Open Source Support Services

• Introduction:
  • Support of divers open source sofware, possibly from different origin.
  • Exploitation Services based on Open Source:
    • The implementation and the maintenance of a network require a lot of support including installations, training, help desk, evolutive maintenance, quality control, etc...
    • Support services remain a traditional business at usual commercial rates, competing on quality of services and prices.  
      In the Open Source approach, beside the need to have well trained people,  there are relatively few investment risks. 
      Remark: in general in the case of proprietary companies selling software, services provide already more than 50 % of the incomes.
    • Continuity of support is critical:
      • As well for the users who need the possibility to call at any time and who agree to pay an annual maintenance contract.
      • As well for the service providers who needs recurrent yearly income in order to maintain a qualified support team.
      • Support services should be very available at a regional level, i.e. based within a range of no more than let say 100 Km.
    • No more details here, because this note is mainly intended to discuss development issues.
      
  • ...
     
    
• Conditions for sustainable support:
  • Management of a community of users in the country where the software is installed.
  • Avoid dependency from any single provider.
  • ...
     
• Economic model related to support services:
  • Operator profile:
    • Support services provided by regional operators.
  • Type of services:
    • Traditional business based on support activities in a broad sense, competing on quality of services and prices.
    • Services based on open source software available in the public domain at no charges, but not selling any software licenses.
      
  • Inventory of services:
    • Initial installation:
      • Installing equipments, 
      • Software installation,
      • Training of the first users,
      • ...
    • Recurrent maintenance contracts, including:
      • Availability of an helpdesk at nearly every time, 
      • Hardware maintenance, occasional replacement of occasionally defect parts;
      • Software maintenance, installing new versions, at least once a year, or more when bug are fixed or new features are available.
      • Quality control, 
      • Management of backups,
      • ...
  • Profile of operator:
    • Companies providing only services about open source, but selling no software.
    • A few examples (non medical):
      • LINAGORA in Paris,
      • OpenERP in Belgium
      • Adempiere in Germany
      • ...........
      • .....
  • .......