To Buy? Or To Build? … That Is The Question!

Written by Michael DeVries


So, you have identified a need in your business for which you believe would be a great candidate for a software solution.

Nowrepparttar question is …

Do you “run off” and engage (one or more) developers to build this software system(s) for you?

And/or …

Do you “run off” torepparttar 149509 “nearest” and/or your favorite on-/off-line software store and buy a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) package solution, and if so which one?, to meet these business needs?

Which one of these alternatives isrepparttar 149510 most efficient and (overall) cost effective solution to satisfy your business needs as soon as possible?

That is “The Question”!, To Buy? or To Build?, isn’t it?

Gettingrepparttar 149511 answer to this question is actually not nearly as difficult as you might imagine! ;)

All you need to do is execute a “Buy vs. Build” analysis and/or a Software Selection process forrepparttar 149512 type(s) of software that meet these of your business needs and choserepparttar 149513 best, most efficient and (overall) cost effective solution, right?

The “Big Boys”, larger companies and corporations, often perform, and/or engage consultants to perform, a formal “Buy vs. Build” analysis and/or a Software Selection process on many to all of their significant software purchases.

You should execute a “Buy vs. Build” analysis and/or a Software Selection process, for any significant software purchase, before you decide whether it would be most efficient and cost effective, inrepparttar 149514 long run, to build an application “from scratch” vs. buy a COTS (commercial-off-the-shelf) package, and if so which one will best fit your current and future needs!

This may save you a significant amount of money, time, effort and *headaches* in bothrepparttar 149515 short term and inrepparttar 149516 long run!

As otherwise, you may end up paying to “recreaterepparttar 149517 wheel(s)”, which really doesn’t make sense, does it?, and therefore none of us wants to do, do we?

Or …

Purchasing a package only to find that it doesn’t (and possibly can’t) meet your needs and/orrepparttar 149518 cost of modifying such a package to meet your needs is prohibitive, in which either case you will most likely “scrap” this package (now a.k.a. “shelfware”), you just bought and paid for, and pick or build another one and possibly repeat this whole (costly) cycle again, you know?

We will not haverepparttar 149519 luxury of going into detail on either how to perform a formal “Buy vs. Build” analysis, as this would require extensive discussions of how to define, analyze and estimate software development projects for which there are many books on these subjects, and/or how to execute a formal Software Selection process, as this is a topic for which whole Methodologies have been developed and are used (I know, as I assisted inrepparttar 149520 initial development and used just such a Software Selection Methodology for one ofrepparttar 149521 largest global software and services corporations ;)).

We will, however, in this article, attempt to outline some ofrepparttar 149522 factors that you should consider when performing your own “Buy vs. Build” analysis and/or Software Selection process(es) for yourself.

Firstly, in either case you will need to define (and prioritize) your requirements / selection criteria such that you may evaluate how each of these “Buy vs. Build” alternatives will meet your immediate and long-term business needs, right?

Further, throughout these processes, you will want to insure that you compare these options in terms of “apples to apples”, you know?

Therefore, I would recommend that you compare both(/all) of these options in terms (ofrepparttar 149523 “Total cost of ownership”) includingrepparttar 149524 total time and cost to getrepparttar 149525 application into production and/or market andrepparttar 149526 total cost of supporting and maintainingrepparttar 149527 application for its expected lifespan.

The “formality” with which you execute these processes should be proportionate to your investment (in terms ofrepparttar 149528 long-term / “Total cost of ownership”) inrepparttar 149529 application and its criticality in your business.

First, let us considerrepparttar 149530 “Build” option.

Some ofrepparttar 149531 advantages ofrepparttar 149532 “Build” option include:

1) You get an application specifically developed to satisfy your business requirements/needs and designed to fit your specific business processes.

2) It is more likely that you will be able to adapt your software system(s) to changes in your business needs and/or processes, as you would either presumably haverepparttar 149533 application source code and/or access torepparttar 149534 original developers of it, right?

3) You may develop your new application(s) to interface and “play nicely” withrepparttar 149535 other software in your overall application architecture.

Some ofrepparttar 149536 disadvantages ofrepparttar 149537 “Build” option include:

1) The typical project duration from conception to production(/market), throughrepparttar 149538 complete software development life cycle, for a custom developed application may be significantly longer than that for implementing a package solution.

2) The initial development costs of producingrepparttar 149539 first release(s) of your application(s), includingrepparttar 149540 associated documentation and training materials, are typically higher than those for purchasing a package solution.

Briefly here are just a few ofrepparttar 149541 additional factors that, IMHO (in my humble opinion), you may wish to consider in determining whether or not it is best to “Build” an application “from scratch”, including:

1) In addition torepparttar 149542 estimated “coding” time and cost, make sure you also consider all ofrepparttar 149543 time and possible costs to completerepparttar 149544 definition, analysis and design phases, prior to “coding”, andrepparttar 149545 subsequent testing and implementation phases required to completerepparttar 149546 overall software development life cycle for you application.

How to Never Pay a Hotel Phone Bill Again

Written by Jim Sherman


Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a signaling protocol for establishing sessions in an IP network. But if you are like most of us, that means nothing to you. In layman's terms, SIP is a method by which various computers can talk to one another so that they can complete voice calls. The protocol is increasingly being adopted asrepparttar standard means by which computers communicate to facilitate VoIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol. So you can imagine SIP as a common language for new generation operators to speak to connect calls. However, there are no operators there is only your computer (or other hardware) and that ofrepparttar 149439 person you are speaking with. That brings this introduction to some ofrepparttar 149440 many benefits of SIP communication.

The goal of SIP was to provide users with many ofrepparttar 149441 functions and features they typically expect with making phone calls, such as familiar rings, hearingrepparttar 149442 ring back tone when a call is placed, andrepparttar 149443 process of dialing a number. SIP goes beyond this however, also implementing a number of advanced features. Despite its’ convenient interface that mirrors that of a typical telephone call, SIP is based on an internet protocol rather than that ofrepparttar 149444 telephone industry. Because of this, SIP is able to work seamlessly alongside other internet based protocols. This has allowedrepparttar 149445 technology to uniquely establish a user location, meaning that you can tellrepparttar 149446 IP address or "location" from which a person is making a call, something vital for offering emergency services. It also allows for coordination amongstrepparttar 149447 various participants in deciding upon what call features will be supported, as well as providingrepparttar 149448 protocol for call management which allows for adding, dropping, or transferring call participants.

One ofrepparttar 149449 most exceptional benefits of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is its application with Private Branch Exchange (PBX). A private branch exchange is a private telephone network used within an enterprise in which users share a certain number of outside lines for external telephone calls. This provides a significant cost savings torepparttar 149450 company because it allows companies to quickly and easily make calls within their institution, as well as save by limitingrepparttar 149451 number of external phone lines that must be maintained. SIP can extend these cost savings dramatically by offering users free long distance calls worldwide. Once again, because SIP is internet based rather than running over traditional telephone lines,repparttar 149452 cost of call transmission are as cheap as say sending an e-mail, that is to say, Free! While PBX is already an efficient use of office resources incorporating SIP into a PBX means taking such savings and capabilities to a new level. Incorporating SIP gives users’ access to free interoffice communications, long distance calls, as well as huge savings in setup and transaction costs. These transaction cost savings are due torepparttar 149453 fact that SIP is based on internet protocol allowing forrepparttar 149454 ability to physically move phones without any need for rewiring or new setup costs. Because thatrepparttar 149455 system is peer-to-peer rather than cog and wheel like hardwired telephony means that there is no complicated setup necessary, but rather users can simply plugrepparttar 149456 phone into any available broadband connection and withoutrepparttar 149457 need for any complicated hardware or software, calls are ready to be made and received.

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