Licensing

The client, who may be a professor, teaching assistant or course leader, usually starts with an initial online search for simulation solutions and evaluates the different options available to them.

As online content is presented differently in different regions and languages, this often leads to an incomplete and error-prone research process.

Barriers beyond language and content availability include working across multiple time zones or other existing commercial agreements which might restrict access to content.
All of these can lead to poor communication between the client and the simulation developers. In some cases, the simulation company may simply choose not to make its product available in a particular region.

Clients often ask colleagues at other schools about the simulations they use or meet with simulation company representatives at academic conferences. Customers will then contact the simulation company directly for more information and to test their products.

Use your official institution or organization e-mail address when contacting simulation companies so as to give credibility to your request. Include a short description of your course and mention whether you have used simulations in your classes before or not. This will help establish the right tone of 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 for their services, but in general they tend to provide reliable solutions.