Through the last few years of dealing with all types of ventures, deploying/designing hundreds of projects, and trying to accommodate everyone’s needs from the most simple to the most complex (that will never end), I have been trying to teach myself and my customers a simple idea: There is no such thing as a perfect platform.
This will be true in times of selling, buying, designing, or implementing open-source telephony systems, and will probably count on non-open-source systems as well.
Most Small/Medium/Large Business PBX, Call Center PBX, and Multi-Tenant PBX are undergoing a close development process and having case studies (somehow “good ones”) written about them. What could mean a bug to someone, may just be a lack of knowledge about the system, a simple misinterpretation of the logic behind it, or a feature limitation with a workaround. Seems like we all go into “developer” mode by default and label it a “bug” right away. At this point what is important is the vendor-customer relationship in order to identify what is what and get going.
These facts bring me to the same conclusion: There is no such thing as a perfect platform. A combination of the elements implemented in the platform development stage and experience will allow the closest stage to “perfection”. For me, “perfection” means how well it meets individual needs and requirements based on the client’s interpretation of how the business and service should operate. This is, in most cases, pretty different and what is perfect for you could be very imperfect for someone else.
Going back to the elements, there is one main element that may put every other aside. That element is the vendor and this one for sure can be, and has to be, the perfect one.
Stop looking for the “perfect platform”, look for the perfect vendor. The one that will adjust to your needs, show you how to meet them, tell you when there are other ways to accomplish things and also when you may be wrong. The one that will stay with you along the way to compete against today’s demanding market. Supporting and maintaining that relationship at the end will mean business for everyone involved.
–I’m not saying our platform is not perfect, it is perfect! The point is WE will make it perfect for you : -)
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