[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-promo
Subject:    Re: [kde-promo] Novell comments on the future of KDE in SuSE
From:       Mark Bucciarelli <mark () easymailings ! com>
Date:       2003-11-07 14:41:12
[Download RAW message or body]

On Friday 07 November 2003 12:21 am, George Staikos wrote:

> The idea of creating a KDE company is something that I'm very hesitant
> about.  I'm not willing to put on the line what I have already in order to
> create a company with no real business model, based entirely off venture
> capital, and doomed to failure unless someone magically buys me out one
> day. That's also not the reputation that I want.
> 
> It would really be nice to have such a company to feed off of though!
> > -) Seriously, how exactly would one go about setting up a company like
> that where there is no real market for it, no sustainable business model,
> and funding is hard to find?  Is this really realistic?  I'm sure there is
> a way to make a business model out of this, but I'm skeptical that now is
> the right time, or that "KDE" is even the right approach.

I wan't thinking this big.  As simple non-profit corp, with a legal tie to KDE 
e.V., with the mission of promoting KDE in the enterprise in North America.

Benefits:
- conferences can now say so-and-so, VP of blah-de-blah, will speak on ...
- single point of contact for ISV's and small consultancies interested in KDE
- a single point of contact for conference coordinators
- a single point of contact for commercial support organizations.
- a body (us!) that meets, decides on a stragegy, and works on it.

I think for around $300 we could get a corporation and bank account set up.

At the risk of introducing a cross-town bus, here are some thoughts on 
strategy ...

The first step for getting KDE in the enterprise actually has nothing to do 
with KDE!  We need a plugin for Kolab that supports Outlook clients.  Ximian 
has it backwards--the natural upgrade path for an enterprise is replace the 
server, and then stage client replacements over time.  I think we could make 
a compelling case to folks like Lindows, HP, IBM to fund the development of a 
free software version.  I wonder how much SuSE invested in their exchange 
replacement?  Bynari wrote a Linux Journal article describing how they did 
reverse engineered their connector.  If this hypothetical org could make this 
happen we would earn major karma and PR.

Another piece is to develop a database of press contacts and establish 
relationships with them.  I started on this, but then the LDAP server Bas 
contributed went up in smoke.  :(

Another piece is to read the Munich stuff and learn what they are doing there, 
and how their evaluations went, and translate that stuff to English.

I have great faith in powers of the "group mind."  Getting a bunch of people 
together to hash out a strategy might be the strongest initial benefit.

Regards,

Mark
 
_______________________________________________
This message is from the kde-promo mailing list.

Visit https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-promo to unsubscribe, set digest on \
or temporarily stop your subscription.


[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]