<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><HTML><FONT SIZE=2 PTSIZE=10>Might want to publish a cost break down by tier size...<BR>
<BR>
There are days I would just love to throw our server out the window and just squat somewhere else..<BR>
<BR>
Ed Sharpe archivist for SMECC<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Hi Karl,<BR>
<BR>
Check out the last line in my sig :-). LibLime offers<BR>
toll-free support to our member libraries and we have the<BR>
number "1(888) Koha ILS".<BR>
<BR>
There is simply no way to get around support costs with<BR>
any software -- even free software needs maintenance<BR>
and folks working on it deserve to get paid fair<BR>
wages. The difference with open source is there are no<BR>
'license' fees -- so you don't have to dish out $40,000<BR>
just to use the product in addition to support fees on<BR>
top of that (no joke, I recently saw an ILS proposal where<BR>
license costs for the vendor's software were itemized at<BR>
$40,000).<BR>
<BR>
That's the kind of language I would use to describe<BR>
the problem. Also, keep LibLime in mind: It sounds like<BR>
your church library falls into LibLime's 'tiny' category<BR>
(less than 10,000 items). With a library that small we<BR>
can provide a LibLime-hosted solution for very resonable<BR>
prices -- and that would cover them for the toll-free<BR>
number. It would also mean that they wouldn't have to<BR>
worry about all the back-end server maintenance and<BR>
administration (meaning, I suppose that YOU wouldn't<BR>
have to worry about that :-)) -- all the church would <BR>
need is a computer with internet connection (the Koha<BR>
installation would be hosted at our fiber-backbone<BR>
server farm rather than at the church itself).<BR>
<BR>
Let me know if you'd like a formal proposal. :-)<BR>
<BR>
Sincerely,<BR>
<BR>
-- <BR>
Joshua Ferraro VENDOR SERVICES FOR OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE<BR>
President, Technology migration, training, maintenance, support<BR>
LibLime Koha ILS, Mambo Intranet, DiscrimiNet Filter<BR>
jmf@liblime.com | Full Demos at http://liblime.com | 1(888)KohaILS<BR>
_______________________________________________<BR>
Koha mailing list</BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Thanks,<BR>
<BR>
Ed Sharpe, Archivist for SMECC <BR>
<BR>
See the Museum's Web Site at <A HREF="http://www.smecc.org">www.smecc.org</A><BR>
<BR>
We are always looking for items to add to the museum's display and ref. library - please advise if you have anything we can use.<BR>
<BR>
Coury House / SMECC<BR>
5802 W. Palmaire Ave. Phone 623-435-1522<BR>
Glendale Az 85301 USA<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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