[ossig] [OSSIG] Proposal for the formation of an OSS Industry Association

[Tze-Meng Tan <tmtan@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Have some ideas floating around based on this goal "How to make a 
decent living in the Open Source Industry"

OSS-PIP addresses the developers but not the entire eco-system...it 
needs to go further

Traditional commercial solutions have a support eco-system a bit like 
this:

Principal -> distributor -> resellers and systems integrators
Between them customers get their solutions and support for the 
solutions and their warm fuzzy feeling that they won't be left in the 
lurch when things go bad

Our fledgeling Open Source Industry has a whole bunch of small players 
with small customer bases struggling against the commercial solutions 
as well as against each other and against barriers to entry such as 
procurement and tender submission requirements (deposits, bank 
guarantees, MoF registration, limited Paid up Capital)

Frankly, this isn't getting us anywhere as a whole ... too many small 
players ... no one big enough for people to take notice
IBM signs a contract for a big customer ... big news, press conference, 
VIPs invited, newspaper articles etc etc
Small OSS vendor signs a contract for a customer .... hmm, did it 
happen ?

We need an Industry Association - MOSSIA? - Malaysian Open Source 
Solutions Industry Association?- rather like associations for SMEs, 
taxi operators etc etc
This has to be a commercial association, a for-profit organisation  
where its funds are used to help new OSS start ups as well as conduct 
marketing campaigns in favour of its members and the OSS message, 
organise seminars, provide legal aid etc etc
funds come from sponsorship, membership fees, donations, seminars, 
training and certification etc etc

There has to be a support eco-system, perhaps something like this:

Developers  <- people who love to code and don't want to worry about 
sales and marketing and dealing with irate customers
resellers/systems integrators <- people who know how to put solutions 
together from many hardware and software components and know how to 
SELL
support and maintenance <- people who like dealing with irate customers 
heheh :)

Yeah, many people will say sacrilege ! heresy ! commercialisation !
Fine, I have one thing to say " FORK IT" and choose your path, you can 
always change your mind later

Comments, Suggestions, Critiques ? This idea is Pre Alpha Version 0.1

Cheers

Tze Meng

Tan Tze-Meng	email: tmtan@opensos.net	tmtan@tm.net.my
Internet Consultant, OpenSOS Sdn Bhd
Apple Certified Technical Coordinator
Apple Product Professional


---------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe: send mail to ossig-request@mncc.com.my
with "unsubscribe ossig" in the body of the message