I find it somewhat "un-nerving" when people say something like this.
Yes, spend less, get less, want more. It is a VERY typicall scenario.
Let me give some friendly advice when looking at billing packages:
"You get what you pay for". Typically most billing packages give you
enough to get started, and then once you are using them, you NEED
more, more, more, and the answer is no, no, no.
When you want a billing package make sure it has:
* Authentication integration.
Don't get stuck managing two lists for authentication. Either
directly or in-directly it should manage your authentication list.
Direct authentication from the SAME database is the best, since no
sycronization is needed.
* Accounting integration.
Either directly or in-directly it should work with your accounting
server to prodvide call history and billing. Direct integration to
the
SAME database is the best, since it is real time and doesn't have to
be
batched.
* Email integration.
You don't want to maintain your email system outside of your billing
system. If you have to you are going to be spending a LOT of extra
time messing with it, and introduce errors.
* FTP/Web integration.
If you provide personal home pages or commercial web accounts, you
don't
want to maintain your ftp/web accounts outside of your billing
system. If you have to you are going to be spending a LOT of extra
time messing with it, and introduce errors.
* Call Tracking.
As you grow and more than one person works supports, its imperative to
have a system to keep communication and tracking of this. It makes
your\
service much better, and service is what keeps cusdtomers.
The bottom line is "time is money". Every extra step you have to do to
manage and bill users is money you loose. If you think you are saving
money by going with a "$195 billing package", take a close look at what
you are NOT getting.
--
Dale E. Reed Jr. (daler@iea.com)
_________________________________________________________________
IEA Software, Inc. | RadiusNT, Emerald, and NT FAQs
Internet Solutions for Today | http://www.emerald.iea.com