Ah, I see! We knew that consulting shops would like this because it allows them to get an account set up without a credit card, and ask the client to complete the signup process, including handing over their credit card. :-)
Clients with limited budgets are easily sticker shocked by hosting costs. Having the option to bundle 20 days of free production hosting is a great addition to any development service. EY AppCloud is a great service and we hate to see clients opt out without giving it a try.
We considered giving more time on smaller instances, but in the end we felt our customers are more concerned with getting production sites up and running. So we're giving 500 hours of time on instances highly suited for public facing sites with sizable traffic.
No, we don't expect many will make a decision based upon 500 free hours, but we do expect many will give us a try, and make their decision based upon the experience they have during their 500 hour trial. :-)
Sure. I think it's a potentially effective promotion for exactly the reason you describe. (free test, and if they're not actively dissatisfied, switching costs will likely cause them to stick with you.) That's an idea worth testing.
I just can't understand the parent post indicating that it's 'huge for rails consulting companies'. After all, rails consulting companies are sending out five digit monthly invoices. A $150 discount on the first month of hosting is a rounding error in that context.
Ha, that's possibly true as a percentage of total fees. Hopefully the total fees paid to Engine Yard will always be a rounding error in the context of consulting fees! :)
We're investigating other benefits for our Development Partners too. Any thoughts?
So glad to hear that, let me (@tmornini) know if I can help. We also have a partner program for Rails consulting companies, you should check that out too!