Very Important: VDN Tiers & Costs

Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 09:34:00 -0300 (ADT)
From: Peter Mortimer <ag500@chebucto.ns.ca>
To: Richard Rudnicki <foxpoint@fox.nstn.ca>
cc: Christopher Majka <nextug@is.dal.ca>, ccn board <ccn-board@chebucto.ns.ca>, David Murdoch <murdoch@csuite.ns.ca>,
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <ccn-ip-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>

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I'm joining this discussion a bit late so I apologize for any comments
that are out of date...

On Sun, 4 Oct 1998, Richard Rudnicki wrote:

> 
> >> I am widening a discussion taking place about IP fees so as to make sure we
> >> are all clear about what has and has not been agreed to.
> 
> Regardless of what's been agreed upon, positioning is everything in the 
> world of competitive business, and CCN could learn well from the principle. 
> 
> This whole question of what to charge and what not to charge for various 
> levels of service can only be answered in the context of what the other 
> players in the field are doing together with CCN's mission. We must position 
> ourselves relative to what other ISPs are providing and what the consumer of 
> these services can get relative to her/his needs -- or we'll be lame ducks. 
> We're having this debate about prices with very little information, mostly 
> hearsay, and have no definitive overview or agreement on what the heck is 
> going on out there in our own field of operations. We can't be effective 
> making decisions this way. 

I agree with Richard's comments.  When the IP committee's recommendations
were first made to the board I made two suggestions:

1.  That we put together a small working group with representation from
the tech committee, treasurer, IP committee, editors and others to figure
out how to implement the changes in IP services and costs. 

2.  That this group also recommend a price structure.

The IP committee doesn't have the necessary "large view" of all the
issues to make the final recommendations.

Any attempt to implement the changes in IP strutcure/services/costs before
taking these steps just doesn't make sense.

> I propose we commission a study that can be done very quickly, this should 
> be done annually you know, to 1) identify the ISPs available to Nova 
> Scotians and determine the range and cost of their services relative to 
> CCN's, and as best as possible determine their marketing thrust, and 2) 
> identify the emerging trends in the industry. This is secondary research 
> that can be done by one or two sharp fourth year commerce types. The 
> methodology would involve research at the Dal business library and on-line, 
> and should take about two days research, one day report writing. I'd look 
> for two people at fifty to seventy-five bucks each plus photocopy expenses.
> 
> We also need to know where the IP heads are at, and this is something that 
> maybe Jack Uthe and I could undertake through an interview/survey format
> 
> And then of course the information needs to be acted upon, and it seems to 
> me this should best be through a coordinated effort by both the IP Committee 
> and the Board.
> 
> 
> 

   ----
   Peter Mortimer 
   Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

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