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Re: [ossig] Business Model
Hi everyone,
Thanks for the overwhelming response, both the replies
to the OSSIG mailing list and to my personal email.
Let me quickly recap on various ideas, suggestions
etc. Please add to the list below if I have omitted
anything.
1. Potential Business partners
1.1 CY (www.interplay.com) - can we have volunteers
to contact CY and get some of his view / response.
1.2. If you know any more existing players.. please
share with people in this mailing list, cheers.
2. Market Survey
2.1 Any volunteers to lead this initiative?
3. Target Customers (in order of priority)
3.1 SME
3.2 Schools
4. Products
4.1 Cloned PC + OS + basic Office Apps
4.2 Servers (apache, mail, samba, php,
mysql,postgresql, jboss, routers, firewall).
4.3 Content Management (nukePhp, WebDAV etc).
4.4 Accounting etc (compiere etc).
- Compiere has plenty of limitations, and it is
not a 3-tier application, does not use j2ee etc, hard
to customize.
4.5 IntelliCAD/Cadian
http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2002/4/8/technology/09cad&sec=m\
ain
http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2002/1/15/technology/14war&sec=\
technology
4.6 Intranet/Internet/Extranet Application
Naturally, this could be a mix of Content
Management, Accounting, Office Admin (leave
application, payroll etc). To be realistic, it is not
possible for us to create a full blown complete
solutions at this stage, but we could work as System
Integrator if we manage to experiment it on a pilot
project. I suggest these various system to interface
with j2ee as far as possible, for scalability,
industry support etc. Webservices could come into
play.
5. Services
5.1 Telephone support (call center). Caller pay
RM3.00 (blind guess) per minute.
- If we manage to get a group of people willing
to provide the support on a part-time basis, and of
course the person who provides support get paid.
5.2 System/Network support/maintenance
- Server health check, backup, security check.
- NIS
- LAN configuration
- Various server config (web,mail, samba,
.....)
5.3 Web/Application Development
- It is important to have some on-going
projects to supplement the revenue.
- Application Development focuses customizing
existing OSS software instead of re-creating the
wheels.
5.4 Training
- End users linux training
(I think Colin and the team would probably be
the best people to comment on this section).
6. Marketing Strategies
6.1 Thru word of mouth (normally this is most
powerful, and most successful).
6.2 Business partners
- No single business can exist on its own.
There must be areas we could work out with existing
players to complement each other to create a win-win
situation.
6.3 Media (newspaper)
7. Formation of a team / organization structure /
framework
7.1 First rule: NO ONE IS INDISPENSABLE.
7.2 Be realistic, sometimes strong friendships
would not withstand when it comes to money. Hence,
would prefer to work on a "Sole proprietorship" basis
for each individual.
7.3 We can work out a database of who can commit
what, who is capable of doing what. This is completely
like a free market. The person who is competent in
carrying out certain tasks will get recommended, thus
increasing credibility etc...
7.4 Even though we work on "sole proprietorship"
basis, but we know that no one "KNOWS IT ALL". Hence,
we have to pool our resources (knowledge, contacts,
experience) etc on a voluntary basis. I always believe
that the more you help people, the more people will
help you when you need it.
8. Money Matters
8.1 For a start, we try not to have any money
involved.
8.2 However, if someone manage to secure some
projects, and able to generate revenue, the project
originator can freely pre-determine how he/she would
like to share the pie with the contributors. All these
are done offline, not necessary to announce it to the
whole group.
9. Milestones
9.1 Brainstorming / Conceptual Stage (we are here
currently) - until mid/end Jan03?
For a start, lets continue to discuss /delete /add
/modify what i have listed above.
9.2 Memorandum of understanding - Feb/Mar 03
Once we have sorted out what is feasible, what
works, what don't, we could start going into the
details of each section. Produce some sort of docs so
that newbies could jump in easily (important for
succession planning). With this memorandum of
understanding, we use this agreed platform as a guide
to our working relationship.
9.3 Identify Stakeholders - Apr 03
- Sort out a list of who can do what etc.
9.4 Start looking for customers
- Execution time !
9.5 Review
- Constantly refine the team structure,
- goto 9.1
Thank you for your time, if you have read this far!!
Cheers
Vincent
=====
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http://vlee.net/ mailto:vlee@vlee.net
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