Re: [ossig] Business Model

["Charles F. Moreira" <cfm@pc.jaring.my>]

Folks,

Vincent Lee wrote:-

> By the way, anyone in the mailing list interested to
> open a shop selling cloned PCs with pre-installed
> linux + OSS applications?  I am exploring the
> feasibility of this business model. Any ideas,
> suggestions,  advice, feedback, contacts, info are
> welcome.
>
> Thank you for your time. Happy New Year !

I really wish more people would do like you are thinking, especially
retailers in places like IMBI Plaza. After all, presuming that they install
pirated software on PCs for home users anyway or let home users install
whatever they like which most probably will be pirated software, PC
retailers aren't making any money from software anyway so why not
pre-install the PCs with Linux or some other open source software provided
it lets home users do most of the things they usually do with PCs.

However, home users most probably want to play computer games and there
aren't that many running under Linux so IMHO, it makes better business sense
to be a Linux consultant selling and maintaining PCs installed with Linux to
business and profesional users, especially since they risk being raided by
the Domestic Trade for using pirated software.

I have a friend who's a former customer service engineer and he runs his own
business installing and maintaining PCs running Windows for his business and
professional customers and he manages to survive. Another friend was a data
communications consultant to SMIs and businesses back in the 1980's, He
lived and worked with wife in a upstairs shoplot in Subang Jaya and today he
now owns a house there and is doing pretty well in life.

After all, there are still plenty of people out there who still need help
installing and maintaining Windows-based PCs and to use various
Windows-based applications  so I think there are avenues and opportunities
for Linux consultants to make a living in this department, since if their
clients can type a letter, do a spreadsheet, browse the Internet or access
their e-mail what difference does it make to them whether their PC runs
Linux, Solaris or Windows?

Basically I think Malaysian business customers still prefer personalised
help and this is an area open source consultants can address provided they
don't charge the earth for their services.

When I was customer service engineer with Rediffusion back in the 1980's I
charged customers RM60 per hour, minimum two hours and I also signed them up
for maintenance contracts at RM400 per year.

Perhaps that's too low to charge businesss today but that could be a
reasonable rate for home visits.

All the best.

Charles



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