Sooner or later, Canonical will have to choose
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| garymax Dec 14, 2007 12:11 PM EDT |
This article underscores my concerns for Ubuntu in the long run. Though I use Slackware, I keep an eye on the general health of the Linux market. What is happening with Canonical had to happen sooner or later. That is, they have to make a choice between the desktop or the server space. Why? Because Canonical's revenue growth in the desktop space is limited due to the high number of users and forums through which said users can get help. Why pay $250/year for support when you can get your help through a forum for free? If Canonical would make any money through open source it will have to be through the server channel. Yes, they could conceivably provide and end-to-end solution, but again, their revenue and growth will dictate that they focus more on the serve side of things. I believe that Mark Shuttlesworth was shrewd in his marketing of Ubuntu over the last three years. He has gained desktop penetration and has made Ubuntu synonymous with being the most-used distro to date. But sooner or later, as the funds get expended, there has to be a return on investment and I do not believe Mark Shuttlesworth nor Canonical will see much from the desktop side. Hence, the push for the server space recently. And considering that Ubuntu has yet to turn a profit and is without a proven business model that works, it will be interesting to see whci direction Canonical goes in the future. I wonder what will happen to their desktop offerings? This makes me glad I use Slackware. No corporate worries. No marketing concerns. And low overhead for the project. |
| ColonelPanik Dec 14, 2007 12:39 PM EDT |
Let Mark Shuttleworth decide. |
| Sander_Marechal Dec 14, 2007 2:49 PM EDT |
Quoting:That is, they have to make a choice between the desktop or the server space. Eh, no. Canonical is not a server player and they know it. Their server version is a toy. Nice for a development server but that's about it. You probably mean that they will have to choose between home user desktop and enterprise desktop. That's also what the original articles refer to BTW. |
| Steven_Rosenber Dec 14, 2007 4:55 PM EDT |
If Ubuntu has some traction on the small-business desktop, perhaps those same people will want something familiar if and when they need a simple file or print server. Ubuntu can handle that pretty well, I figure. I'm not sure what the choices are in the Ubuntu alternate CD, but on the Xubuntu alternate CD, the options include installing the LAMP stack and an LTSP server just by clicking the right boxes. Pretty slick, I think. |
| garymax Dec 14, 2007 7:36 PM EDT |
Sander_Marechal: "That's also what the original articles refer to BTW." Maybe so but I was referring to what I believe to be the choice facing Canonical. Also, I agree that their server offering is not up to par with Red Hat's or Novell's. ColonelPanik: "Let Mark Shuttleworth decide." Eh...who else do you think would be making the decision?? This was just my opinion in light of the current state of things. |
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