Re: Blackbox Pricing / .NET and Linux

From: [at]} <skulski{>
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2004 13:11:19 -0500 (EST)

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Hi:

> There needs to be pricing levels somewhere between free and commercial.
>
> free -> one-man business -> family business -> corporation ->
> multi-national corporation

Here are a few questions that my boss asked yesterday when I recommended
that the lab buys the BlackBox license.

1. Can one buy something it or sth similar from a US-based company?
2. How much is the yearly maintainance fee?
3. Do we need a full version? Can we save money by buing an entry-level?
4. How much is the entry level versus full version?
5. How much will it cost us to upgrade to the newer versions later on?
6. What companies are competing with the BlackBox vendor on the US market?
7. Where is this software being used? Success stories?

These questions are well worth thinking through if a company intends
to earn money on the US market, which is the largest software market
on Earth. The first one refers to the fact that it is an official policy
for the Gov't sponsored organizations, such as the Laser Lab, to buy
products from US companies. It follows that it would make it easier for
such organizations if OuS had a US representative. Do not underestimate the
phrase "Gov't sponsored". The largest labs in this country are Gov't
sponsored. A single such lab can feed the company the size of OuS. The
other questions reflect the usual state of matters in the scientific
software. Packages like LabView, MatLab, or Keil compilers, all have
versions priced at different levels as well as yearly maintainace fees that
are pretty efficient at sucking customer's money. Scientists are used to
such things. The final question reflects the US way of thinking. If the
product is good there must be competition. If there is no competition then
the thing must be lousy. It is unimaginable here in the US that someone can
have a marvellous idea and there are no copycats. The fact there are no
copycats proves the product wrong.

Concerning success stories, I said something concerning the forthcoming
CERN workshop, but actually I had a problem answering the last question,
until I got a sudden idea. I said "Yes, the company was pretty successful.
They managed to sell one of their founders to Microsoft, where he is now
developing the newest Microsoft compilers." The statement broke the ice.
The boss smiled and said "yes, we should buy the software". And we have
issued the PO today.

The point is, you need success stories. The company cannot just sit where
it was, choose to never implement users suggestions, or to never update the
documentation. Being passive proves both the product and people wrong.
Being passive is the kiss of death. I am afraid to say, but our OuS friends
seem to be committing a slow suicide by starvation. They complain about
marketing costs and other such obstacles, which in the US vocabulary are
collectively known as "bullshit". But what is really going on is shortage
of competitive spirit.

Well, back to getting Robert's graphics to display my data. One more
BlackBox has been sold, now it is time to get it working.

See you,

Wojtek

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Received on Wed Feb 11 2004 - 19:11:19 UTC