Licensing

The prospective client, who may be a tutor, professor, teaching assistant or course leader, will usually start with an online search for simulation solutions and will then evaluate the different options that are available to them.

As the content of webpages is discoverable and presented differently across different geographical regions and languages this might allow an incomplete and error-prone market research process.

Barriers beyond language and content availability include working with simulation providers across multiple time zones or having to adhere to specific commercial agreements which might restrict access to some of the content.

Poor communication between a prospect and the simulation developers might be present. In some cases, the simulation developers may choose not to make their product available in a particular region or to a certain client.

Prospective clients will often ask their colleagues at other schools about the simulations they are using or meet with representatives from simulation companies at academic conferences. Customers then remain in contact with their client account manager to receive more information on the products. Planning for product testing is a common occurrence at this stage.

When contacting simulation companies, use your institution's or organization's email address to lend credibility to your request. Include a brief description of your course and mention whether or not you have used simulation in your classes before. This will help set the right tone for the conversation.

Try to find well-established companies that have at least several years of experience in their field and can handle a wide range of service needs. They may charge more, but they usually provide reliable solutions.