announced. Drat! Another snafu. So, I went back a page and tried to register with my account name and password—after all, the system just told me I was already a member. I ought to be able to get in that way. So, I tried.

What do you think happened? Error 400, again!