Re: [Axiom-developer] contacting Linux distributors

[Camm Maguire]

Greetings!

root <address@hidden> writes:

> *,
> 
> We have a major "business" opportunity in the near future.
> (No, this isn't spam but it sure starts out that way :-) )
> 
> RedHat is changing its distribution model so that they maintain less
> of a distribution and accept more packages directly from the developers.
> I'm unfamiliar with the details of this change but it gives us a chance
> to reach a larger audience.
> 
> We need to make a coordinated effort to identify and contact the major
> Linux distributors (at least RehHat, SUSE, Debian, etc) to 
> 

I was planning on submitting/maintaining the Debian pakcage of axiom
when its released.  I'm already a Debian developer.  I maintain gcl,
maxima, and acl2 for Debian already.
 

> (a) understand their policy for "accepting and blessing" a package
> (b) understand their requirements for pacakging (rpm, apt, etc)
> (c) understand their config requirements
> (d) understand their user interface requirements
> (e) understand their support requirements
> 
> we need to "market" to them that they have a "hole" in their "product
> line" in that they do not have an industrial strength scientific
> computation system. We need to explain that Mathematica, Maple, MuPAD,
> etc. are widely used and that Axiom can be a free alternative.
> 
> It is still early in our "product cycle" but a stand-alone algebra build
> is frightenly close to reality and the rest of the system is targeted
> to be built by year end. At which point the first, major effort will be
> completed. 
> 
> We need to find "distributors" and RedHat's changing business model is
> a major opportunity. 
> 
> Is there anyone on the list who is interested in "taking the lead" 
> in the "marketing" department and coordinating "vendor" contacts?
> It would involve emailing, cold-calling, and coordinating vendors to
> gather the above "market requirements" and then making a plan with
> the vendors to coordinate becoming part of their distribution. It is
> essential that we find the right people to talk to within each 
> distributor, that we work closely with them to feed their requirements
> to the developers, and that they generally have a positive and professional
> experience when working with us.
> 
> I understand that the prevailing "business model" of open source projects
> is "build it and they will come". I want to change that to "build it and
> deliver it to everyone's desktop". Yes, I know not everyone needs it but
> having just one major vendor like RedHat or SUSE would put us in every
> school and business worlwide.
> 
> The personal advantage to you is that you get a list of contacts within
> the major vendors. You could leverage this to represent other open source
> products with the same model.
> 
> I will, unfortunately, be only partially available until Aug 10th, as
> I'll be at a conference. So your "classwork" assignment is to discuss
> this among yourselves and volunteer to set something up.
> 
> Tim Daly
> address@hidden
> address@hidden
> 
> 
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> http://mail.nongnu.org/mailman/listinfo/axiom-developer
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Camm Maguire                                            address@hidden
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