[Asterisk-Users] Cost of IP Phones, or Isn't It Just Software?

[Lars Boegild Thomsen]

Hi

> Just to get an idea of hardware cost involved here:
> - I can buy a 4-port router with built-in firewall, web-server and
> email-client for $20-$30 RETAIL.  That would indicate a hardware cost of
> $10 max.
> - I can purchase a Sipura SPA-2000 for $100 -- actual hardware cost
> should be $50-$75.
> - I can also purchase a fully featured ADSI speakerphone for $80 retail,
> with an expected hardware cost of $50-$60.

But you fail to discuss the most important fact.  Cisco charge USD 500 for a
phone simply because they can do so :)  If you look at the general pricing -
go back 2 years and you could hardly find a VoIP phone for less than USD
250.  Enter Grandstream and prices started dropping.  When Grandstream first
appeared they listed the price as USD 79.  Now they are generally selling at
around USD 50-60 or so (single pcs. end user pricing.  It's now possible to
get a lot of IP phones for less than USD 100 - which is about the price that
I and most people find reasonable to pay for them.

You see the same with the WiFi phones right now.  The first Cisco one was
what - 6-700 USD (I never even bothered to check the exact price).  The
second one - the ZyXEL/Pulver thingy - well - they generally seem to sell
now at around USD 200 or so.  The Senao one is going to hit the market in a
few month and they claim to target around USD 120 for the initial offering.
I'll bet you anything that shortly after the ZyXEL's will be around USD 100
and they'll both end up competing around that level.

Anyway - I'm babbling now :)  My point was only that the price of these
gadgets have next to nothing to do with the actual hardware cost - but is
only controlled by what the market is prepared to pay.

Regards,

	Lars...