Re: [SL] Re: Security problem (don't discount the economics)

[Kenneth G. <la...@th...>]

cant make out which country you are from, but these things are country 
specific. In India, small and medium size companies would fire any purchase 
manager who includes software in his budget. Hardware dealers are expected to 
preinstall pirated versions of M$ os and software if they want the order. 
there are a bunch of accounting packages - all conforming to international 
standards - going at around $250/- or less (assuming that the customer pays 
for them). Programmers are almost never employed in the accounting side. An 
accountant with some data entry assistants is all that is needed. a competent 
accountant would work for about $100 a month (this is on the high side). A 
data entry operator would go for about $40 per month. I have been working 
with several govenment organisations trying to convert them to linux. They 
are already in a 'software free, installation free environment'. how do i 
convert them to a 'software free, installation paid for scenario'?

of course, M$ and its cohorts pay top$ to informants and conduct raids with 
police help where they seize the machines and extort license fees - but this 
is a war i do not want to get involved in.

that is why i am talking reliable, stable and honest

ps

the rate for shrink wrapped rh7.2 and shrinkwrapped M$ os+office here is 
about the same
 
On Sunday 31 March 2002 22:17, Steve Doerr wrote:
> Kenneth Gonsalves wrote:
> > anyway - if you are propagating opensource, please dont do the movement a
> > disservice by talking free or cheap - talk reliable, stable and honest
> > regards
>
> I think you're a little too hasty to discount the economics of free
> software. Reliable, stable and honest is a strong marketing point, but see
> below.
>
> Here's a scenario of a medium size companies' cost of a proprietary acctg.
> system:
>
> 1.  AS400 or prop. unix lease (hardware & OS)        -    150,000.00/yr
> 2.  Acctg. software license                                         -
> 100,000.00/yr
> 3.  5 programmers (@ 60k/yr)                                   -
> 300,000.00/yr
>             Total
> -    550,000.00/yr
>
> Don't forget to mention that number 2. goes completely away with free
> software, ;-).
>
> Number 1, can go down to 15-20K every three years for a pretty solid i86
> Linux/BSD server.
>
> We'll say number 3. stays the same, but having the code might drop that a
> person or two.
>
> Now, I've always felt the making a living part would come from numbers 1.
> and 2.  Dieter or another support professional could charge 30K/yr for a
> support contract and still save a company ~200K/yr.
>
> Anyway, nothing to do with ease of installation, or sessions/authorization,
> but a free/open source solution is less costly in addition to the benefits
> of greater stability/reliability.  Personally, I place about equal
> importance on the economics, because I feel they are very measurable and
> real.
>
> Not trying to change what's important to you, Kenneth, but I feel both
> aspects are benefits.
>
> Take care,
> Steve