“5 S” Strategy for Linux and a Businss Model

For the future of Linux Community of Developers we should have a strategy in ISO style.

1. Sort.

2. Set

3, Shine or Refine

4. Standardize.

5. Sustain

 

I looked at the the successful companies and found no Linux derivative there. 

This is the failure of Linux

. We do not have a Business Model to boast about. 

We have a Logo and a Mascot where are they standing at present?

If you look at the list in the first 20 we have IBM, Google, Microsoft and Intel and Yahoo at 66 but no Linux.

Like Coca Cola we should be in the Number One.

The simple reason is we do not know to market our products.

Do not merge with the big companies.

Look at Yahoo having merged it is in the 66th place whereas Microsoft is in the top 5.

Why?

1. Embrace

2. Expand

3. Extinguish or Explode

We call EXPLODE it in this country since we a firecracker happy nation (to show politicians are in the vicinity) to Explode at any moment.

We knew for over 30 years how to avoid and escape from bombs now we have to escape from (all powerful but impotent in deeds) politicians.

Unfortunately we do not know how to escape from the stranglehold they are imposing on us.

So merging with big companies or the politicians (Obama and his expensive social program) is not the way forward.

The way forward is to scrutinize the activities and put them the Acid Test of “5S”.

First of all we have to SORT all the Models.

I will do it in my way but my analysis also a Primitive Model to work with.

1. SORT

Sort all the essentials (LIVE CDs, Servers, Desktops, Netbooks most importantly O.E.M.s).
Sort the Origin-Debian series, Knoppix and Live CDs series , Puppy series. Ubuntu series, Redhat. Centos Series… Mandriva series, Slackware series, Gentoo series etc.

I am almost finishing with the Live CDs with subcategories named after our ancestral mammals the Apes (Light Weight, Middle Weight, Heavy Weight type of apes and monkeys) with x-Windows to go with it.

2. SET

Set a business Model with a strong Logo for Live CDs, Desktops and Server and O.E.M.s (that will be the future netbooks).

Target is to get within the first 10 if not it is not marketable.

3. SHINE rather REFINE the most essential basics for each category worth marketing.

4. Standardize

(Linux is standard based operating system and this should not be a problem).

5. Sustainability

This is the difficult part without a strong Business Model.

This is only possible if all the Linux derivatives in each category pass a gold mark or the gold standard (for Live CD I have chosen PCLinux as the Gold Standard of usability) and move up the ladder in the 100 in each category.

That is my wishful thinking.

When I did my survey (now the time for a research) I found lot of good stuff has gone into dormancy because of lack of support like a business model would have.

To name a few are MYAH, Linux Console. ADIOS. O.L.P.S and many more.

It is a shame that the good work of dedicated developers are now in the attic instead of in the classroom or in the living room.

I have shown the way.

We must revive and take Linux out of the doldrums and develop some marketable products.

I will be willing to work with even the devil if my suggestions are taken to heart by Developers but not business crooks.

Please make some critical comments.

Linux is it Convergence or Divergence?

While Linux had been going on diverse and diverging pathways over the last decade there are significant converging strategies developing in the World Wide Web. 

More and more people are using it everyday it has come to stay with the trends of the time.

Telecom’s innovations are coming to its peak that less and less people (except the young) are willing to invest and pay for everything they use or partake.

Ordinary people are more conscious of the price since everything else is going up in prices.

This is where V.O.I.P will take a center stage in couple of years since it is cost effective and one does not have to pay twice for the same article or service.

Similarly Television channels are offered through the pulse line of telephone and slowly but surely everything is becoming digitalized.

Analog years are numbered just as the music turntables of the past.

Similarly Video formats would change.

This is where Linux will and can steam role and go forward faster than our imagination can take us.

In the third world we are not yet ready for this scenario changing but billions of consumers are there in the East in Asia and China.

That is where the profits are going to be.

In time come everything is going to be computer generated and only Linux can penetrate all these markets.

Linux have to move in different directions while converging on the desktop market. Server market and netbooks (rather O.E.Ms).

Live CDs showed the convergence pathway but what about the divergent pathway.

1. V.O.I.P is one pathway.

2. Video Generation (New Fast and reliable web format) and its different formats.

3. TV and Web TV is another pathway.

4. Education and Multimedia is another pathway.

5. Cloud Computing is yet another.

6. Business packages and MySQL is another pathway.

7. Science. Technology and Mathematics is another.

8. Web Utilities (like Google’s Chrome)is another and sports is another.

9. Venture into Government and Universities is another.

10. Sports and Entertainment (Music and Films) is another

11. Web Storage is another since Linux will work tirelessly without breaking the system or the hardware.

There are many more avenues for Linux enthusiasts.

Linux also should have a market philosophy.

Merging with big companies and committing harakiri is not the way forward.

Linux should generate reasonable income to its developers and community.

Just like medical service operates the vaccination and community health should be free but people who get sick with indulgence (alcohol and cigarettes and unconventional life style should pay or should have a reasonable health insurance).

In other words people who can afford it should pay reasonable price for the service.

If one gives something free its market value will go down. This is seen in our country very well. We give free education and after 11 years of teaching English they cannot utter a sentence with 10 words clearly. This is true for Mathematics and Science and there is no training in IT.

Do not follow this stupid idea in the name cheap socialism.

For Linux workers (like labour laws) there should be some sort of compensation for the time and effort of the community and the developers. This can take the form of cooperative movement at internet level.

If one’s idea is quoted and referred there should be a way of paying some royalty value through a cooperative fund. The fund should be developed from donations and charities. This has to be formulated with some strong checks and balances otherwise one rogue (we have our Sakwithies, here) will drain it overnight.

Then only it will go from strength to strength.

If we have repeated episodes of economic crisis one after another crisis the community will strangle itself and quietly dwindle it’s human resources (which is natural with the present day youth) and the big companies will jump in for the kill.

We should not let this happen. We should be mindful.