SysAid

SysAid’s New Version Numbering System Keeps It Simple

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Oded Moshe

4 min read

SysAid New Version Numbering

Here at SysAid, the “naming” of our software has always been a technical issue of incrementing the numbers as we release new features…and new versions.

When I joined the company in 2008, we were at SysAid Release 5. Since that time, there’s been two major releases each year, so we went from 5.5 to 6 to 6.5 to 7, and so on. Last year we reached the 9th generation of our product with the latest release 9.1.

With the numbers rising and before entering the 2-digit arena (aka Release 10), we figured it’s the perfect time to improve the logic to our naming convention. So we began to rethink our numbering strategy/policy.

So What Did We Do?

We decided to break up the concept and give value and meaning in the version number that will indicate when the specific version was released. The first 2 digits would represent the year – in other words 14 for 2014, and the next digit after the period would represent the specific quarter in that year, e.g. SysAid 14.1 means the 1st quarter of the year 2014.

Common Language for Cloud and On-Premise

SysAid has Cloud releases as well as On-Premise releases. Cloud is always a little ahead of the game, getting the releases quicker, with On-Premise getting it a few cycles after. Although for Cloud the naming convention is actually less relevant than for On-Premise—because Cloud is always updated, so you don’t need to know which version you have, as you always have the latest—we still wanted to create a common language for both On-Premise and Cloud.

We know we are releasing 2-3 On-Premise versions every calendar year, therefore we decided to name the versions according to when they are planned to be out for On-Premise, and not Cloud. So if, for example, we have a scheduled On-Premise release in January 2014, which incorporates a few cycles of Cloud, we’re going to call it 14.1. The Cloud version will already receive 14.1 in the year 2013, as the Cloud cycles start rolling out.

Following this logic, Release 14.2 is scheduled to be out for On-Premise in June 2014, but our Cloud customers will start seeing 14.2 features already in March because March/April/May cycles are the ones that will be bunched together to create 14.2 On-Premise Release in June 2014.

Note that the actual version number contains an additional two digits to control the minor releases within the major releases, for example 14.1.01 , 14.1.02, etc.

Make Sense?

Once you get used to it, it’s very simple. You can look at the version number and know exactly when your SysAid release was issued. You’ll know how up-to-date you are. Even if you’re using SysAid On-Premise, you can look at Cloud Release Notes as they get published, and you’ll know what features to expect in your next release and when it will happen.

We think this will save a lot of questions, and bring added value to the numbering system.


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About

the Author

Oded Moshe

Oded is VP Products at SysAid, with over 15 years of experience in various product and IT management positions. Proud father of two young (iPhone/iPad-addicted) girls and one baby boy (that they’re trying to keep the gadgets out of his reach). Fond of new technologies, and enjoys good conspiracy books and movies.

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