*Update* Please read this thread on Multi-Sponsored Enhancements if you wish to sponsor a project.
If you need to customize a Smart-Thinker module, or you want a particular feature that is missing, you generally have 3 options:
- Purchase the source and do-it-yourself (Most of our customers do this)
- Purchase the source and outsource it to another DNN coder (RentACoder for example). We personally have had good and bad results from this route. If you find a good DNN developer then keep them!
- Discuss a Sponsored Enhancement with us
Sponsored Enhancements are projects or enhancements that we code into the core product line according to your specifications and requirements. A few examples of past Sponsored Enhancements are the templateable user-lists on all modules (e.g. the Group Member list), and the Smart-Thinker Wall module.
The benefits of option 3 are that we obviously know the code backwards, so we the time we quote/spend on development is actually spent on core development and not investigation/familiarization. We can probably do the job a lot quicker and more efficiently than someone who does not know the product/code, and we have a reputation for quality and customer satisfaction to maintain. Having your feature built into the product code-base means there are NO upgrade issues in future releases, whereas the cost of supporting product-branches in the future far outweighs the initial development cost.
There are a couple of points to note around Sponsored Enhancements:
- We do not accept all requests - we only can agree to a SE if it makes sense for the product and is a generic change (ie. we don't code client-specific features into the core codeline).
- We can only agree if we have the time (DNN Development is painfully slow and we get a lot of requests. We try to analyze these on a cost/benefit basis. For example, if you want a feature that everyone else wants then we are more likely to agree to it then if it is a feature that only you want). The best way to test this is to raise a Feature Request for it and the try to get votes on the Forum to see how popular it would be.
- We retain all the software source and rights. Once the project has been signed-off then the Project Sponsor downloads the source/product as normal.
- Smart-Thinker support and high-priority bugs take preference over Sponsored Enhancements - we need to keep our Customers happy while we work on you SE.
This is the procedure for a standard Sponsored Enhancement:
The Project Sponsor gives us the spec for the proposed enhancement. We will then go through it and refine it and we will bounce it back a few times to make sure we are all clear on what exactly will be delivered. Once this has been done we will quote on the number of hours it will take (We work a 6 hour day on SE, the rest is Smart-Thinker support time). If this is agreeable the enhancement becomes top priority (unless there are other Sponsored Enhancements, in which case it is FIFO). We then provide my IM details with the Project Sponsor and try to deliver a working demo as soon as possible for feedback. Once the enhancement has been signed off we release the module as per normal.
The rate for Sponsored Enhancements is $80 an hour.
If you would like to discuss a SE then you should first raise a Feature Request and post on our Forums. If it is a small change and highly-beneficial then there is a chance that we will include it automatically as part of our module updates. A SE just means that features you urgently need are put at the front of the development queue and are top priority. We still develop our modules as per normal and update the features according to our cost/benefit analysis and requirements, this is just a way of obtaining the features you want immediately.