Extended beta testing and a new Quality Council comprising decision makers from the company's engineering, manufacturing, testing, product marketing and customer service groups are two key parts of senior vice president Frederick Forsyth's plans to improve the reliability of Apple Computer's hardware and software.
CEO Gilbert Amelio deputized Forsyth, Apple senior vice president for worldwide operations, to oversee quality-assurance efforts.
Forsyth said: "[Amelio] doesn't care what the cause is -- supply problems, design problems, manufacturing, service, distribution. He is looking across the organization to ensure we have the processes in place for resolution."
According to Forsyth, one way to improve quality control is to augment the testing process with more input from outside sources. In the wake of public beta tests of Open Transport and OpenDoc, Apple said it will continue the trend with a public beta of Copland, its next major OS release. Nancy Morrison, an Apple spokeswoman, said, "It won't be really widespread, but there will be a seeding program for customers."
But Forsyth said: "We're looking to find beta sites. We want to get a broader base of users to test things. [That's] clearly required for major changes. We want to get some educational institutions and developers."
An increased focus on quality is reflected in recent Apple actions. The company reportedly delayed the release of faster Power Mac models in order to ensure the machines will work properly when released.
Help, Apple style
Apple's technical support can be reached at (800) 767-2775. Users can search Apple's technical information library at http://til.info.apple.com/til/til.html.
