Tangential opinion: They single-handedly sunk the margins for all IT infrastructure hardware outside of the residential sector and made it damn near impossible to have equipment margins in the SMB space. They went all in on undervaluing labor and the channel that provides support and now that they need support to maintain their lead in the industry after cutting the margins so low they want to add ridiculous charges on top of their equipment costs to support it. If they'd only created sustainable margins in the first place that everyone could live off of, this would never have been an issue.
Yeah, by now we know that they are ODMing the hardware from manufacturers like Tenda or whatnot and just adding on a veneer of SDN, but now the hardware manufacturers have caught on and are prepared to offer similar platforms with support and non-public pricing. It's what Ruijie's Reyee line is doing via the distribution channel of ENS, et al.
(**********: ***, *'* **** ** ******* for *** ** ***** ********** ******* manager **** ****. **, **** **** not ***** ** *******. ********, ** would ** **** ***** ** **** an ****-******, ***** ********, *****-******** *** controller, *** *'* *** ********** ***** enough ** ******* ****** ** **** that ******. ***, * **** **** the ******* ******* ******** **** ******* manufacturing *** * ***** *** ********* better ******, *** ** **** ***** I *** **** ******* **** ******. I **** ***** **** *** ***** criticizing ** ********** *** *** ***** practices.)
**** ********, ***** ******, ****. ** margins *** ** ******* ***** ****, one ***, *** ******** **** **** home ** *****. ***** **** *** is ****. ******** ** ***** ** have * **** **** **** *** walled ****** ********, ******** *** ******** with ******* ************* ********, *** **** support ********. **** *** ** ****** the ********** **** **** ****.
******: **** ******* *** ***** **** an ******** **********:******** **** ** *** ******* ******** With "************ *******"
* **** **** *** *** **********. I ***** *** **** ***** ***** sinking ******* ** ********* ****. **'** heard ****, ********* *********, **** ******** executives **** *** ***** *** ***** as ****, ****** **** ** *** effectively ****** ****** *** ** **** to ****** ***** *******.
* ***'* **** ***** ******** ******** coming **** ** *****. *** ** you ***** **** **** **** * hard ****? ****'* *** *********** ** them *** ***** ******* *** ***-**** IT *******?