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List:       redhat-devel
Subject:    Building a commercial support system for Linux
From:       Robert Hart <hartr () interweft ! com ! au>
Date:       1997-05-21 0:54:16
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	Red Hat proposes Commercial Support for Red Hat Linux
	-----------------------------------------------------

With the growing use of Linux in general (and Red Hat Linux in
particular) in corporate offices, there is increasing demand for
commercial support of Red Hat Linux. At present, this demand is being
partly met by independent consultants who provide support to their
clients. There is however no special assistance available from Red Hat
to aid such activities.

Although Linux is penetrating the commercial, business, industry and
government markets, the lack of formal Linux support arrangments for
sites considering the use of Linux is all too frequently used as reason
for NOT using Linux.

Provision of a high quality support infrastructure is essential to
assist Linux to increase its penetration of the commercial sector.

Red Hat Software is now actively looking at providing commercial
support for its distribution. In order to move this issue forward, Red
Hat Software has contracted Robert Hart of InterWeft
(hartr@interweft.com.au) to research this issue, make recommendations
to Red Hat Software and manage the establishment and evolution of
the commercial support system.

Support Provision Models
------------------------

Red Hat Software currently provides free (Email based) installation
support for its Linux Distribution, but does not provide commercial
support contracts or make any special assistance available to persons
and organisations wishing to provide support.

Whilst Red Hat could offer commercial support contracts itself (in the
same way that commercial operating systems are supported directly by
the owning organisation), this model has a number of problems:-

1.	Red Hat Linux is in use worldwide; constructing a Red Hat
Software operated, world wide support network would require
considerable time and resources, neither of which are available.

2.	A major reason for the success of Linux is the intensely
cooperative philosophy which characterises the Linux community. This
cooperation is also evident within the existing Linux consultant
community. A traditional, company operated support system would not
mesh well with this philosophy and would fail to take advantage of one
of Linux's strengths.

3.	The commercial Linux community consists of many (usually small)
organisations providing a range of solutions based on Linux. These
organisations are close to their clients and have high skill levels;
staff at these organisations also make significant contributions to the
Linux world through activities such as authoring and/or maintaining
software and documentation. Bypassing such organisations in the
provision of commercial support would be extremely counter productive.

Red Hat Software is looking to build a commercial support system which
is firmly grounded on the principle of cooperation that has been so
successful in creating Linux itself. This model meshes with the
fundamental Linux philosophy and also provides a mechanism by which
small organisations acting cooperatively can achieve the requirements
of size and reputation to provide visibility in the commercial world.

Cooperative support - how will it work?
---------------------------------------

First of all, it should be made clear that Red Hat Software has not made
any decisions on how such a system should work. The following possible
model is provided simply to stimulate discussion. The requirements of
any system are :-

1.	The system provides the end users (those organisations seeking a
commercial support contract for Red Hat Linux) with a high quality,
responsive support system allowing them to operate their systems
reliably;

2.	The support system is operationally feasible on a world wide
scale;

3.	The system in financially feasible for all parties concerned -
Red Hat Software, independent consultants providing the support and the
end users of Red Hat Linux;

4.	The system benefits the Linux community at large (beyond just
users of Red Hat Software's distributions) through improved
documentation, improved system reliability, a wider range of free and
commercial server and work station software and the increased
visibility of Linux in general.


Current Planning - and how to have your say
-------------------------------------------

With these requirements in mind, Red Hat Software is actively seeking
input from the Linux user community on how such a system could operate
and what services it could provide . Input is sought from :-

	* individuals and organisations already providing or interested in
	  providing commercial support for Linux;

	* individuals and organisations interested in purchasing a commercial
	  support contract for Linux;

	* the Linux community at large.

To this end, a mailing list has been established at Red Hat to provide
a mechanism for the discussions to occur. To subscribe to the mailing
list, please send a message to

	cons-forum-request@redhat.com

with the subject line of

	subscribe

You will receive a return Email requesting confirmation of the
subscription request. Upon replying to this you will be subscribed to
the list and will receive an information message about the list and its
operation.

The mailing list address (the address to which messages to the list are
sent) is

	cons-forum@redhat.com

(You must be subscribed to the list in order to be able to post
messages to the list).

You are invited to subscribe to this list and participate in building
the model for the operation of a commercial Linux support system.

-- 
Robert Hart                             hartr@interweft.com.au
Voice: +61 (0)3 9735 3586		http://www.interweft.com.au/
InterWeft, 35 Summit Road, Lilydale, Victoria 3140, Australia
        IT, data and voice networking
        Strategic IT business planning
        Internet planning, implementation, security and configuration

--
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