Option #1: Feature Suggestions

Feature suggestions from customers are valuable and highly appreciated when received.  Suggestions can be submitted by email through the help desk and should describe the desired behavior in as much detail as possible.

Important:  The most common reason for delaying the implementation of a feature suggestion is lack of developer clarity on the details about how it should be implemented.  (Who should be able to use the feature?  Does it apply all of the time or just under certain circumstances?  Do you need it to work one way for some customers and a different way for others?)  Supplying example scenarios and considering the impact of user roles and permissions can accelerate adoption.

Incoming feature suggestions are captured and reviewed periodically.  They are evaluated for fit as various products are reworked from time to time.  Some are appropriate for minor releases and some require sequencing with a major release.  As with features on InfraWare’s own roadmap, development resources are allocated based on a coding efficiency model. InfraWare cannot guarantee inclusion of certain suggestions, product behavior or provide time estimates.

Sometimes customers need the opportunity to exercise more influence than a feature suggestion provides, and that is when a feature order should be considered.

Option #2: Feature Orders

Feature orders are billable and provide an opportunity for customers to define specific feature requirements and secure timeframe commitments from InfraWare to develop them.

When customers desire specific new platform behavior to meet a business opportunity, they have the option to engage InfraWare to develop it.  The company will only accept orders that are consistent with our vision of the platform.

Why does InfraWare charge?  Software development is a costly endeavor.  In order to do it effectively, we have to schedule and allocate resources in a strategic manner.  There are tangible costs and lost efficiencies associated with rescheduling and acquiring resources.  Keep in mind that this is only an option.  Most software publishers don’t even offer such an option.

Who owns the feature?  When you submit a feature idea to InfraWare as either a suggestion or an order, it becomes InfraWare’s to use as we see fit.  Features that get built will usually become available to others in the InfraWare user community.

As with feature suggestions, it is very important to clearly describe your expectations for a feature order.  That description will become a scope of work for the order and InfraWare will be accountable only for what is agreed upon under that description.  Contact Sales to seek pricing information for a specific feature.