[Asterisk-Users] How much to charge for Asterisk installations?

[Leif Madsen]

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> -----Original Message-----
> From: asterisk-users-admin at lists.digium.com 
> [mailto:asterisk-users-admin at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of John
> Todd Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2003 5:02 PM
> To: asterisk-users at lists.digium.com
> 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
@: leif.madsen at sheridanc.on.ca
ICQ: 3445119        FWD: 18924
IAX: 1-700-674-5480

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