Ascend Archive
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Re: (ASCEND) "Free" Software vs. Licensed (was "analyse RADIUS logs")

On Fri, 15 Aug 1997, Dale E. Reed Jr. wrote:

[snip]
> That is really being blind.  As I said earlier, there are two kinds of
> ISPs,
> Big and Small.  Big ISPs do *NOT* use public domain software to run
> their
> companies.  They buy multi-million dollar software packages with hefty
> support tags simply because they can't afford to ask a list when
> something
> breaks (and hope that someone else has encountered that problem).

> They call their support rep and get it fixed.  Small ISPS typically
> do follow what you say, though.

I think you have zero way of showing this.  I've worked at the large ISPs
from 100,000 customers to the small ones like this one (slightly less than
1000+).  I can honestly say that I have not seen anyone specifically
[large or small] choose packages on merits like that.  I know that we
consider the price, the availability, and how feasible it is.  I don't for
one second consider that being big or small has anything to do with it.
To tell you the honest truth, it never will.  You go with what works.  If
it means freeware, it means freeware.  If it means spending the bucks, it
means spending the bucks.  We used a shareware version of msql until it
expired.  Why?  Because we had to see if it would fit our needs.  Sure
enough it did, so we're trying another version of it and determining it's
feasability before settling on paying anything.  Meanwhile, we have a
working sql server and zero cost.  I suppose we could have had a 10 hour
long meeting on which sql server to use and how "cost-efficient" it would
be, but that would be a moot excercise in futility - at the risk of
sounding redundant.

[snip]

> Again, this is assuming the company has the expertise to do this
> kind of stuff.  Not all have that kind of fluent talent to modify
> kernals and add extensive and complex patched to software. They just
> need something they can buy and it will work.

I can patch now and then, but I certainly won't do something incredibly
complex when a much simpler solution is available.  It's a waste of time
and resources.
--
Joseph Hickman
  Director of Network Operations
  josephh@psn.net / iconia@psn.net

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