[Asterisk-Users] Cisco SIP Firmware Price Increase

[Rich Adamson]

> I've heard a few times that the firmware for Cisco Phones to use them with SIP is going to 
increase $150.  Is this true?
>  

If you follow the cisco license agreements, yes.

The cisco list price of the 7960 (as an example) includes their
non-sip software for something like $650. (Street price is substantially
less.)

If you want that brand new phone with a sip license (and software),
then there is an add-on for the sip license (something like $100 US,
now making that a $750 phone).

If you buy a used/reconditioned phone from any non-cisco-sponsored
reseller, you're supposed to pay for a new license for "whatever" 
software is installed in the used phone (even if its the original
software shipped from cisco with the phone). That cost is very high, 
and oriented to discourage reselling any cisco equipment. (Many 
authorized resellers get around it as they install whatever software 
you want and don't bother reporting it to cisco, or charging for 
it, etc.) In other words, whatever software is installed on any
cisco box is _not_ transferable to the next buyer.

Rather interesting from the standpoint that one _can't_ remove
the software from a cisco 7960, so there is no way to ever resell
a used cisco phone legally. (No way to comply with the license
terms.)

Cisco _does_ keep track of serial numbers by customer, therefore if
you try to purchase a license or maintenance from _any_ source,
that source has to validate the serial number against the cisco
records. If you were not the original purchaser of that serial
number, they are not supposed to sell you the license or maintenance
agreement. (Just another way to control the used equipment market.)

Good product though. ;)