I have been looking further in to a defect tracking tool and we now have five main requirements:

Defined 5 major defect tracking requirements:
- Capability to print outstanding defects
    Per project (High requirement)
    Per set of developers / team (High requirement)
    Per developer (Low requirement, if available at all)

- Visibility
    Access / user rights can be configurable (Essential)
    Available to internal users (Essential)
    Available to external clients (High requirement)
     Externals can view issues defined by their user access rights

- Reporting
   Available to external clients (High requirement)
   External clients can enter in issues found out in the field

- Open to some extent
   DB driven (Required)
   SDK available (useful)

There are other considerations I have listed to further qualify one product against another, which I have attached.

- - - - - -

I have been very optimistic with what I have seen on the OnTime web site. However there are small issues and one that is sitting in back of mind, that being an issue with concurrent edits by users. There is an issue with overwrites and denying a user's changes only when they try to save (which is going to be frustrating - been there!).

You can read more here:
http://forums.axosoft.com/shwmessage.aspx?forumid=19&messageid=8871#bm8935

http://forums.axosoft.com/shwmessage.aspx?ForumID=9&MessageID=9430&TopicPage=1


Something else that I am still working through is how important it is for the defect tracking tool to interface with a test automation tool. I'd be interested to hear about people's experience with this. It seemed quite convenient when I last used it, but is it worth restricting yourself to one supplier for all your tools (Test Management framework, Test Automation and Defect Tracking)?

IronCurtain 

I have submitted a feature request to add Test Case Design, Execution, and Project/Product Requirements features into OnTime.  I think these features will make this product hard to beat.  Not that it isn't already.

 Hopefully they will give these a good look and seriously consider adding them.  I am thoroughly tired of Mercury Quality Center.

 Shane