Re: SUBMISSION: Sample Corporate Letter

Thanks!  I just whipped it up one night in excitement about the Project.

Thanks for the comments.  Yeah, I think probably strike that out.  I
fiddled trying to narrow the message down but it's probably best not to
mention this.

On to the "real stuff", do we have a submission db up yet?  I think it's
really important to "split the duties up" and give some cvs read/commit
access to those for the distribution.  I keep finding apps for security
everyday, and would rather submit it to a db than the mailing list.  Are
we planning on this?

Cheers
Andy


> Overall, this is really good!
>
> The only comment I have is that you may want to reword
> the part about minimal penetration of OSS on the
> desktop.
>
> As it is, it basically says that very few people use
> OSS on the desktop.  Anyone who reads that will
> immediately begin to wonder why--you may very well
> have talked the reader out of deploying OSS at this
> point.
>
> I would either get rid of that statement altogether,
> or downplay the lack of adoption.  Then, I would
> immediately and more strongly say that OpenCD is here
> to change all that.
>
> My $0.02,
> Dhruva
>
> --- Andrew J Boncek <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> Thought I would offer up this very draft Sample
>> Corporate Letter.  I tried
>> to formulate some items that a typical IT manager at
>> a corporation would
>> be concerned about or a CIO in general.  Comments
>> appreciated.
>>
>> -Andy
>>
>> DRAFT
>>
>> Sample Corporate Letter to Corporations about OpenCD
>> (Draft by: [email protected])
>>
>> Executive Overview
>>
>> Many corporations around the globe are realizing the
>> power of open
>> source software and are merging free software
>> applications into their
>> proprietary IT networks.  Additionally, open source
>> operating systems,
>> including Linux, OpenBSD, and FreeBSD, are being
>> used in a number of
>> corporate information systems for web services,
>> information security, and
>> a variety of other server tasks.  While open source
>> operating systems are
>> quickly being adopted in the server market, the
>> penetration of open source
>> operating systems and software is minimal at the
>> user’s desktop.  OpenCD
>> brings the power and advantages of zero fee licenses
>> and professional
>> quality, secure software to the typical corporate
>> user.  The general
>> absence of such an effort has somewhat slowed the
>> widespread adoption of
>> free software in the enterprise and has additionally
>> made such wide scale
>> adoption difficult to manage. OpenCD will provide an
>> avenue for
>> corporations to deploy software usable on current
>> existing proprietary
>> operating systems.
>>
>> Brief Overview of the OpenCD Project
>>
>> The OpenCD Project is a single distribution of
>> selected open source
>> software that is proven to work on proprietary
>> operating systems.  The
>> potential savings for IT departments can be
>> staggering and can
>> significantly reduce the outlays for recurrent
>> licensing structures and
>> support needs.  As IT departments are learning from
>> current proprietary
>> software support structures, the additional fees to
>> add additional users,
>> keep support for patches current, and other long
>> term financial outlays
>> can reduce the overall potential to upgrade to the
>> latest software.
>> OpenCD can be a professional quality installation
>> with support built-in
>> through the open source software community support
>> structure with no
>> additional costs.
>> As stated from the Project’s description, OpenCD
>> uses the following
>> criteria for the distribution:
>>
>> 1.	A selection of high-quality open source software
>> for proprietary
>> operating systems.
>> 2.	No licensing fees.  The project is composed
>> entirely of open
>> source free software.
>> 3.	OpenCD contains many useful mainstream
>> applications such as office
>> productivity applications and other workflow
>> software that extends the
>> enterprise.
>> 4.	The project uses professional quality
>> installation methods.  In
>> addition, the project provides the potential for
>> easy, centrally managed
>> software distribution and revocation.
>> 5.	A professional quality uninstall: The software
>> can be safely
>> removed or upgraded from corporate computing
>> systems.
>>
>> The above criteria allows for a high degree of
>> quality control for the
>> distribution.  The CD uses entirely open source
>> standards for software
>> development of the interfaces and installations and
>> keeps the exists free
>> licensing structure intact.  In addition, the OpenCD
>> criteria is openly
>> published and can empower the IT department with the
>> ability to present
>> the distribution to management with professional
>> quality standards. OpenCD
>> can ensure the proper and central adoption of
>> high-quality open source
>> software.
>>
>> Advantages of the OpenCD Distribution
>>
>> OpenCD presents the corporate enterprise with a
>> central adoption strategy
>> for integrating free software into existing
>> operating systems.  For IT
>> departments, the challenge to present open source
>> operating systems on the
>> desktop has been difficult.  Corporations have
>> driven the proprietary
>> operating system application development due to a
>> centrally dominated
>> market.  With the rising availability of global
>> software development
>> collaboration through the Internet, better quality
>> open source office
>> applications, multimedia, and Internet programs on
>> proprietary operating
>> systems are on the rise and are currently being
>> deployed in small scale IT
>> efforts.  OpenCD brings these applications to the
>> enterprise with little
>> cost to the corporation.
>> The strength of the open source community in
>> providing exceptional
>> security is widely recognized.  OpenCD takes
>> advantage of open source
>> projects that for example utilize code review
>> practices, adopt
>> international security guidelines, By its very
>> nature, the open
>> availability of the application code has greatly
>> enhanced the security of
>> these applications….
>> Additionally, OpenCD provides IT managers with an
>> easy system for
>> inventory tracking of open software in use.  In
>> addition, it allows for
>> the potential to track the use and impact of open
>> source software in the
>> corporation, thereby enabling the …
>> The OpenCD project uses a regular release schedule
>> that allows IT
>> departments a predictable timeframe to deploy open
>> source software.  With
>> one CD distribution in use, the IT departments can
>> do central integration
>> testing, manage updates to the system, and prepare
>> new systems for the
>> next release.  In the current open source
>> environment, it is difficult for
>> an IT department to properly manage and track
>> updates of open source
>> software.  OpenCD provides this in the
>> predictability and stability of a
>> release schedule.
>>
>> Possible Concerns for the Corporate Network
>>
>> As many IT managers have come to realize in the past
>> few years,
>> most current open source software in the IT
>> infrastructure is “making it
>> in through the back door” (similar to the appearance
>> of PDAs).  OpenCD
>> allows for IT departments to “control” the
>> propagation of the software
>> throughout the enterprise by distributing the
>> software from the
>> department. The distribution can be safely and
>> statically distributed to
>> user support groups for training and technical
>> support activities.
>> (Additions…)
>>
>> Conclusion
>>
>> The OpenCD Project provides the corporate
>> infrastructure with a
>> wide array of central distribution advantages and
>> extends the capabilities
>> current and future IT systems.  The clear advantages
>> of no-cost, high-
>> quality software is being realized by corporations
>> globally, and OpenCD
>> continues these advantages through centrally
>> evaluated software for use on
>> existing corporate operating systems.  In addition,
>> the project
>> specifically enables the general corporate user but
>> still
> === message truncated ===
>
>
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