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Marketing angle (was: RFC: Office suite)



On Fri, 10 Aug 2001, Hetz Ben Hamo wrote:

> Well, there are interested, but first they want some feedback from the local
> Israeli users about some issues. If you can - please answer, and explain your
> points.

I'll try, but do keep in mind this list does not represent the average
joe user.

> run it (it comes with it's own static QT version), and it runs under

is it possible to have it run with my pre-installed QT for better shared
memory usage?

> Regarding hebrew - I do think (IMHO) that in the first stage the
> localization (hebrew menus and hebrew online) is not that important.
> IMHO it's much important to have all the bidi functions first
> (tables, paragraphs, nikud, importing Hebrew word documents, etc..)

importing and exporting Hebrew Word is ultra-crucial, so is an option
for a very M$-like environment so you can move M$Word people to it with
ease. M$ has a very good grip on the Israeli market as there are no
competitors, and they will have to do some serious marketing decisions
(pricing and agressive product compatibility adaptions) if they want to
capture any market share (20 paying customers from the linux-il lists do
not make a market)

> 1. How much do you think you're willing to pay for this suite?

$50 per seat for home users, $100 per seat for a professional package,
with special prices for 5+ seat networks. I don't know what the product
costs in other languages, but they may have to seriously lower the price
to get a foothold in our market.

the problem is really, that people don't use windows just for office.
they should more likely begin with a windows version rather than a linux
version, and we linux users would get the fringe benefit of the product
being multiplatform. you can't look at this as "the product that will
make people switch to linux", you have to look at it as "if we create a
windows product demand, linux users will also benefit"

> 2. Is localization (hebrew online menu and menus) very important to you? if
> it won't have the localization but will have all the bidi stuff - will you
> still buy it?

with QT3, I imagine that menues and dialogs are going to be the simplest
problem, it can be done in a matter of days or a few weeks on the side.
the rendering engine is the big clincher. I don't care about Hebrew
interface myself, but I do suppose the average Israeli user will be more
insistant.

> 3. Does a Windows version important to you (in terms of installing it in
> office)?

yes, like I said, it should be their first priority, as a profits-driven
company, and it should be the linux community's interest to make their
product sell (mainly of course on windows) so that product line is
succesfull enough for them to keep maintaining it.

the question you have to stop and ask yourself is what your goal is.
- more linux systems in the market.
- a better linux environment for current users.
- a competition for microsoft.
- some other goals, like promoting QT3 to Israeli companies?

Because each one needs a completely different marketing strategy and
set of markeing channels, and not all of them concur with this company's
goals. I imagine they are not here to make linux a better compatitor for
M$, they are here to sell licenses. they need help flooding the market
with a cheap version that many places places would like to buy, and then
a moderately-priced package people will want to upgrade to.

The competition is VERY tough, mind you. the number of companies in
Israel with only-one-machine-running-windows in Israel is very low (I'm
guessing Aduva, Epitera and Lerner? :-) where you have the secretary
produce M$ docs. most other software establishments I know buy 20
licenses of MSDN for the developpers, and install the office that comes
in with it for free on the secreteries' machines.

first step, in any case, is to persuade them that there is a market.
As I see it, there is no significant linux market for them, and I don't
have the numbers or the knowhow to tell if they have a M$ market. they
need a local marketing company to tell them that before they make such a
decision.

Good luck!

-- 
The wondering Jew
Ira Abramov


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