Hi, thank you for taking the time to represent us :)
I suppose you have already made the suggestion of contacting Canonical for possible collaboration (like free or cheaper supports for NGO). P. On 7/11/07, Serge van Ginderachter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi All, > > I received more feedback from Socialware, read further on for the > forwarded mail. > > I'm pleased to notice that they took the time to dive into the list > archives and to respond to several issues who were thrown on the list > only. > > I will answer them as being appointed to represent ubuntu-be, as Mark > VDB already confirmed. > > > > Serge > > > -------- Forwarded Message -------- > > From: Bernard Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: 'Serge van Ginderachter, Ginsys' <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: SOCIALWARE AND OPEN SOURCE > > Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:37:47 +0200 > > > > Dear Mr van Ginderachter, > > > > > > > > I have read quite interesting forum exchanges about our activities on > > Ubuntu-be. > > > > > > > > As mentioned in my prior mail I am definitely open to exploring > > cooperation possibilities with Ubuntu-be. However before going further > > will you please share this mail with your colleagues of Ubuntu-be and > > confirm that you are the contact person representing your > > organization. > > > > > > > > Here are some clarification statements about SOCALware's mission: > > > > > > > > First of all let me assure you that SOCIALware was not created by > > Microsoft and that we are not sponsored by Microsoft or by CISCO in > > any manner. > > > > > > > > How did it start? Working as a volunteer and helping several NPOs, I > > measured the extent of the IT issues they were facing and looked for a > > structural solution that could rapidly help the NPOs obtaining an > > appropriate and efficient operational environment. I did not look for > > THE solution, but to A solution, most particularly taking into account > > the speed of deployment of any solution as well as the final > > objective. > > > > > > > > The primary short term issue to be addressed was the affordability of > > professional IT software and hardware while preserving continuity of > > existing environments. That is why the SOCIALware project was started. > > The initial beneficiary target was the Development NGOs for which we > > received the support of the federations and of the DGCD. After two > > years of operations, the DGCD considers this project to have one of > > the best overall returns (social value net of any grant and charge). > > > > > > > > On the donor side, we negotiated with the suppliers whose products > > were most demanded. Microsoft and CISCO responded positively. Be > > assured that quite some time and efforts were needed to convince these > > major suppliers of the project value proposition. Contracts with new > > donors are currently well under way. > > > > > > > > Since July 2006, the project has been extended to Non Profit Sector > > (NPOs with a clear social aim). In this wider context we received the > > support of the King Baudouin Foundation. You will easily understand > > that our mission, scope and priorities have been thoroughly discussed > > with the Foundation. Some of you intend to contact the Foundation - > > feel free to do so if you believe it appropriate. > > > > > > > > Thanks to the project, the Belgian NPO community saved more than 2 > > millions EUR so far, an encouragement for us and to our supporters. > > Moreover, as this project was a European premiere, it is now > > replicated in other countries based on local partnerships. > > > > > > > > Vis-à-vis the Open Source products, our position has been that these > > solutions were quite well known and had a wide web coverage already, > > so we choose not devoting our scarce resources, mostly volunteers, to > > address already solved problems and rather concentrated our efforts on > > what was unresolved so far, i.e. getting donated products from vendors > > on behalf of the NGO community. > > > > > > > > We hardly saw what added value we might have in distributing Open > > Source products at this stage, but on this point we certainly would > > appreciate your views. This is a key point for us, as we cannot simply > > advertise a product without a significant added value in the process; > > else we would have to publish a list of any available product to treat > > them in an even way. > > > > > > > > We also declined to advertise several product offerings based on open > > source, but with proprietary layers which are bundled with support > > contracts: taken as a whole these offers were far from open because > > they actually made the buyer captive of a single supplier for any > > maintenance and support. > > > > > > > > However we have clearly nothing against Open Source products and we > > use some of them for our own operations. And given the noise on the > > line we may have a position statement about Open Source products on > > our web site in the future. > > > > > > > > But in any case, the choice of the solution (Open Source or not, > > Supplier X or Y) rests and should rest with the NPO itself, it is not > > our mission to influence this choice in any way – we only eliminate > > some financial constraints out of such a selection process so that the > > NPO decision can be based on sheer technical, benefits, or strategic > > considerations from their own perspective. > > > > > > > > I hope that this brief update sheds some light on our mission and code > > of conduct. > > > > > > > > Best regards, > > > > Bernard Martin > > > > President > > > > www.socialware.be > > > > > > > > > -- > ubuntu-be mailing list / mailto:[email protected] > > You can find list info and your subscription configuration options at: > https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-be > -- mongolito404, king of the mongolian people -- ubuntu-be mailing list / mailto:[email protected] You can find list info and your subscription configuration options at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-be
