开源的商业模式 - 需要建议 [英] Business model for Open Source - advice wanted
问题描述
大家好
我想要一些建议，我希望clp
的好人能给我带来他们经验的好处。 br />
我正在忙着开发一个会计软件包，使用Python和wxPython，
和Unix平台上的PostgreSQL或Windows上的SQL Server
平台。我是一名合格的会计师，20多年来一直在开发
会计软件，大多是定制的。我现在已经有了b $ b让我自己进入财务状况，我可以花几个月的时间来关闭
并写下完美的系统。不，不是真的，但多年来我已经建立了很多经验，我有很多关于
的想法我希望在系统中看到什么，我已经决定给自己一个机会，看看我能真正写出一个多好的系统。
很快我就不得不从我的努力开始产生一些收入
。我有很多人对我所做的事感兴趣，我打算开始将它作为YAAS（另一个
会计系统）出售，看看有多少客户我可以得到。
作为一种替代方案，我一直在想要在开源许可证下发布它b / b
。我的部分想法是将一些东西带回到开源社区 - 我喜欢使用Python，
wxPython，PostgreSQL等等，这将是很好的贡献
东西。我的另一个想法是，它应该是一个可靠的商业模式，以支持开源产品，从而获得可行的收入。
。但是，由于我没有这方面的经验，我想知道其他人如何在Open
来源世界中获得经济利益。我没有大爸爸这将使我付出我的梦想，所以无论我做什么都必须带来合理的收入。
以下是我的一些想法 - 任何评论非常感谢。
商业模式的本质必须是源代码可以免费，但你需要支付费用。我相信会计系统比大多数系统都需要支持，并且一个明智的公司寻找会计软件不会考虑任何事情
那个不受支持。因此，重要的是决定应该提供什么样的支持，以及如何说服客户注册
。
该软件必须是可下载的，任何人都可以运行，并且必须免费提供完全功能的
。我意识到有一个选项
来限制免费版本中的功能并使其可用
仅限于许可用户，但是你会进入安全代码，来源
代码保护等，这至少会部分地击败
对象，所以我没有考虑这些问题。将有完整的
在线帮助（它可能会开始粗略，但随着时间的推移我会改进它/ b $ b），也许应该有一个常见问题解答。我认为，
应该是免费的。
我想开一个免费的论坛（可能是一个邮件列表）
从技术角度讨论软件。我是一名经验丰富的程序员，但我远不是一个Pythonista，所以我确定将会有很多领域需要改进。我想
尽可能多地接受这种反馈。
但是，任何商业或会计软件的支持
透视图仅供注册用户使用。每月
的支持费用（我想的是每月50-100美元的范围 - 让我知道
知道它是太高还是太低）用户将是能够通过电子邮件请求
支持，我们会及时回复。我目前有一个小的b
工作人员，如果这个想法成功，我会把钱砸回来扩展支持基础设施。
为了保留注册用户的软件安定下来，我想b
$ b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b保持
他们的注册。我能想到的主要内容是增强
请求 - 会计软件的本质是对增强功能有持续的b
持续需求，我打算继续增强
并改进产品。我设想一个论坛，用户可以转发
想法，其他人可以回复/评论/批评，直到有一些
的共识。商定增强功能的路线图可以发布在免费的
网站上，这有望吸引更多用户注册，以便他们可以参与。
/>
以下是我可以看到的一些陷阱，以及我可能给他们的
解决方案。首先，用户可以随时终止他的
支持合同，并且软件将继续使用
功能。因此有些人可能会试图停止支付，直到他们有问题，然后支付一个月，得到答案，然后再次停止。我的想法是3个月必须预先支付以激活支持
合约。其次，顾问可以使用我的软件建立一个
的客户群，支付一笔支持费用，并用它来支持他所有的b $ b客户端。我不认为我可以（或者甚至想要）阻止这种情况，但是我可以通过将每个合同限制为单个电子邮件地址来限制它。
回复支持查询。
这是我到目前为止的想法。任何评论 - 建议，警告，
个人经历 - 将不胜感激。
非常感谢
弗兰克Millman
Hi all
I would like some advice, and I hope that the good people on c.l.p
will give me the benefit of their experience.
I am busy developing an accounting package, using Python and wxPython,
together with PostgreSQL on a Unix platform or SQL Server on a Windows
platform. I am a qualified accountant and have been developing
accounting software, mostly customised, for over 20 years. I have now
got myself into a position financially where I can take a few months
off and write "the perfect system". No, not really, but I have built
up a lot of experience over the years, I have a lot of ideas about
what I would like to see in a system, and I have decided to give
myself the opportunity to see how good a system I can actually write.
At some point quite soon I will have to start generating some revenue
from my efforts. I have a number of people interested in what I am
doing, and I was planning to start selling it as YAAS (yet another
accounting system) and see how many customers I could get.
As an alternative, I have been toying with the idea of releasing it
under an Open Source license. Part of my thinking is to put something
back into the Open Source community - I love working with Python,
wxPython, PostgreSQL, etc, and it would be nice to contribute
something. The other part of my thinking is that it should be
possible, with a sound business model, to make a viable income out of
supporting an Open Source product. However, as I have no experience of
this, I was wondering how other people survive financially in the Open
Source world. I have no "big daddy" that will pay me to pursue my
dreams, so whatever I do has to bring in a reasonable income.
Here are some of my ideas - any comments will by much appreciated.
The essence of a business model must be that the source code may be
free, but you have to pay for support. I believe that accounting
systems more than most systems need support, and that a sensible
company looking for accounting software would not consider anything
that was not supported. Therefore it is important to decide what kind
of support should be offered, and how to persuade customers to sign up
for it.
The software must be downloadable and runnable by anyone, and it must
be fully functional, at no charge. I realise that there is an option
to restrict functionality in the free version and make it available
only to licensed users, but then you are into security codes, source
code protection, etc, which would at least partially defeat the
object, so I am not thinking along those lines. There will be full
online help (it will probably start off sketchy, but I will improve it
over time), and maybe there should be an FAQ available. That, I think,
is all that should be free.
I would like to open a free discussion forum (probably a mailing list)
to discuss the software from a technical perspective. I am an
experienced programmer, but I am nowhere near being a Pythonista, so I
am sure there will be many areas ripe for improvement. I would like to
remain open to as much of this kind of feedback as possible.
However, any support of the software from a business or accounting
perspective will be available to registered users only. For a monthly
support fee (I am thinking of a range of $50-100 per month - let me
know if it is too high or too low) users will be able to request
support via email, which will be responded to promptly. I have a small
staff at present, and if this idea is successful I will plough money
back into expanding the support infrastructure.
To retain registered users once their software has settled down, I
have in mind a website restricted to registered users which will
provide sufficiently interesting content to persuade them to keep up
their registration. The main content I can think of is enhancement
requests - it is the nature of accounting software that there is a
continuous demand for enhancements, and I intend to keep on enhancing
and improving the product. I envisage a forum where users can forward
ideas, and others can respond/comment/criticise until there is some
consensus. A roadmap of agreed enhancements can be posted on the free
website, which will hopefully attract more users into signing up so
that they can participate.
Here are a couple of pitfalls that I can see, and my possible
solutions to them. Firstly, a user will be able to terminate his
support contract at any time, and the software will continue to
function. Therefore some may be tempted to stop paying until they have
a problem, then pay for a month, get an answer, and stop again. My
thinking is that 3 months must be paid up front to activate a support
contract. Secondly, a consultant may use my software to build up a
client base, pay a single support fee, and use that to support all his
clients. I don''t think I can (or even want to) prevent that, but I can
restrict it by limiting each contract to a single email address for
replies to support queries.
These are my thoughts so far. Any comments - suggestions, warnings,
personal experiences - will be much appreciated.
Many thanks
Frank Millman
推荐答案
每月50-100 - 让我
知道它是太高还是太低）用户将能够通过电子邮件请求
支持，我们会及时回复。我目前有一个小的b
工作人员，如果这个想法成功，我会把钱砸回来扩展支持基础设施。
为了保留注册用户的软件安定下来，我想b
$ b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b b保持
他们的注册。我能想到的主要内容是增强
请求 - 会计软件的本质是对增强功能有持续的b
持续需求，我打算继续增强
并改进产品。我设想一个论坛，用户可以转发
想法，其他人可以回复/评论/批评，直到有一些
的共识。商定增强功能的路线图可以发布在免费的
网站上，这有望吸引更多用户注册，以便他们可以参与。
/>
以下是我可以看到的一些陷阱，以及我可能给他们的
解决方案。首先，用户可以随时终止他的
支持合同，并且软件将继续使用
功能。因此有些人可能会试图停止支付，直到他们有问题，然后支付一个月，得到答案，然后再次停止。我的想法是3个月必须预先支付以激活支持
合约。其次，顾问可以使用我的软件建立一个
的客户群，支付一笔支持费用，并用它来支持他所有的b $ b客户端。我不认为我可以（或者甚至想要）阻止这种情况，但是我可以通过将每个合同限制为单个电子邮件地址来限制它。
回复支持查询。
这是我到目前为止的想法。任何评论 - 建议，警告，
个人经历 - 将不胜感激。
非常感谢
弗兰克Millman
50-100 per month - let me
know if it is too high or too low) users will be able to request
support via email, which will be responded to promptly. I have a small
staff at present, and if this idea is successful I will plough money
back into expanding the support infrastructure.
To retain registered users once their software has settled down, I
have in mind a website restricted to registered users which will
provide sufficiently interesting content to persuade them to keep up
their registration. The main content I can think of is enhancement
requests - it is the nature of accounting software that there is a
continuous demand for enhancements, and I intend to keep on enhancing
and improving the product. I envisage a forum where users can forward
ideas, and others can respond/comment/criticise until there is some
consensus. A roadmap of agreed enhancements can be posted on the free
website, which will hopefully attract more users into signing up so
that they can participate.
Here are a couple of pitfalls that I can see, and my possible
solutions to them. Firstly, a user will be able to terminate his
support contract at any time, and the software will continue to
function. Therefore some may be tempted to stop paying until they have
a problem, then pay for a month, get an answer, and stop again. My
thinking is that 3 months must be paid up front to activate a support
contract. Secondly, a consultant may use my software to build up a
client base, pay a single support fee, and use that to support all his
clients. I don''t think I can (or even want to) prevent that, but I can
restrict it by limiting each contract to a single email address for
replies to support queries.
These are my thoughts so far. Any comments - suggestions, warnings,
personal experiences - will be much appreciated.
Many thanks
Frank Millman
两个赚钱的公司让人想起：
1. sleepycat软件（他们支持Berkeley DB）;和
2. MySQL人（他们支持，嗯，MySQL）
他们有不同的许可证，MySQL是双重许可的：
GPL和专有，而睡眠是定制的和
OSI兼容。
我的理解是他们都赚了很多钱。
< br $> b $ b -
我认为你的目标是会计系统
需要定制...而你''赚钱定制
吧。您唯一的问题是营销您的
产品/服务。商界人士很少读新鲜肉，
我担心。
-
别担心别人违背支持合同。
公司变得足够大，投资者/董事会如果他们发现会计系统
是b $ b b不支持：如果您定位合适的公司，
支持检查将不间断地流动。如果你仍然担心'他们'，那么就像MS一样提供按事件付费。
-
如果您的产品足够好，*我*可能是使用您的软件的那些
顾问之一，获得支持
许可证，以及用它来支持我的所有客户。这是* b $ b * *好*的事情。首先，我添加的任何增强功能都会折叠到您的产品中，因此您和您所有的b
客户都会受益。对于另一个，我不会声称我
写了这个东西：原作者对
产品的支持仍然很重要。
-
考虑目标公司规模。鉴于
Two companies that make money spring to mind:
1. sleepycat software (they support Berkeley DB); and
2. the MySQL folks (they support, um, MySQL)
They have different licenses, MySQL being dual licensed:
GPL and proprietary, while sleepycat is custom and
OSI-compatible.
My understanding is that they both make good money.
--
I think you''re right on target that accounting systems
need customization... and you''ll make money customizing
it. Your only problem would then be marketing your
product/service. Business people seldom read freshmeat,
I fear.
--
Don''t worry about people reneging on support contracts.
Companies get large enough, investors/directors will
blow a fuse if they find out that the accounting system
is unsupported: if you target the right companies the
support checks will flow uninterrupted. If you''re still
worried about ''em, offer a pay-per-incident, like MS.
--
If your product is good enough, *I* may be one of those
consultants that uses your software, gets the support
license, and uses it to support all my clients. This is
a *good* thing. For one thing, any enhancements I add
get folded into your product, so you and all your
customers benefit. For another, I won''t be claiming I
wrote the thing: support by the original author of a
product is still important.
--
Consider the target company size. Given the
50 -
这篇关于开源的商业模式 - 需要建议的文章就介绍到这了，希望我们推荐的答案对大家有所帮助，也希望大家多多支持IT屋！
