Basically what I propose (in a nutshell) is going to a the distrobuters
and saying this. I have ten or twenty or whatever WISPs and we all want
to buy ten units of *insert brand here* and have them all shipped to
different addresses and charged to different accounts. What are you
willing to do to accomidate us? I know there are a number of
distobuters out there. Ones that do millions worth of gear all the way
down to ones that operate WISPs and became resellers of the gear they
use in order to get their volume up. If ten people can install ten a
month. That is 1200 a year. If we look, I bet there is a reseller
somewhere who wants to increase volume by 1200 a year. 5k a year
wouldn't be stretching the imagination too far either.
Am I dumb here guys? Why wouldn't this work?
Tom DeReggi wrote:
Charles,
I fully second your post.
Well said.
Tom DeReggi
RapidDSL & Wireless, Inc
IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband
----- Original Message ----- From: "Charles Wu" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "'WISPA General List'" <wireless@wispa.org>
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2005 9:25 PM
Subject: RE: [WISPA] INSURANCE NOW canopy prices
<snip>
You would think it would work that way, but Volume Buying ends up eating
the organization and the organization becomes caught up in being a
volume club.
</snip>
We all know that there's more to a WISP than just putting up an AP and
getting a T1 line
Having run both a WISP and a distribution company, I can personally
attest
to the fact that there's more to distribution (which is what your
proposing)
than breaking up a 500 pack amongst WISP
Have you considered all the risks / implications that the buying group
faces? For starters, there's the question of payment -- given that the
buying group has no / limited credit, chances are that any vendor will
require cash up front for the purchase
So, for example, say Motorola Canopy is the product WISPA chooses
Then WISPA / Buying Group needs to come up w/ $100k to purchase that 500
pack (at say, $200 / unit for simplicity's sake)
Then, WISPA / Buying Group needs to come up w/ a warehouse to store stuff
Then, WISPA / Buying Group needs to come up w/ a shipper/logistics guy to
repackage / ship stuff
On top of that, chances are, 50% of the WISPs who committed to purchasing
the packs will renege and/or delay their deliveries due to unforseen
things
that always happen in deployments (e.g., lightning, customers don't sign
on, interference from competitor, DSL coming to town)
So now, WISPA / Buying Group needs to hire a sales guy to sell excess
units
Now, you've added overhead (and you need to add an administrative fee /
margin to compensate)
In the meantime, either
1. Motorola to announce a 50% price reduction in their Canopy line,
and all
WISPA members now wanting the new lower price (therefore causing a huge
loss)
2. Trango (or some other company) to come out w/ the new "flavor of the
month" and no one wanting the inventory anymore, sticking WISPA w/ $100k
worth of boat anchors
-Charles
-------------------------------------------
CWLab
Technology Architects
http://www.cwlab.com
--
Brian Rohrbacher
Reliable Internet, LLC
www.reliableinter.net
Cell 269-838-8338
"Caught up in the Air" 1 Thess. 4:17
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