Sounds like a great idea and useful product. Will be interesting to see what you come up with.
Tom DeReggi RapidDSL & Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'WISPA General List'" <wireless@wispa.org> Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 1:07 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Billing and process management system >I debated on whether to put this out there but since Tim did what the heck > :) Demarc has been working on something like this for the past few months > and will soon have a demo site up for people to take a look at our offer. > But to give you the basis: > - Our solutions will have about 95% of what both PowerCode and Avansu are > offering out of the box and 100% soon after. > - We already have our AP and CPE code ported to IXP425 and Atheros SoC > boards and plan on supporting what WISP use in the market place. > - Once the product is announced we are going to be adding feature support > based on customer feedback in a major way, as long as we get a good amount > of feedback about a feature its going in :) > - We will be adding support for all the major AP software like Star-OS and > MT via what every interface they allow so WISP do not need to change our > any > existing hardware. > - Because we will control all the software and firmware we will be adding > many special features that one could only do with this type of control, > more > on this later :) > - We will have many models to work with any WISP setup, from the basic > where > we host the system on our double redundant servers to an onsite install of > the code. > - Now for the fun part this will be a no cost system for all Demarc > hardware > customers! Yes its 100% free ;) Any hardware that is not Demarc will have > licensing, which is yet to be setup, but to be sure it will be very > reasonable. > > With this all said, I am looking for any feedback from WISPA and their > members on what they are looking for. Also so you all understand this > project was started with Whitespace solutions in mind and what it's going > to > need to develop a product line, no more can end WISP create a design and > use > it like they did with 2.4Ghz. > > > Sincerely, Tony Morella > Demarc Technology Group, A Wireless Solution Provider > Office: 207-667-7583 Fax: 207-433-1008 > http://www.demarctech.com > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Tom DeReggi > Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2008 12:27 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; WISPA General List > Subject: Re: [WISPA] Billing and process management system > > Tim, > > Now that you have made your shameless self promotion sales pitch :-) I > thought I'd scrutinize your comments, palying devils advocate :-) > > I have not looked at your BOSS software or Firmwre, so I am asking blind > at > this point. But I am interested in your perspective, since you are > interested in WISP markets. > >> AP and CPE devices will need to use our firmware but >> once installed can be managed from anywhere. We currently have our >> firmware >> ported to half a dozen devices and we're working on adding more ports all >> the time. > > The above was the key comment that got my attention, and how that would > reflect the reality of what could be a viable target market.. > > Is it really realistic to "use a BOSS provider's Firmware on APs and > CPEs"? > Come on.... WISPs have graduated basic Wifi APs and CPEs. It has taken > almost a decade for the Firmware leaders of today to develop feature rich > products that WISPs can actually count on working well enough for > commercial > > deployment. (examples... Mikrotik, StarOS, Ligowave, etc). > Why would a WISP risk a tried and true solution to convert to something > new, > > just for integration into a BOSS system? Could they risk that? Thats like > going to a CLEC provider and saying... "We have this new BOSS system, > would > you mind just throwing away all your CISCOs.". Generally what WISPs would > want more is a BOSS system that could integrate will all their > pre-eixsting > diverse product lines. As a WISP, we all know there are a lot of tools in > the toolbox, and there is the right tool for each type of job. Even the > WISPs most religious to staying true to one brand have branched out to use > many different product lines, because technical reasons and differences in > their technology forced them to, if they wanted to stay competitive. I > would find it more viable to have a "agent" application that could be > integrated into pre-existing OS, to add compatibility. (although that > could > also be a huge task technically, and politically also) > > When a BOSS requires its own Firmware for devices, it usually means that > the > > WISPs will now need two BOSS systems. One for their new proprietary > system, > and one for all their other stuff. That means duplication of ALL costs. > Labor, hardware, CC processing, learning curve, documentation, etc, etc. > So > teh service subscribption could no longer be justified as a time saver, as > it would be yet another application "added" to the list to manage. Also > note a platform change is not jsut a technology change, it is also a > process > > change. > > Do not misunderstand me, I am NOT Bashing your product. I'm just sharing > the > > first thoughts that came to my mind, when I don't yet understand your > product, and it would potentually be a thought likely to cross other > WISP's > minds. > > How do you feel your product, will or could fit into an existing WISP's > operation? And what processes/features could be extended to pre-existing > models? > To be more politically correct, this is a question not necessarilly > directed > > specifically to your product, but any product that offers a more narrow > specialized management solution (such as HotSpot) to integrate into an > exist > > provider's network of any type. > > A trend I see is many vendors are providing RMS systems for their radio > firmware platforms. (I'll spare you the list, but atleast 10 I could name > off teh top of my head). However, most are jsut compatible with their own > product, which takes away a large part of the value proposition for many > WISPs. I personally, see 2009 and 2010 being about increasing BOSS's > compatibilty to encompass a much larger models and products. The analogy > I > like to use is looking at a company like at Comcast or a Verizon. Would > they give their support staff 5 different OSS platforms to manage all the > peices of their network? WISPS are growing, and there is a dream for one > platform that does it all, and it will be even more importnat as teh roll > ups occur. Or will it be a technical impossibilty? > > Tom DeReggi > RapidDSL & Wireless, Inc > IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > WISPA Wants You! Join today! > http://signup.wispa.org/ > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.552 / Virus Database: 270.9.13/1828 - Release Date: 12/4/2008 > 8:05 AM > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wants You! 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