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Originally Posted by Daniel_LaFleur
Heres a hint for you all (real world here): 
IFI is not in business to supply FIRST with OIs, RCs and Victors. IFI is in business to make money (just like every other company out there).
They make their money selling OIs and such, but that isn't their goal. If it was they would probably be out of business by now.
When a company (in this case FIRST) single sources and goes with a proprietary design (as in IFIs), it usually gets an initial price break. However, the company must be ever vigilant against that single source from then using its propriatery design to increase prices higher than the standard market.
It would be in FIRSTs best interest to reevaluate its position with such propriatery design companies every year to see if it would be better to find a more standarized version...or at least have some bargaining chips with the propriatery vendor. |
Didn't FIRST pay IFI to design these systems and retain the IP related to the OI and Arena Controller? Wouldn't be suprised if IFI didn't really own the designs they produced. Curious to see what the contracts said.