[Linux-aus] Marketing Linux

[Paul Antoine]

Tracyanne, I understand you're very passionate about both Linux and the 
Tux500 concept, and maybe even like to get the last word in :-P

However I think you might do well to accept that the problem with, and 
the joy of, any highly intelligent and educated audience is that they 
tend to be *very* skeptical :-)  To me this is a good thing, despite it 
requiring the deft skills of cat-herding(tm) to get them all on board!

Dell is in such desperate market-share woes that they are trying 
anything they can to win back ascendency from HP in the US. In my 
experience US companies like Dell do not care about Australia's global 
market share (2%).

Ergo... PR is PR is PR... which is where Tux500 and Linux come in for 
Dell. It's a zero-cost option for Dell to say something about Tux500. 
Marketing types love zero-cost options for pushing their brand :-)  This 
is also the case for Linux on Dell... it's low-cost PR to be publicly 
considering it as every Linux weenie with a blog will write about it.

Here in Aus, the only thing that would make Dell sit up and take notice 
is if a *major* Aussie company (BHP, Rio, Comm Bank etc.) put in an 
order for thousands of Dell machines insisting on Linux pre-installed, 
or specified Linux as their primary desktop or server SOE... in short, 
*very* unlikely to happen.  By Brenda's own admissions, getting your 
average (vs enlightened) ACS professional to argue persuasively to their 
board on the merits of switching some or all of their infrastructure to 
Linux seems unlikely at this juncture.

BTW: I refer to this as "demand-pull"... and as someone who licensed 
Aussie OS technology to Sun Microsystems for Solaris, I can tell you the 
*pull* has to be extreme!

That said, thanks for making me think Tracyanne!

It occurs to me that we could *ignore* the ACS members in favour of 
going over their heads to their bosses to promote the advantages of Open 
Sauce!  The Linux community needs to get in front of the CEO's, CIO's 
and CFO's of large public companies to create demand-pull.

We must convince the board members and senior management of Aussie 
companies that Linux is able to improve their bottom line, meet mission 
critical needs, and give them intimate control over their software 
destinies.  Improving bottom line *always* works for board members ;-)

<humour on>
Universities and ACS hoards would then follow, like penguins to the 
slaughter... <maniacal laughter> ;-P

Paul Antoine <geek, investor, board member, and deeply cynical when it 
comes to software marketing and exporting to the US...>

linuxaus.1.tracyanne at spamgourmet.com wrote:
> Tux500 Why is this important?
> 
> DELL will soon be offering Linux preinstalled on  DELL computers, but 
> this offer will only be to US customers, NOT Australian customers.
> 
> What will it take to get DELL to make that same offer to Australian 
> customers?
> 
> What it will take for DELL to make that offer is for the offering of 
> Linux on DELL computers in the US to be a sales success (whatever that 
> is to DELL).
> 
> One thing that could help that success is something that raises gives 
> Linux mind share with potential customers, especially in the US. We need 
> to do our own marketing here when the US market starts to take off and 
> Linux on DELL starts to sell.
> 
> I believe TUX500 will help us here.
> 
> Quote:: from 
> http://blog.lobby4linux.com/index.php?/archives/181-Why-This-Is-Important-Tux500.html
> 
> Mr Bob Moore.
> Why This Matters
> 
> 
> Friday, May 11 2007 @ 12:48 PM MDT
> 
> Contributed by: bob
> 
> Views: 10
> 
> 
> 
> I've been at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, covering action for Tux500
> for the last several days. I've seen the crowd that is walking around
> the garage area, the crowd that is milling around on Pit Lane, the fan
> that is sitting in the stands. 
> 
> 
> I'm here observing the reaction to Tux and to Linux. 
> 
> 
> 
> You know what I've seen? I've seen little girls falling in love with a
> pudgy little penguin, and having their pictures taken in front of his
> car.
> 
> I've seen corporate execs (and trust me, there will be a lot
> of them here over the next 3 weeks) talking about the Linux operating
> system, and telling me they're considering using it, or expanding use
> of it in their operations.
> 
> 
> I've seen sports fans jotting down the URL of Tux500.com, or
> the name Linux, making a note to themselves to check out the sponsor of
> a car in their favorite pastime. One of them, who had never even heard
> of Linux handed me a $20 bill, and said he'd be rooting for us. 
> 
> 
> This is an underdog team... the kind of team that sports fans love to
> root for. A small, local team celebrating the 10th anniversary of it's
> first Indianapolis 500. A team with a unique, and very special
> sponsor... a community of people promoting something that they built...
> that they love.
> 
> 
> 
> For these reasons, and more, this matters.
> 
> ::quote
> 
> regards
> 
> Tracyanne
> 
> 
> 
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