Online Booking System

[midzt]

Hi Guys,

I'm hoping you could help me, I'm not really sure what to search on google for this type of thing so any kind of poke in the right direction would be much appreciated.

I'm currently doing a coursework for uni where we have to create a business model.

The idea I have is essentially StreetCar, where you can book a car online.
I was wondering how much it would cost to develop such a system and run it?

Thanks for any help.


midzt

[stytagm]

Without seeying their specs and systems in detail, this is a guess, but a guess based on working in e-commerce for 6 years.

I'd say their website could probably be built for somewhere between 100 and 500 thousand (based on e-commerce websites of a similar complexity, could be a wee bit more if the load is very high).

Their in-car based systems, no idea, (perhaps someone on here with more hardware experience could guess better) but bloody expensive to develop. They have to integrate with each model of car's central locking and alarm, plus GPS and the mobile phone network. Probably another half million to develop, and a grand or two per car to buy and fit at least.

Then there's the old fashioned "hard" infrastructure. Cars themselves, drivers to move them around (when car's get booked out, street car will move another into the empty space). Mecahnics and admin staff etc etc etc.

[midzt]

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah I know it would just have to be a big guess but I was looking for a ball park figure more than anything else, as I have no experience in this area of things.
I wasn't really looking into the hardware side of the cars so what you've said is very useful.

[TheAnimus]

The hardware really shouldn't be that expensive to develop, the likes of HTC will sell you a smart phone with GPS, GSM (obviously) and then its just a case of interfacing with the car central locking, and an RFiD reader, written in an easy language like java or .Net

also the BOM for each one should be around $100-200, so then its just the fitting.

[yamangman]

Not sure ball park figures cut it at university level?

[midzt]

Er, its a pretty lame module and I'm just trying to get an idea of feasibility at this point.
I'm on an engineering course so this Business module is a bit of a side thing, but yeah, I know I'm going to have to look further into it.
Who could I contact about stuff like this? It's hard enough getting quotes on parts from suppliers from a student account, I'm thinking this will be harder.....

We're not really looking into developing the hardware for the car, in that sense its more of a normal hire car company idea.

[yamangman]

Well it depends on how good you want your work to be . Contacting the companies and explaing your thoughts and reasons I think would be a good start to getting somewhere down the line a very good piece of work.

[midzt]

Would you have any companies that you would recommend I could contact? The website developers?


Thanks

midzt