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<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> Senthil Sundaram (sensunda)
<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, June 09, 2008 8:25 AM<BR><B>To:</B> 'Free Software
Users Group - Bangalore'; 'ILUG-C';
'bms-lug@googlegroups.com'<BR><B>Subject:</B> feedback regarding FSB session by
Abhas<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
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<DIV>To add few more lines to the previous mail,<BR> The session talked
about the business model also.<BR> Money can be earned using free software
by charging for the services, making maintenance contracts, customization,
localization & upgrades.<BR>Abhas mentioned an important business point in
the model where we need to be careful about is that maintenance contract should
be for the released version of the software and should not cover the defects due
to additional changes made by the customer to the software.<BR> <BR>
<DIV class=gmail_quote>On Sun, Jun 8, 2008 at 10:00 PM, Balaji Srinivasan <<A
title=mailto:baji.sahana@gmail.com
href="BLOCKED::mailto:baji.sahana@gmail.com">baji.sahana@gmail.com</A>>
wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=gmail_quote
style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid">Hi
Senthil,<BR><BR>The talk by Abhas was inspiring. Till now when someone says
free software, I only connect to cost (it is free of cost), but after this
session, I appreciate the deeper meaning behind the word "free software" and
it is about free to use, free to distribute and free to modify by the
consumer.<BR>In one sense the talk was quite philosophical (more of values)
than sharing more of practical business.<BR>Now people who attended the
session know the principles of free software, I will be happy if there is one
more session which covers the business model in depth, the practical
difficulties faced and the lessons learned, so that more people get encouraged
about doing this as a business. <BR><BR>regards<BR><FONT
color=#888888>Balaji</FONT>
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