Re: [vox] ACM article: 'Study: IT Budgets Opening Up to Linux'

["zeruch [Joseph Estevao Arruda]" <z@valinMAPSux.com>]

Eric wrote:

> So, if we sold 24x7 support to a client 2-3 years ago
> and contracted with, say, VA or LinuxCare, and they
> are no longer in business, the argument falls flat?
> Or... my point is definitively proven!!!

No it is not.  The point you made is that there were not vendors to do
it, and I countered with those that had or do.

>  Selling
> support that evaporates is a great way to anger
> clients and lose profits.

Thank you for the obvious. Here, have a cookie...

> IBM is a competitor, so we
> are not going to contract with them. So who is left to
> serve our worldwide client base of large corporations
> and govt. agencies? Is Logicon up to the task? 

Well, EDS has used them in the past, so you make the call. Logicon
serves largely to US Fortune 500 companies and to the US gov't.
There is always GTSI as well as places like Merisel among others.

BTW, the majority of VAs Professional Services group came from EDS, and
when I was at SUN, EDS was one of my primary accounts, so I am quite
familiar with your firm.

> Maybe
> "a few good admins" could handle it? 

Depends. How many customer deployments would you see yourself having? Do
you outsource it or bring it in house?
If the demand is there, can you make a viable, cost-effective response? 
That is more for your own internal forecasts and planners to initiate.

> Get a grasp on
> reality, 

Do you only open your mouth to switch feet, or are you just antagonizing
me because you are bored? I am not making statements out of thin air,
but after a decade of doing this (with VA and SUN mostly) I think I have
an adequate "grasp" (I'll even use both hands if it makes you feel
better).

> the kind of support we would require *does
> not and has not* existed up to this point in time, not
> on a large enough or global enough scale (so just
> *stop*!) ;)

Eric, I don't know much about you, but condescending to me is pretty
much a moot effort.  But if it makes you feel better, go for it.


z