Beware the Hidden Cost of Rental Software
We've broken down what you can expect with Alert – and what questions to ask as you shop around
You’re ready to purchase a new rental software package – congratulations! You clearly understand that an investment in technology will increase your bottom line. But what exactly is that investment? And how often do you have to make it? And, perhaps most importantly, what will it cost you?
While all rental software vendors try to be as upfront as possible with their clients, we all may neglect to mention the true cost of ownership of your system at one time or another. Now that you’ve embarked on a journey to upgrade your technology, you should know what you’re getting into not only this year, but also in the years to come.
Speaking only for ourselves, we want to be candid about our cost of ownership and advise you what to ask as you continue to shop. First things first? Alert offers two options: Alert and Alert SaaS (Software as a Service). Alert is a model wherein the rental business purchases the software licenses one time and owns the licenses forever.
The Alert SaaS model is a pay-as-you-go platform with monthly charges. Because of the straightforward nature of monthly SaaS costs, we’ll focus below on the first option – Alert as a one-time license purchase.
Alert Rental Software Cost of Ownership
Year 1 – Congratulations on purchasing Alert Rental Software! Your expenses this year will be your biggest since you’ve purchased your Alert Rental Software licenses and any add-on modules. The good news? You’ll only once have to buy these licenses ONCE.
Other charges this year may include a small fee for LogMeIn if you haven’t provided Alert with access to your server through another channel. You may have also elected for Alert to host your server with Alert on the Cloud, in which case you’ll be charged monthly for this service. You may have to purchase hardware such as a server, credit card terminals, GPS units, or ID Scanners through your vendors or Alert partners.
Year 2 – This year will be the year you select your ongoing Alert Support plan. We offer three tiers of support: Base Camp, Ascent, and Summit. You may choose to be billed monthly, quarterly, or annually for this support plan. Support includes access to our Help Desk and Knowledgebase, user-driven and voted-in annual upgrades and enhancements, informative newsletters, and a seat at the cool-kids table.
Year 3 and beyond – Other charges in Year 2 and beyond are optional annual charges such as your Support Plan, Alert EasyVault, Rover, AlertSign, and LogMeIn. These are optional charges – you can always simply buy your licenses and vanish, but we’d love to support you and help you grow! Optional monthly charges can also include Alert on the Cloud, Alert’s hosting service.
One-time purchases – When we say one time, we mean ONE TIME purchases. There are no ongoing charges from us at Alert. Our partners may charge you as noted, but Alert does not.
- Credit card terminals: Purchased through your credit card provider and no ongoing charges from us.
- Driver License Scanners: Purchased through our partner with no ongoing charges from Alert. You may have to purchase support through them for their software upgrades and warranties.
- GPS units are all handled through either your vendor or one of our partners. Alert does not charge anything except the one-time fee for the add-on module.
- Add-on Modules from Alert: Unless we tell you upfront, most of our add-on modules have NO ongoing fees. Examples include Excel PlugIn, Web Services, Job Costing, Commissions, Dispatch with GPS, etc. Add-on Modules with a fee include Alert on the Cloud, Alert EasyVault, Rover, LogMeIn, Alert Web Assistant, Alert Virtual Accountant, and AlertSign. This list is not inclusive as we’re always innovating new technologies for you!
Alert’s Users Group Conference is held annually and we hope you’ll attend! You’ll have to pay registration fees to Alert and cover your own travel expenses. Training and other services are always sent to you ahead of time to approve before you purchase. No surprises!
Avoid the Hidden Cost of Rental Software
Now that you’re educated on the true cost of ownership, we here at Alert wish you well on your technology investment journey. You know which important questions to ask your potential partners. And remember that this is a business partnership, so ask good questions and pay attention to what people tell you – or don’t tell you.
The term DE&I (diversity, equity, and inclusion) is more than just a trending topic. Having a DE&I strategy in place has been proven to improve businesses. Yes, even rental businesses!
