they've been around for a while. I had an account with johncompanies before I started prgmr.com. My experience was quite positive.

I've heard this 'it doesn't scale' argument many times, and I think the source is that the sort of skills it takes to maintain support infrastructure of that quality are quite different from and rarely present in the same individual (or management of a company) as the skills required to scale out a product to the mass market.

Also, I don't believe the mass market doesn't really want a unix nerd on the level 1 support line. they want someone who speaks 'normal person.'