Now, there's a concept...but for many of us, we're left implementing a solution atop a partially immature platform. There's money to spend and time is of the essence, so gimme something now!, is the mantra. Still, as a consultant and technology liaison for customers with little to know in the space, it's in the best interest to assure technology solutions sit squarely within the reach of the customer's IT expertise if they intend to own the product at turnover. Moreover, it's simply not feasible for most to expect to ramp up 3-5 fold in order to take on a new system that requires a massive shift in support.
Be fruitful with the customer and be able to sharply explain the good and bad of technology choices. Recommend the right solution, and don't settle for less. Of course, your customer is always right, but help educate them...help them make a better decision, help them with proofs of concept to sell to higher management....make them a salesman for your services.
To he who says software has an 18 mo lifecycle and must be replaced is just unfair I think. There's plenty of working implementations out there in .Net 2 and 4 that exhibit higher customer value with minimal support components. All important is the role of technical architect on the project. Fail this milestone and you're done for. I guarantee it. I want to revisit this topic next.
