RMS, to run your own or to Lease! Which is best for you?

The topic of RMS has been floating around lately and with the release of D7 in RC, it's bound to become a great topic once again.  So, it seems that this is a great time to review it.  Please keep in mind, I am not a host and I DO NOT offer RMS service to others, so this is simply the view/opinion of a site owner and not someone who is involved in attempting to make money from RMS services. 

Now, as far as RMS goes, nothing has really changed.  You still need to have a VPS or Dedicated server to run your own RMS and that is not going to change.  If your on a shared server, your still at the mercy of your host or another to lease RMS from them.  Some hosts will provide RMS service as part of the Shared Hosting Package you take from them and as such it could be a good deal for you.  However, you need to review the information and make an informed decision as to what is best for you.  Now, enough of that, let's move forward to discuss RMS for those of us who own/lease servers that are capable of running an RMS.

So, you have a VPS/Dedicated Server and your running a Dolphin site.  Now, you need to decide what route to take.  You can install your own RMS and it will provide you with the following:

1.  Your RMS limits  are limited only by your server plan.  This means you may utilize 100% of your server resources for video chat if you like.

2.  If you have multiple sites, as many do, you can run all of your sites off one RMS install.  This is a large part of what can make running your own RMS more cost effective than leasing.

3.  If your sites are incredibly busy, you may need to purchase additional bandwidth/memory for the RMS.  Keep in mind, if your in this position, anyone you lease RMS off of will probably demand additional money for what your site(s) are utilizing.

4.  You will need to either have knowledge/experience in Shell Access or hire someone to install the RMS for you.  I am not advertising that service here, so don't accuse me of spamming.  However, I can say there are several Boonex employees who will install RMS for you on your VPS/Dedicated server and ensure all your Widgets are operating correctly.  I've seen this cost run up to $50 for them to do it.  Keep in mind, it's a one time fee and will cover all of your sites once you install it. 

5.  If your server crashes you will need to re-boot the RMS or set it to automatically re-boot in the event of a server/RMS crash/shut-down.  I personally have mine set to re-boot as this resolves so many issues but the choice is yours.

Now, for those of you who have a VPS/Dedicated server and choose to lease your RMS you have the following:

1.  You don't have to think about it, unless your widgets go down.  Then if your RMS host is reputable it's a quick trouble ticket to get it back up if they're not set to automatically reboot.

2.  #1 Opens up a can of worms though.  If your RMS host is not providing true 24 hour support, meaning someone is sitting there looking 24/7 at the screen, then your at the mercy of how often they check their trouble tickets/e-mail to get the RMS back up when it crashes.

3.  You save the install fee (up to $50) that you don't have to pay. 

4.  You only have to pay $5 to $10 per month for RMS (if you have multiple sites you will need to multiply this by the number of sites you have).

5.  You need no technical knowledge yourself to install/operate the RMs as it's someone else's issue.

In the end, for me I dediced long ago to run my own RMS as I have the servers & knowledge to do it.  I've found it in my case to be more cost effective and provides a better service to end users in my case.  It also means that all my widgets works 24/7. 

What would be great, is if others could comment on this topic and open a friendly discussion to help others decide what is the best option for them.  So, what has been your experience in regards to RMS and what route have you chosen to take. 

**Note:  I may have missed (sure I did) some of the points in regards to running/leasing RMS and would love it if others can add to them.