Open source reshaping services market

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And the wheel turns again... (Or, nothing is ever new.)

One real advantage of getting old (if you can call it an advantage) is that you get to see how things run in cycles and if your paying attention you can see it before it happens.

Quick flash back: The company I worked for installed an IBM System-36 mini computer. Of course it required a service contract (from IBM) because it was to complicated for IT (MIS back then) to handle on their own and without support services. Yes over time that requirement slowly went away, but it was needed at the time.

Now as much as some people hate the concept, the PC and Microsoft changed that paradigm by making using a "computer" something the average person could learn to do. And as they say, the rest is history. An entire industry sprang forth based upon one thing, ease of use.

In fact I can remember talking with the owner of the local "ComputerWorld Store" (anyone remember them?) and his saying that while he could sell $4,000 PCs all day long, he couldn't sell a support and service contract at any price. People simply didn't see the need or want them. He could sell an extended warranty easier than a service contract. This was true of both PCs and Apple machines.

So move to today we see some companies and individuals moving back to a UNIX like environment (Linux/BSD/Etc.) and adopting the idea they once again need a service and support contract to make it all work.

From my point of view, it will be a short lived blip on the horizon. Why is that? Consider that the Apple's OSX is a terrific example of using a UNIX like environment, AND giving the user the ease of use they have grown accustomed to and now demand. (You won't see many people trading in their automatic cars for straight sticks, even if they are cheaper and more efficient. Tis human nature.)

Given a choice, the majority of people (and companies) will choose to buy something they can use and manage themselves over something requiring a support contract. That means there are two possibilities, either Linux (open source in general) must be come much easier to use and administer, or it won't receive wide spread adoption. (Wide spread as in market share.)

In either case, building a service company on the idea of long term service contracts would appear to be questionable if not right down foolish. I have said it before and I will say it again, when the open source community stops with the fascination of copying Microsoft and instead looks at OSX as the right way to implement Linux, then you will see a massive paradigm shift in the public's mind that you can have both, ease of use, and open source OS/Software without the need of expensive service contracts...

Posted by: No_Ax_to_Grind   Posted on: 01/10/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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