Just did our first install with a distro that includes iSymphony. It’s up and running and the client likes it, but I’m baffled by the licensing. Is a basic version of iSymphony included in the distro? Or is the only option for a operator panel to purchase iSymphony Conductor for $600? Additionally, the iSymphony site seems to split Conductor out from the client.
Sorry if this is basic stuff, I just haven’t been able to find a concise explanation anywhere.
A demo client license is included in the Disto. The demo client does not include all of the functionality available in iSymphony.
You would need to purchase a “conductor” license for your server, and then additional licenses for any desktop clients you needed, or Queue licenses for any Queues. You can find additional information here: http://schmoozecom.com/freepbx/freepbx-addon.php or purchase licenses directly in the FreePBX store: http://www.schmoozecom.com/oss-signup.php
Thanks for the response, Preston. $700 for licenses plus additional money later for upgrades is a steep jump for general functionality that used to be included with the software in the form of the FOP. We may just look at FOP2 instead.
You have the freedom to use whichever you choose will work best for your situation, just remember that old saying you get what you pay for.
That’s an odd statement coming from someone supporting an open source software project.
There’s huge gulf between the $40 FOP2 and $600 iSymphony. The latter is, in my opinion, mispriced. Especially since it requires us to reinstall Java on workstations. We’ve removed it entirely due to ongoing egregious security defects.
There is nothing odd about that statement. Just because a project is “Open Source” doesn’t mean everything related to that project is or should be cost free. My job is to bring in revenue sources that help fund the ongoing development of FreePBX, if the developers can’t eat, they can’t code, I don’t hide that fact.
I’m assuming you are looking at 8 clients based on your $700 price point. With FOP2 your average one time cost for that product is $5 per user and would break down to $87.50 for iSymphony with 8 users. Considering the average life span of a PBX these days is around 5 years, you are looking at only about $1.47 per month per user over that period with iSymphony, as opposed to 8 cents per month for FOP2.
If you were in the software development field which of these price structures do you suppose would enable a developer to support ongoing feature development and growth of their respective projects?
My point is you have the Freedom to choose which one you want to use, if you have limited needs and FOP2 fits them go for it, that is part of the “Freedom” that FreePBX provides you.
I’m sure FOP2 is great for some companies with limited needs, but the two products are not really in the same league, and just because it may not be in your budget to purchase does not mean it is over-priced.