On Tue, Dec 02, 2003 at 04:52:47PM -0800, Bruce Perens wrote: > So, our problem is how to rebalance the vendor-customer relationship for > our purposes. Probably the most useful tool is the industry group > organization, where a number of similar businesses get together to steer > their participation in userlinux, and the group involves their vendors > from a position of strength, together, rather than one of weakness, > apart. Customer group 1 is confident that this will work for them.
May I suggest that there is still a role for some sort of ISV support on behalf of UserLinux. I have been asked by several of my clients: what is this Free Software or Open Source thing and how can I benefit? What holds them back is experience with the target system and a fear of the unknown. Their perception, while overstated, is still important. So, to the end of bringing ISVs to appreciate UserLinux perhaps there is a place for a laboratory. The difference between a laboratory and the common, custom ISV/OS Vendor relationship is that the lab is an open resource. It provides an environment of hardware, software, and expert support that guides them, teaches them, to work with the system. The lab is free to any who can show up, provided that adequate funding is available. Or, ISV can be enrolled to support the lab given that they see value in it. I've seen this model work well on several levels. Not only is there a realistic feeling of support, but there the inter-ISV relationships that appear when developers meet at the lab. I believe that for many, the physical presence of such a laboratory is an important factor in their believe that the system, UserLinux in this case, is a real entity. Cheers.
