PGP Beta Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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What is the PGP Beta Program?

The PGP Beta Program is designed to provide PGP users with access to early versions of new releases of PGP® software, thereby enabling them to try out new features, provide feedback, and ensure that PGP® products continue to meet the information security needs of their computing environments.

Why participate in the PGP Beta Program?

For participants who have currently deployed or are planning to deploy PGP® solutions, participation in a public beta provides a number of benefits:

• Early access to PGP products - Participants can use PGP beta software to better understand new features and how they will impact specific deployment environments. This preview not only permits IT organizations to plan for upcoming product releases, but also provides them with the knowledge required to roll out the product immediately upon official customer release.
• Involvement in the development cycle - Participants have the opportunity to provide direct feedback on the features and issues they believe to be most important to their businesses. This feedback allows participants to influence product development to ensure that PGP products meet their specific business requirements.
• Improved product quality and stability - Participants ultimately benefit from the improved quality and stability resulting from widespread product testing across a multitude of system configurations. Improved product stability translates into easier deployment of new PGP product releases into production environments.

What does PGP Corporation expect from beta participants?

PGP Corporation conducts a beta program to gather feedback on the features, reliability, stability, and readiness of its products for the marketplace. With that goal in mind, PGP Corporation strongly encourages all beta participants to report issues they find as they test the software. The more feedback PGP Corporation receives during a beta period, the more likely it is that potential issues with a product can be addressed prior to the release of the software.

To participate in a product beta, participants need to agree to the PGP Beta Program agreement contained in the software and provide the hardware necessary to perform testing. PGP Corporation also recommends beta participants install software only in a non-production environment.

When will PGP Corporation conduct the next public beta?

The timing of a public beta for a product is determined by PGP Corporation's internal development cycle. Although information on the timing of future PGP products is not made publicly available, the PGP Betas page lists the PGP products currently available for beta testing. If beta software is not currently available for the product you are interested in testing, you can request email notification to ensure that you are notified when the next public beta for that product begins.

How do I participate in a public beta for a specific product?

The PGP Betas page lists the PGP products currently available for beta testing and provides instructions on how to obtain beta software. If beta software for the product you are interested in testing is not currently available, you can sign up for email notification to ensure that you are notified when the next public beta begins.

How do I provide feedback to PGP Corporation on a public beta?

Each public beta will include a form for participants to use to provide feedback. Feedback submitted via this form is used by the PGP® Quality Assurance team to reproduce defects and identify potential issues. Consult the PGP Betas page for the link to the appropriate form. When there is not a beta in progress, you can send feedback through the PGP Community Forum.

Last updated: 10 Jul 2008