Stores often stock thousands of products, and it is virtually impossible to keep track of all product upgrades.

Customers in Business-to-Business environments often tend to be loyal since they need after-sales-service for their products and appreciate information on product upgrades and service offerings.

These so-called artificial beauties, rather than provoking public alarm or debate, seem to be regarded as worthy product upgrades.

These can include recurring licensing fees, product upgrades, new versions, and patches and bug fixes.

After all, what other company would spend five times as much to promote a product upgrade as it did on an upgrade just two years before?

Stream's brands will become part of Solectron's Global Services unit, which provides post-manufacturing services like product upgrades and help-desk support.

The price cuts and product upgrades come at a time of turmoil at the company.

Nearly every major product upgrade or announcement during the last ten years has been made during a Stevenote.

"My tickets have gone from $27 to $69 and there hasn't been a product upgrade," he said.

Once each manufacturer invests in obtaining in-house experts on accessible features, the manufacturer will maintain this staff permanently to work on later product upgrades.