On Wednesday 01 November 2000 08:27, Jason Straight wrote:
| On Tuesday 31 October 2000 11:54, you wrote:
| > A point to clear: not MY nor developpers' decision here. I'm just taking
| > time here to put up some explanations, because I'm feeling really sad
| > that you all guys on this list begin to consider us as lyers and bad
| > customers-related behaviour company..
|
| We are sad too, and that's why we are still here writing, not on a debian
| or bsd list now. We need you to keep us informed of the versioning
| differences, a lot of us are your best sales people, I don't only use
| Mandrake, I preach it. And a lot of people in this area know I know my
| share about this stuff and take my word for it.
Agree on that.
People here on Cooker list are best sales force for Mandrake.
Mandrake, please keep them happy like: :::-)))
without these people you will not be able to test next LM version...
In long-term, I'd like to wish MandrakeSoft:
1) try to focus more on corporate needs
Let me explain.
I am really impressed with Cooker. I can say that just before August this
year I couldn't imagine that such a thing can exist.
You have latest stable Linux installed, and can upgrade to newer version on
_daily_ basis. Amaazing!!
But, commercial world is different. Most companies upgrade computers (and
software) once per 3 years.
It's very expensive to keep MIS people who will update it once per 3 months.
(I mean companies with at least 100 people)
Cost of Ownership comes mostly of this people, not of hardware it runs on.
Believe me, it is not a problem to pay $50 per each workplace for such
companies. (don't know if per copy payment applicable to Linux)
Tools to make auto install on 100 workstations (via Remote Wake-Up and
Install) will bring you new customers. Don't know if it is implemented in
Linux.
You removed Expert setup from LM Walmart edition? - Right.
Can you make a special app which will allow admin edit such install script
and apply it automatically to every of such 100 workstations?
You can put it in LM Server and charge exra money for it. Not huge, but $200
looks like very reasonable.
2) plan better release dates
I'm afraid to make somebody angry, but let's face it: Microsoft is very
clever with product launches.
August 22 (Windows 95 release) and Sep. 14th (Windows ME release) are very
_clever_ dates.
Most people have vacation in August. With fresh forces you return to your
workplace. And. Hoops! New operating system out. Very handy!
Of course with launch mid. of September you are on time for all Retail
outlets promotions (including Christams).
3) recruit KDE programmers, to speed up KDE development
While I am amazed with speed of KDE development (I estimate it is 2-3 times
faster then MS developments), it's not fast enough to catch up on MS Windows.
Just because lack of human resources.
KDE frontend for Apache, system configuration tools come to my mind.
Koffice also should improve significantly to be adopted in corporations, not
just in SOHO.
4) plan your Itanium and AMD Sladgehammer launches.
Linux (as is, 2.2 kernel) has at least one killing application: Apache.
Hope KDE2 will be another killer app.
Next chance Linux has is upcoming Itanium and AMD 64-bit Sladgehammer.
Looks like MS is significantly delayed with 64-bit Windows for Itanium.
That's Linux chance to go in high-end and mid-range servers.
>From other side, MS will not optimize its 64-bit Windows for AMD.
It's your chance. (of course, you depend on gcc 3.0 for that... Any way to
speed up its development?)
So I would say next release of LM (7.3 or 8.0) should be connected not to KDE
2.1/3.0 (or Gnome 2.0, next Apache, etc.) but to major processor upgrade.
People pay premium for latest CPU's. You will be able to charge premium for
LM for those systems.
5) plan your corporate Sales Activity
(I know it is wrong place to write about, just forward this to your Sales
Team)
I was searching in Internet for key success stories for Linux.
The only reasonable enough story which I found was RedHat deal selling 600
server packages to Toyota Motor (US). Well, it's quite good reference and
good deal, indeed. What's funny with that that Compaq was claiming this as
Compaq's deal. (guess redhat was installed on Compaq servers)
And Compaq claims to be biggest seller of Linux servers (14000 for 1999)
that's why next advise follows:
6) make pre-installed deals with major (and not major) PC & Server
Manufacturers
a) RedHat dropped support for Alpha? Good for you. Go to Compaq and make a
deal for Compaq Alpha with Linux Mandrake. Just look on IBM site: they have
special pricing for IBM S/390 mainframes with Linux pre-installed (up to 30%
lower price!)
Another place for you to think: Samsung. Samsung manufacturers Alpha
processors. I guess some companies assemble workstations and servers on it.
Go to Samsung, offer them partnership. Or, at least, you will know who are
their customers and can negotiate with them.
b) Sun bought Cobalt? Still not bad.
Sun have at least 50 licenses for SPARC processors. Fujitsu just comes to my
mind. make a deal with ICL-Fujitsu.
Some company from India (WIPRO, if I remember correctly) was assembling own
SPARC-stations. Interested in India's market with 700 million people and $5
biilon USD export of software and IT-related services?
Tatung was playiong with SPARC in Korea.
c) are you able to assemble Linux Mandrake on MIPS architecture? Hope so.
Go to SGI. They really delayed with Linux offering. SGI is pretty weak now,
but still good name.
Siemens and Control Data also manufacturers MIPS-based workstations and
servers. As Mandrake has European origin, I believe you can succeed with
negotiations.
Selling LM on RISC servers you will get _HUGE_ revenue stream.
Becuase you will sell not only some compiled rpm's but service and support.
Besides, you will get excellent hardware experience.
d) why not to try bundle your Linux with HP PCs?
HP has world-wide Marketing center located in Grenoble, France.
Mandrake has French roots :-)
I was working rather closely with HP in 1995-1998.
While I dislike many things HP is doing nowdays, it was great company those
years. Today its PC line looks pretty strong, indeed.
If you are interested I can try to check out for you correct person to
contact in Grenoble, responsible for distribution/packaging.
It can save you monthes, if not years ;-)
No exact promises, but I can try.
/oh well, how many times I tried to make bundle promo for HP NetServer with
WinNT in 1997. Microsoft was not willing to make special price for it, and
$500 was too much to match $1500 server. Now you can make such promo with
Linux and charge $45 to HP Marketing fund. That's my tip. Hope it will cover
your manufacturing costs? :-) /
--
Vadim Plessky
http://kde2.newmail.ru (English)
http://kde2.newmail.ru/index_rus.html (Russian)
