> Hi all, > > A friend of mine at a medium-sized IT company in Japan needs to convince > his > company management and finances to invest in FOSS4G technologies > over the next 5 years. The company presently does a small part of > its business using FOSS4G tools but is wondering if it should take > a deeper plunge into the FOSS4G world. > > In order to convince the company management and finance departments, they > need > to produce a document with concrete data about *how companies elsewhere in > the world > are profiting, growing, increasing market share and the kind of clients > that they are catering to*. Even company brochures, financial reports > etc. would help. > > The company also wants to consider marketing broad based services for > SDI using FOSS4G technologies and would like to know market potential > in other countries and region for SDI related services. > > Since a part of my Master thesis deals with business models for > FOSS4G, I find their situation interesting and would like to help > them to take a deeper plunge into the FOSS4G world. In order to help > prepare a brief report for them including some statistical information > about few of the bigger players in FOSS4G business. > > It would be great if some of the business leaders in the OSGeo community > could > provide me with inputs for the report. Your input will not only > help me convince them that FOSS4G is worth it > (I am already convinced, but need some data to support my > claim) but also help me to understand the business models better. > > If you want to keep your inputs confidential, you are welcome > to contact me off-list (daniele.ocuATgmail.com). Names, names of companies > will be kept > confidential (just call them company A,B,C etc) in the final report. Once > the report is ready > It will be shared it as an open document under appropriate > CC license, if that is desired. > > The report needs to be ready in three weeks, I look forward > for the inputs. > > Thank you in advance. > > Best regards > > Daniele > > > -- > Researcher @ Osaka City University > Graduate School for Creative Cities > http://gisws.media.osaka-cu.ac.jp/gistrends > > "My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my > life there." > — Charles F. Kettering > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > Discuss@lists.osgeo.org > http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss >
Daniele, working from there I have recently published draft versions of two new papers (and weeks ago promised you to send the links) detailing Open Source Business processes [1] and the other showing the needs that lead to the formation of OSGeo [2]. They are more general in tone and do not give explicit examples but maybe are a good introduction. Hope this helps. Best regards, [1] http://arnulf.us/Open_Source_Business_Models [2] http://arnulf.us/History_and_Mission_of_OSGeo -- Arnulf Christl President OSGeo http://www.osgeo.org _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss