I NEED urgently to provide a turnkey quotation setting up a database as an information provider on the Internet. I need to provide international closed-user access to an interactive service, using the Internet network.
Sounds simple, but I have failed to get any sense out of the universities and other Internet suppliers, who only seem to understand the user side. They all say 'you must buy TCP/IP'. How simple? Have you any pointers? IAN WALLACE Hong KongI PRESUME you want to set up an on-line service that other Internet users can access via telnet with the right password.
First, factor in the cost of the on-line system itself. Assuming it will be set up like a bulletin board service, work out the cost of the BBS software in relation to the number of users you expect for the service.
Applications such as Galacticomm's Major BBS support Internet connectivity, and charge by the number of users registered for the service in multiples of eight.
Major BBS, for example, comes with E-mail, file area and database modules, although better third party applications are available.
The hardware comes next. A decent BBS can be set up with a single PC, provided it has sufficient storage space for your database. Take into account the cost of such peripherals as CD-ROM systems if some of your data is CD-ROM-based.
Modem and telephone line costs can be worked out based on the number of users you expect.