I don’t understand why we would want to be in that
market. The only point in selling AVTS units is that we sell a lot of
them. The markup is not the same as in the optical scan days.
If the answer is “loss leader to get
our foot in the door” then all-the-power. I sure hope this loss,
and the risk of running bad elections due to their lunatic setup (two systems and two vendors) is worth it. I sure
hope these counties are prepared to pay support fees to two companies, both of
which should be higher due to the added logistics. They should also be prepared
to make a spectator sport out of the finger pointing on election night.
Ken
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-support@dieboldes.com
[mailto:owner-support@dieboldes.com] On
Behalf Of Lesley Thompson (earthlink)
Sent: Friday, January 24, 2003
10:08 AM
To: support@dieboldes.com
Subject: Re: AVOS/TS blended
system uploads
Even one better, I have been hearing
that election administrators are considering purchasing TS for early
voting in person and only one TS per election day polling place and continuing
to use their precinct count election day op scan whatever the vendor. To stay in that market, we would therefore
be in a situation where the "blended" system would include
third-party election equipment which equals election night third party data
upload into GEMS along side the election night TS results. How many
third-party systems do we currently interface with via imports/exports?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lesley Koop Thompson
Customer Service Project Manager
Diebold Election Systems, Inc.
415-235-6553 (office cell)
512-413-7618 (cell)
lesley@dieboldes.com
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday,
January 24, 2003 11:54 AM
Subject: RE: AVOS/TS
blended system uploads
I think we need to plan
on most customers having both OS and TS in the future. Most counties will need
at least one OS to count Absentee ballots, and at least one TS to meet ADA
requirements. This is what we did in Georgia. I don't think this will go away
any time soon.
Karen Stubblefield-Emery
Customer Service Specialist
Diebold Election Systems
Phone: 972-542-6000 x166
Email: karen@dieboldes.com
-----Original
Message-----
From: owner-support@dieboldes.com
[mailto:owner-support@dieboldes.com]On Behalf
Of Mark Earley
Sent: Friday, January 24, 2003
10:24 AM
To: support@dieboldes.com
Subject: RE: AVOS/TS blended
system uploads
Unsolicited
comments welcome. I do agree with most of the points in your message. I do not
look forward to making it work. However, the counties are required to adopt an
ADA compliant fix at the precinct level. Most of those that have our OS system
are going to go with a blended system, at least in the near term.
Many
have only recently purchased our OS and trained their staff, voters, and
pollworkers. They have been assured that it will work in conjunction with
our TS to satisfy ADA. I doubt they will nullify that expenditure and make
themselves look * by quickly replacing it with TS (unless we offer
them some very appealing incentives). Also, many of our older customers do
not want to leave the OS world, and they will only purchase the TS as forced
to.
Hopefully,
the ADA requirements and the concerns you point out about maintaining two
systems will lead them all down the path to full TS. A few are already looking
in that direction. But, blended systems are here for a while at least. If we
make it work for them (no fun in the support world), then they
will likely stay with us if/when they go full TS. If our blended
system has major problems, they will likely still go full TS, but with
another vendor.
-----Original
Message-----
From: owner-support@dieboldes.com
[mailto:owner-support@dieboldes.com]On Behalf
Of Ken Clark
Sent: Thursday, January 23, 2003
8:28 PM
To: support@dieboldes.com
Subject: RE: AVOS/TS blended
system uploads
There has never been even
a small-scale test of this kind, to my knowledge.
My unsolicited two cents
is that this is a crazy way to run an election. Expecting jurisdictions
to train for and administer two systems is just nuts. It is the worst of
a paper-based election with the worst of an electronic election. I
wouldn’t worry too much about whether GEMS can receive results from two
systems simultaneously. Even if that were the case, we could always fix
GEMS. I’d be worried about whether poll workers can send them.
Ken
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-support@dieboldes.com
[mailto:owner-support@dieboldes.com] On
Behalf Of Mark Earley
Sent: Thursday, January 23, 2003
4:31 PM
To: Support
Subject: AVOS/TS blended system
uploads
With
the new ADA requirements facing our OS customers, they will likely be knocking
on our door to purchase TS units to compliment their existing OS systems with
one TS unit in each precinct - coexisting with the OS units in a blended
system. While there are some problems with programming such a system (namely
needing to have another Vote Center category created for the TS units), these
are hurdles that can be managed (I guess they can - does anyone have
thoughts on this?). My bigger concern is handling the uploading of both TS and
OS results via modem into the GEMS server.
What
are the known issues relating to upload? I know that TS uses RAS
while OS uses regular serial com ports, thus the need for separate modem banks.
Can GEMS receive modem uploads from both OS and TS units at the same time? Has
this been tested in any kind of a medium to large scale test? Does anyone have
any experience with receiving both TS and OS modem uploads?
Mark Earley
850 422-2100 - office/fax
850 322-3226 – cell
|