[ILUG-BOM] Re: Pitching Linux to corporates?

[Devdas Bhagat]

On 24/09/06 03:09 +0530, Vivek J. Patankar wrote:
> On 9/24/06, krishnakant Mane <researchbase at gmail.com> wrote:
> >dude, with gnu/linux every one is a gold customer.  and the support is
> >quick enough.  if you by it from redhat, they help you.  and even
> >before they do, ask the community such as ilug.
>
> You don't need to convince me. Convince the corporates, they're the
> ones you're trying to pitch the idea to. They want one rock solid
> support source that will do the job for them, not a whole lot of
> sources some of whom might help incase of a problem while others may
> not. Microsoft, unfortunately, provides them with exactly what they
> require.
>
Or is MSFT _pretending_ to provide them with what they require?
*Awaits Microsoft's patch for the latest IE bug*

> >yes a golden cage indeed?  and just give all ur data to the biggest
> >spy whare"M$".
> >today I am only waiting for that beautiful screen reader called orca.
> >and listen m$ guys, the moment that is released in late november, ur
> >windows days on my computer are gone!
> You are full of hostility. Why are you using this forum to vent your
> anger with Microsoft, whatever the reasons for that maybe? Not a very
> mature approach.
> I believe the topic under discussion is how to market GNU/Linux to
> corporates. Not bashing the competitor.
> 
> >this is the problem of an organisation not of gnu/linux.  and I will
> >give you many cases of m$ of a similar case.  and the biggest example
> >is "we are coming up with a new version.  buy it and get ur problem
> >solved (with millions of other security bugs)." this is m$ for you my
> >dear, this is m$ for you.
> Standard answer that we hear about in every microsoft bashing session.
> But this answer doesn't solve the customers problem. The customer
> wants results, not ideology.
> 
The customer does have non MSFT choices. The problem with a free market
is that you do have to choose.

> >by the way does m$ vorent that all ur data will be safe?  does sun do
> >it?  do they not say "for all damages, including but not limited to
> >consiquential, insidental, punitive bla bla sun or its licensers will
> >not be liable or responsible?"
> That's not the point. The company doesn't want another refusal of
> service on the basis of a clause that states that one distro of Linux
> is supported and the other is not. Also, the company is looking for

And how is this different from the "we support Version X of Windows XP
with patchlevel Y" that most enterprise-grade software deals with?
Plus, if you want support, then you go with what the vendor supports, or
pay them enough to support your special case.

> accountability. If it adopts a software for a longterm solution
> someone has to be resposible for maintainance. They would be more
> confortable dealing with another corporate than a team of hackers who
> do this for fun.
> 
Isn't that what RedHat, IBM, Sun, HP, Canonical et al offer? 

> >may be this is one case of sun or redhat.  but again why did the
> >company not turn to the community?  and unlike windows which is only
> >provided by M$ gnu/linux has so many enterprise brands to select from.
> >an enterprise level system can be run very well by debian for example.
> > Ubuntu is a good choice, as is IBM Linux.
> >what do you say?
> I say that the company did not turn to the community because it's not
> the CEO's grandmother's PC. It is a production server with customers
> critical data. Agreed that Microsoft won't take responsibility for
> data loss, backups will take care of that. But Microsoft will always

Microsoft will *not* always be there. Nor will IBM. Just ask the
customers of DEC, or Gateway, or .... However, the probability that IBM
will actually be able to deliver a solution is higher than the
probability that MSFT will deliver a solution.

Microsoft makes its profits from two things: Windows, and Office.
If corporates choose to avoid MS specific technologies, they can move
away from Microsoft.

> be there. The hacker who wrote a software will not always be there,
> and there is no guarantees that someone else may take over from him.

So stop thinking free beer and think free speech. If the original hacker
won't maintain the code, you can pay someone else to do it. With closed
source, you don't have that choice. When MSFT says "upgrade", you
upgrade.

> Think from the customers POV and try to convince him then. You are
> trying to market a product, not force your ideology on them.
> 
This of ways of marketing other than based on cost alone.

Devdas Bhagat