I’ve just spent 2 hours crafting a spreadsheet to compare how much it would cost to set up a decent platform to deliver the kind of data services I manage, vs. the same on EC2. Easy access to pricing is a key variable that’s often hard to get from vendors without being subjected to the “custom solution” time-waste. Technology vendors, your customers, more often than not, know what they want. When I ask for a price list, don’t try to second-guess whether I’ve done my homework, just give me the price list. If I have questions regarding the “solution” I’ll be more than happy to ask.
I love Amazon Web Services open pricing
