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| GeoCommunity Mailing List |
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| Subject: | RE: GISList: Linux RS and GIS software for the masses |
| Date: |
06/10/2002 07:58:36 AM |
| From: |
Anthony Quartararo |
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Hi Ned,
Interesting point. At Map India 2002 there was much animated discussion
about this very topic, with most of the lively parts focused on hammering
the big 5 GIS software vendors on licensing costs, distributorships, and
support. It wasn't pretty. I'd suspect this is going on in all the LDC
regions as well. Those reps brave enough to make themselves known were
summarily taken to task on the issue. It is not an insignificant thing for
communities, organizations and even corporations in LDCs to take up the task
of thinking about implementing a spatial information management system. The
difficulty is not technical, but rather political and bureaucratic.
To address your point directly, Open Source and "Open" are altogether
different. Recently in Dubai, Adena Shutzberg pointed that out and it only
then occurred to me that there was a difference, however subtle. "Open"
meaning someone has taken the time to publish data models, etc. and "Open
Source" meaning someone has put the actual code up for grabs. All the big 5
state they are "Open" but none are "Open Source". There are very few truly
Open Source GIS applications out there, and at the risk of sounding crass,
there's a very financial reason why there are so few: it's not immediately
profitable. No initial sale, no recurring licensing revenues, and no
absolute control means few are in it for altruistic reasons.
Secondly, Linux, in my view is still a big gamble. Sure, IBM, Oracle, Sun,
have all "embraced" it, but only because they could not afford not too. I'd
suggest that only in the "Developed Countries" do we have the luxury to
experiment and "gamble" on technology like Linux. The LD countries need
something that is going to be common-place, proven in all circumstances and
have a lower total cost of ownership and that means either UNIX or Windows.
The same reasons you cited for hesitating to get "into" Linux would be
exponentially magnified in Lagos, Nigeria for example.
One possible solution that does not require Linux or true Open Source is an
entirely new, radical method of delivering and charging for GIS
applications, databases and spatial data. Some on this list may be tiring
of me pushing this, but I have yet to hear why this would not work,
especially in the LDCs. Ok, so throw out the revenue models that premise
that a license costs X per seat and Z% per year in maintenance. Put up a
perpetual, unlimited user license on a server and allow users to open an
account to use the application (data, imagery, database, whatever). The
service level agreement (SLA) that this particular user signs up for then
applies to each time the person logs on. For example, the SLA would state
that the user would be billed Y$ per minute of access (no restrictions,
etc.) and the provider (an application service provider) would guarantee
ZZ.ZZZ% network availability. The user pays only for what they use, nothing
more and it is very, very inexpensive. Remember, throw out the old revenue
models first, because the way this is done now is that the software vendor
reverse engineers their retail license cost and simply divides that by the #
of hits or Mb of data throughput. What the software vendors seem to forget
is that in the LDCs, there is a market that makes the US/Canada/European
market look like a business plan. That market is largely untouched, reason
being is that it is too expensive to play the game at this point. So, the
vendors can continue to try to force feed and play enronomics with licensing
for LDCs, but it really will not tap much deeper than the early adopters
anyway. By adopting the above model (simplified here), vendors can create
markets where none currently exist.
I have digressed, and my apologies if this drifted too far afield to be
useful, couldn't help it.
Anthony
-----Original Message-----
From: Ned Horning [mailto:nedh@lightlink.com]
Sent: Friday, May 10, 2002 4:07 PM
To: IMAGRS-L: GISList
Subject: GISList: Linux RS and GIS software for the masses
I've wanted to bite the bullet and start playing around with Linux-based
Open Source software but have been a bit intimidated and haven't managed to
make the time to get into the Linux world. I recently made a career change
and am now managing a small GIS/RS facility. One area that I am interested
in researching is the appropriateness of promoting open source solutions for
small groups (primarily in developing countries) just getting involved in
GIS and RS. The idea of providing free software for these organizations is
very appealing if they can use it to meet their needs without having to be a
programmer or a Linux wiz. Within the next few months I expect to be able to
invest the time to form my own opinion of the state of Linux-based open
source GIS and RS software but I would value any opinions reade
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