Good Afternoon,
Was going to register today for the January Open Telephony Training Seminar in Huntsville. But even with the “Unadvertised Discount” of $300 bringing this down to $2,195 for the program, it seems very high. I was expecting something more in line with IWCE and ITEXPO of $1,200/person.
So I am looking for help with justification, and maybe some feed back on ways to drop the cost since this does not include the ~125/night for room, or travel & food.
TIA…
The networking is the thing. Getting to meet and spend time with other like minded people is one of the best aspects of OTTS. It is a very supportive group and it is good to get connected.
When you go and get certified on a commercial piece of Software, you’ve already spent or will spend additional thousands of dollars for the software.
How much have you spent on Asterisk/FreePBX.
Bill/W5WAF
If you are doing VOIP with Asterisk and FreePBX, then this is a great course. I went to the first one in Charleston last February. One of the contacts I made there helped me out of a jam two days ago.
You will learn a lot about the workings of FreePBX and you will meet like minded people.
It is a hell of lot cheaper than becoming a CCNA or an MCSE, btw.
I have to agree with Bill, the course is a must if you are serious about deploying and managing an Asterisk/FreePBX based solution.
The vendors are a very small part of the curriculum and the giveaways more than offset the few minutes. Of course I can’t guarantee they will be as generous, however we received an Aastra phone, Digium licenses and a full license for iSymphony for our own use.
The course is taught by subject matter experts, the guys that are writing the code and directing the future of FreePBX. They are exciting and dynamic.
Being immersed in the Asterisk universe at Digium world HQ has it’s own benefits.
It is more fair to compare this to Cisco UCM course at $5599.00
I can’t say enough good about the people that conduct this and their integrity. You will be more than satisfied.
Scott (Satisfied OTTS customer)
If you’re serious about FreePBX and Asterisk, This course is a must.
You’re comparing apples to oranges when you compare IWCE or ITEXPO with OTTS.
IWCE and ITEXPO are trade shows, not courses. As such they are supported by the vendors that pay BIG bucks to bring in their Dog and Pony Shows. The vendors then expect you to buy things from them. The IWCE, ITEXPO, APCO, etc. shows are advertisment for the vendors.
At OTTS, there are a few vendors that make presentations, but it is more from their expertise in the particular subject matter.
If you’re concerned about lodging and food costs, you may have some options, particularly if you have a car when you get there. I stayed at Candlewood Suites and the cost was about $80.00 per night. There are a number of extended stay hotels there. I saw one, as I was driving in, for $185/week. Looked brand new, but was about 6 miles from Digium.
I’d google “extended stay hotels huntsville” and see what comes back.
And as far as a testimonial, I was so impressed with the course that I recommended to my boss that we send another one of our IT Specialists to the course. The boss agreed without batting an eye, so I’ll have another one of my co-workers at the course in Jan. That’s 2 of the 4 people in our IT department.
Bill/W5WAF
City of Vicksburg, MS