-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of John > Todd Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2003 5:02 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [Asterisk-Users] How much to charge for Asterisk > installations? > > > >I have a medium sized business that is interested in > implementing * as > >their PBX system. They currently have a Panasonic system with > >Panasonic handsets that they are going to replace Asterisk > with, as the > >current system is maxed out, and they don't even have voicemail > >capabilities. > > > >I have been considering using an Adtran Atlas 550 with FXO and FXS > > interface cards, attached to Asterisk with a T1. The other > >consideration has been to replace the existing Panasonic phones > >with SIP phones. I will be pricing out both approaches to see > which one is > >more economical. > > > >What I am wondering basically though is how much other people are > >charging to implement solutions such as this? Are you charging on > >a per hour basis? A per line? Are you charging to activate > >certain features such as voicemail, call parking, call queueing? > > > >I'm trying to get an idea of how a standard Asterisk > installation might > >be charged to a business. > > My suggestion would be to charge hourly. I have found that often > customers are uncertain what features they really want, and > implementing what seem to be to their view "trivial" items turn out > to be somewhat difficult. Plus, I've also found as you progress > through the installation and describe how certain features _could_ > work, they get very excited about those features and ask for them > to be included. If you give them a fixed price, this (always) > ends up burning you. Provide an estimate, but make sure the > customer > understands that it's an estimate and not a quote. This is not a > new discussion; I'm sure some searching of slashdot will turn up > some comments on fixed vs. hourly rate consulting > benefits/drawbacks. > > Make no money on the hardware, if you're providing it - show them > how cheap it really is to turn up the system and to add onto it, > that's always a selling point with Asterisk (and any open source > platform.) Describe how the initial investment in your consulting > time dollar outlay is still trivial compared to the cost of most > other competing systems, especially past the first year. > > There are occasions where you might have "hybrid" bids, where there > is a fixed initial cost, and then hourly for additions. However, > this requires a LARGE amount of expectation-settings and > documentation on deliverables, which often burns more hours than > actually DOING the work, which again could end up burning you > (customers will generally not pay for time you spend on a quote, > and inflating the fixed-cost price to cover your quote time > doesn't go over well, either.) I would suggest not doing hybrid > bids on > anything other than very large installations where quote time and > specification building can be easily built into the initial > charges.
I had a discussion tonight with my company partner (at a bar, where all great idea's come from), and we pretty much came to the same conclusion as what you have described here. Thanks for the reply. Very informative. - -- Leif Madsen - Telecommunications Technology Sheridan College - Trafalgar Campus @: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ICQ: 3445119 FWD: 18924 IAX: 1-700-674-5480 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGPfreeware 6.5.8 for non-commercial use <http://www.pgp.com> iQA/AwUBP2ERSeoKt3kNIKTVEQKAKQCggG7UUYMdC1iam0gzZmWmb7e3eVgAn0xd /vsDmXSApnP3XF2zBoW61Zg1 =/unN -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- _______________________________________________ Asterisk-Users mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users
