economics-software

Users love software that they don't have to pay for. But, some software professionals have to make a living creating and maintaining that software. Many companies today grapple with the question, "how to make money with Linux and Open Source?" Some software business leaders are worried about whether Linux and Open Source are impacting business viability of operating systems/environment business. Enterprise business and IT managers are quite happy to see the trend towards software they don't have to pay for. But, most often they do not understand what the implications are and what the fine prints way. Martin Fink has done an excellent job of compiling all the fundamental and essential information on the business aspects of Linux and Open Source software. He clarifies and removes many myths people carry in their minds. Probably this is a "one of its kind" book that brings together the various angles such as the overview of terms, understanding legal lingo, business model aspects, talent management aspects and so on. The book covers the essential technical aspects lucidly and adequately. If you are looking for a deep technical source for Linux and Open Source architectures, there are enough pointers in the book; but, this book is not meant for that purpose. I recommend this book for software engineers who have to understand the business aspects and Enterprise IT/Business Managers who are deploying/planning Linux and Open Source components in their business. The timing of the book is perfect. This book is a good candidate for bringing out update versions as the domain expands and matures. I don't know whether Martin Fink plans to upgrade the book year after year.

I have just finished reading the book "The Business and Economics of Linux and Open Source" and wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed it. I am currently passing the book up my chain of command at work...

Linux and Open source is not "just" for geeks anymore. Business is embracing it and needs the guidance this book has to offer. It is the first book I have seen which addresses Linux and open source from a business perspective.

The background on Linux and Open source brings the reader up-to-speed on the key players and culture of the open source community and why it would be considered - staying focussed on facts and data. From this, Martin goes on to discuss the different issues one must address in considering the implementation of this technology in the Enterprise including the real costs and benefits.

Martin lends credibility to this topic as he is currently the VP & CTO at Hewlett-Packard heading its Linux Systems Division. He has to grapple with these issues everyday...

At a conference where Martin was speaking at recently, a senior executive at IBM mentioned that he was giving this book (an HP executive's book) to IBM's customers. Having read the book, I now understand why.

The author is definitely speaking from experience, providing valuable insights and recommmendations. Coming from a person who's been heading the Linux Systems Division of HP for over three years, it's not surprising.

Part I brings the reader to a sufficient level of familiarity with Linux, open source, licensing, communities and celebrities. Unless you are fully in touch with the open source world, you will certainly learn useful information in this part.

Part II explains what it means to implement Linux in your operations. No attempt is made to review or benchmark available distributions, and no selection process is presented, only some guidance is provided. This is understandable: Linux can take many shapes and forms and you can even create your own distribution. Because of this diversity, a whole chapter is devoted to standards that make it possible to use multiple distributions. The subject of Total Cost of Ownership is also covered, not in terms of numbers, but in terms of items to consider for calculating a total cost. There is no magic formula here, only an indication of what you should consider and how open source can affect the bottom line. The author then discusses the activity of deploying Linux, considering the issues of migration, coexistence, hardware, support, and training. Here again the author provides essential guidance without covering all the details of such undertaking.

Part III is about how to integrate open source into your organization. This is probably where most of the added value of this book lies. It is really in this part that the author draws from his experience in managing open source in a large organization. He first attempts to provide a functional model for an organization developing software, focusing on enabling an open source process as opposed to a conventional development model. This model may assume a large set of developers and may come out of the blue (it is presented then discussed), but it clearly demonstrates how much of a cultural change it requires to fully reap the benefits from an open source process, and how much other corporate functions such as marketing and HR have to adapt accordingly. Most importantly, this model can boldly be used as a replacement for conventional closed-source development. The author then covers other valuable topics: gated communities, the time value of software and how open source changes the equation and can be used to your advantage, the business models around open source, when to participate or create open source software, and what should be considered when deciding to use open source.

A highly recommended reading for anybody who is considering leveraging the benefits of open source within their organization.

This book fills the gap between the paradigm of 'business processes/EAI' and the real system integration world. Provides a pragmatic yet general approach with plenty of examples using a commercialy available tool. In other words, it gives you the right balance between technology, methodology and business processes.
It also walks you through a comprehensive methodology that shows a level of maturity not seen in other books. It is not coincidence that the author is a pioneer in this field.
A must have if you need to 'orchestrate' business applications.

I give a 4½ plus. This book is good to have as human service providers are gradually being replaced by digital ones and many enterprises are desperately searching for some loosely-coupled-yet-organized way of "running the show". The authors seem to have a deep knowledge of technology, standards and infrastructure, yet they focus on business benefits ahead of "strong-opinions".
As the boundaries between "proprietary development" and off-the-shelf systems are disappearing, "orchestration" of a variety of components becomes even more important.

The book starts out with a high level overview of what technology allows today in terms of automating the orchestration of business services through executable business process models. It goes on to explain the architecture of the BPM tier (Hyper-Tier of IT). It actually describes a full-fledged Methodology to create Orchestrations with a real example. The methodology includes the estimate of the ROI of the projects being analyzed! After the Methodology Chapter, the authors get into substantial detail of the different components of an Orchestration Suite. Very Technical. Finally in the last chapter it all comes together from a technical perspective. It made me re-evaluate my judgement on BPM. I now know that Integration, Orchestration, Workflow need to be one and the same thing under a single process model. The book can be challenging for non-technical audiences after chapter 4. But Business People should not miss chapters 1 through 3.

Everyone involved in usability needs a highlighted, or bookmarked iwth post-it notes, copy of this book. Its always powerful to back up how important usability is to others who are unfamiliar with its power, be it your team or a client, and this book shows you how to do figure out the return of investment with dollars, something everyone understands. Overall, it gets the point across by showing readers how to do it for themselves with formulas that are not all that difficult at all, and where to pull numbers from to calculate the ROI.

Bite the bullet, buy the book. in these days of cut budgets, you must be able to justify your worth. There are formulas in this book that anyone designing software or digital products can use-- not just usability geeks. IA's, designers, GUI kids... time to learn the math.

If you are looking for help with quantifying the cost of bad interface design and/or how poorly designed application costs the company money, then this is the book for you.

This book is practical and right on target for helping IT groups and customers understand the importance of systems that allow work to be completed efficiently. The authors do a great job quantifying the cost of poorly design, unusable system.

If you have ever tried to demonstrate to an IT group that it is more costly not to change the system, then this book will give you the strategy for showing how investing in system changes actually costs less in the short term, than in the long term.

End users will cheer anyone who applies the information in this book to the applications they use.

A comprehensive primer for software, internet, and e-commerce entrepreneurs. If you're new to the business, you'll find every chapter chock-full of critical information. And even if you're a "pro," you'll be amazed at how much you learn.

If only this book had been available 18 months ago when I set out into the world of high-tech entrepreneurialism! Not only would I have done things different - I would have done them smarter and quicker. This book contains, in a very easy read, everything you need to get your business venture up and running. The writers know their stuff and are happy to share it. They address issues that I did not even know to look out for, and they do so in a very readable way. Buy this book - even if your venture is not in high tech.

Cracking the New E-conomy has been a great help in developing strategies for my new company. I was not looking for an IPO homerun but this book has given me some great insights that have caused me to rethink my goals entirely. I really like the fact that I was gathering advice from 60 plus professionals rather than just one. It was like attending a weeklong conference without the cost. A great investment!

This book by Annette Harper is one of its kind in the market.It explains the various ODBC drivers by a comparitive study which gives us a very good idea as to which driver we should use.
The book is very helpful for people who are writing Crystal Reports against Oracle Database.

Crystal Reports 9 on Oracle is an excellent book written by Annette Harper. Every report writer will benefit from the in depth coverage of how to write effective reports by best utilize Oracle 9i database features from new Oracle 9i analytical SQL functions, PL/SQL, materialized views, external tables, flashback queries, etc. to Oracle optimization techniques. The book's expert insight into Crystal Reports 9 optimization tips, Data Dictionary report and Crystal Reports 9 repository will empower Crystal Reports writer to fully utilize Crystal Reports 9 and create faster, better reports.

This book contains everything that I needed to extend my existing Crystal Reports 9 development knowledge into the Oracle DBMS realm. As an experienced CR developer, but one without any previous experience with Oracle as the back-end, this reference provided the necessary overview of the Oracle system along with sufficient supporting detail - to allow me to quickly acquire the skills to competently utilize the Oracle system in general, and some of its more advanced features on particular: Stored Procedures as datasources, REF Cursors, the MINUS Set Operation, Materialized Views ...

Having performed several searches of the Crystal Decisions knowledge base for detailed guidance in using Oracle Stored Procedures (and Packages) as a datasource and coming up short of the desired comfort level - in terms of the breadth and depth of coverage, this reference proved invaluable in my last CR consulting engagement. As an added bonus, Annette Harper responded personally to my email requests for clarification in areas that a more sober reading (one performed outside the deadline pressures of an existing consulting engagement) would have allowed.

In short, and speaking from the perspective of an experienced CR developer with decent DBMS skills in general, this book made it possible to comfortably and competently transition to using Oracle as the back-end data store.

This book provides both selection criteria and a process in which to apply them. It's based on the author's R2ISC method. This method stands for Requirements (current and future), Implementability, Supportability and Cost. Both the criteria and the process are provided in detail and in a step-by-step approach, which has the following benefits:

(1) Ensures that the major selection factors are thoroughly examined.
(2) Reduces cost and technical risks by examining those aspects of the selection.
(3) Addresses the alignment of requirements to business needs, which is often overlooked when IT is entrusted to perform selections (the main failure I've observed is that IT gets too caught up in technical details and features without looking at the way packages support business requirements - this book's approach will prevent that from happening if followed).

Criteria in more detail are:
- Current requirements: how well does the package being evaluated map to current
business needs
- Future requirements: can the package being evaluated be modified to support future business needs (which you will need to forecast).
- Implementability: what is required to implement the package (how well does it fit into your existing technical environment and strategic technology plan)
- Supportability: How much training is required? Are special skills needed that need to be hired or contracted? Are there impacts to existing systems, processes and workload?
- Cost: TCO - total cost of ownership. What will ongoing support, including vendor contracts, cost. This is where the real surprises emerge because the initial costs of a package are but a fraction of the true cost.

The R2ISC process is straightforward and looks deceptively easy at a high level. It consists of the following Set the Goal (rate each package under evaluation against the R2ISC criteria), Narrow the Field (the short list), Select the Winner and Sign the Contract. The last step is the one that is fraught with peril and can undo the best evaluation if the contract is improperly negotiated. The book gives excellent pointers.

If you are faced with software selection this book will give you a clear set of criteria and a process. Be aware that the approach looks easier on paper than it is in practice. This is not a criticism of the book or the approach, both of which are excellent, but a warning that the process takes hard work and due diligence - two ingredients that no book can provide.

Excellent book for both an IT professional or business manager. Presents a well planned methodology and rating method for selecting a software package. Includes plenty of examples. Also includes project planning for the selection process, RFP essentials, contract negotiations, workshops, scripted demos,...

Book has some editing problems but they are minor compared to the overall content of the book.

Nathan Hollander is an excellant author of this great guide to software package evaluation & selection. It is great for those new to the computer world and also for those entrenched in the computer sciences. This guide is easy to follow and with its great detail allows the reader to understand the R2Isc method. Personally, I use this book as a guide and quick refference as well as recomending it to my students. Hollander is gold with this, his third guide, and I recomend the use of this book to anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of computers.

This book breaks down the complex world of data communications very well. As someone who has had virtually no experience in this field I was able to capture a massive amount of information in a manner that was easy to understand. This complex topic was made easy by Dr. Bidgoli. His easy to read writing style was aided by helpful lists, photographs and a comprehensive glossary of terms. Another great feature of this book are the real life examples of how companies use data communications technology. I would recomend this textbook to anyone who wants to learn about data communications.

Finally a data communications book that everybody understands is published!

Dr. Hossein Bidgoli, in his 2000 publication, Handbook of Business Data Communications: A Managerial Perspective, addresses a wide range of Data Communications and networking topics ranging from the OSI Model to an in-depth discussion of Local Area, Metropolitan Area, and Wide Area Networks. Professor Bidgoli uses his extensive knowledge of the educational process to convey critical data communications information to managers, as well as future managers, of both large and small businesses. The book covers a broad range of topics ranging from basic information to in-depth technical data communications information in an easy to understand format. Basic topics include: Intranets, Extranets, Network Topologies, the OSI Model and many other important data communications topics and applications. Through in-depth discussion and accompanying case examples, Professor Bidgoli presents the information in an easy to comprehend manner. The Handbook of Business Data Communications: A Managerial Perspective is a must read for both IT managers and IT students. Professor Bidgoli gives an in-depth easy to follow presentation of both basic and complex data communications technologies. This book is highly recommended for both professional and educational use. *****

Perhaps Professor Bidgoli's greatest strength is his ability to break difficult and complex information systems issues down into understandable terms. This book takes all the mystery and confusion out of communications issues and makes sense of what is otherwise very difficult material to master. His approach, backed up by solid industry examples and thorough end-of-chapter learning resources has made a true believer out of me! I can tell you that even after 20 years in the information systems industry, Dr. Bidgoli's book still presented an incredible amount of new and interesting information in a very creative way! I highly recommend this book for anyone who would like to "demystify" the entire topic of data communications.

This book is a comprehensive analysis of the points throughout development life cycles where team collaboration is appropriate for creating deliverables. Formats and methods for conducting team workshops are set out in great detail, based on the organizational environment, project type, end result desired, and particular phase of the life cycle.

Jones proposes a "framework" for development which he calls Team Design and which he contrasts with Joint Application Development (JAD) and other group methods. Jones defines five Formats (Business Process Design, Requirements Definition, Application Design, Team Planning, Decision Making) under which almost any development project or part thereof can be placed. He devotes separate chapters to each Format, defining for each Format the life-cycle steps within the Format, the workshop agenda activities that apply to each phase of the life-cycle, and recommended workshop methods (e.g., brainstorming, scoping diagrams, scenario analysis) that can develop the deliverables for the phase.

Team Design comprises a generic set of life-cycle Phases (Initiating, Scoping, Visualizing, Usage, Packaging, Validating) that can be mapped to each of the five Formats. For each Phase, Jones then recommends certain workshop methods that can be used regardless of the Format. This allows flexibility in analyzing all the factors facing a Project Manager and Facilitator (organization type, project type, end result, life-cycle phase) and adapting a workshop plan that will apply best. It also allows for bridging of experience with workshop methods across different Formats.

Jones also deals in depth with a wide variety of topics related to team-based development, including: (1) JAD and Participatory Design: A survey of the history of these two group-based methods, and an assessment of their strengths and weaknesses in various environments; (2) Facilitation: The scope of Facilitation; the technical competencies required of a Facilitator in a development environment; in-depth description of facilitation tools (e.g., conflict resolution, problem solving) and workshop methods (e.g., brainstorming, diagramming, Pareto charts), and their applicability; (3) Requirements: Analysis of the major problems faced by organizations in creating and managing requirements, and how Team Design can address those problems; (4) Team Dynamics: The phases of team development; team-building techniques; special issues involving workgroups comprising members with different functional backgrounds; and (5) Organizational Culture: The impact of organizational dynamics on a company's receptiveness to structured methods and team-based approaches to development.

A tremendous discussion and reference of the nuts and bolts for all kinds of teaming in the IT world. It's loaded with nuances related to teaming that you won't easily find in one place. It's also a good review, thinker, and is exceptionally well researched and written. I definitely reccomend this book to anyone who is serious about adding to their skills in this often overlooked but necessary specialty.

This book is a comprehensive analysis of the points throughout development life cycles where team collaboration is appropriate for creating deliverables. Formats and methods for conducting team workshops are set out in great detail, based on the organizational environment, project type, end result desired, and particular phase of the life cycle. Jones proposes a "framework" for development which he calls Team Design and which he contrasts with Joint Application Development (JAD) and other group methods. Jones defines five Formats (Business Process Design, Requirements Definition, Application Design, Team Planning, Decision Making) under which almost any development project or part thereof can be placed. He devotes separate chapters to each Format, defining for each Format the life-cycle steps within the Format, the workshop agenda activities that apply to each phase of the life-cycle, and recommended workshop methods (e.g., brainstorming, scoping diagrams, scenario analysis) that can develop the deliverables for the phase. Team Design comprises a generic set of life-cycle Phases (Initiating, Scoping, Visualizing, Usage, Packaging, Validating) that can be mapped to each of the five Formats. For each Phase, Jones then recommends certain workshop methods that can be used regardless of the Format. This allows flexibility in analyzing all the factors facing a Project Manager and Facilitator (organization type, project type, end result, life-cycle phase) and adapting a workshop plan that will apply best. It also allows for bridging of experience with workshop methods across different Formats. Jones also deals in depth with a wide variety of topics related to team-based development, including: · JAD and Participatory Design: A survey of the history of these two group-based methods, and an assessment of their strengths and weaknesses in various environments · Facilitation: The scope of Facilitation; the technical competencies required of a Facilitator in a development environment; in-depth description of facilitation tools (e.g., conflict resolution, problem solving) and workshop methods (e.g., brainstorming, diagramming, Pareto charts), and their applicability · Requirements: Analysis of the major problems faced by organizations in creating and managing requirements, and how Team Design can address those problems · Team Dynamics: The phases of team development; team-building techniques; special issues involving workgroups comprising members with different functional backgrounds · Organizational Culture: The impact of organizational dynamics on a company's receptiveness to structured methods and team-based approaches to development

If you want to make a small fortune out of a large one, start your business without a plan.

In this book, you will discover how to: raise needed cash for your business quickly, simplify the business planning process, focus on the essentials and many money-saving shortcuts. You will generate a business plan that commands attention. You will not waste time on business plan generation schemes. If you are starting or expanding a business, do not spend a dime before you invest...in this guide.

For coverage, click on Table of Contents in the left-hand column of this page.

Gustav Berle, Ph.D., taught at Florida International University and was a National Marketing Director of SCORE/SBA. Paul Kirschner has taught seminars nationwide for the SBA on business plan preparation. He has managed large firms and small and has consulted on business all over the world.

As a (self-employed) author of 113 books (including revisions and foreign-language editions) and over 500 magazine articles, I recommend this book to anyone who owns a business. DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com.

The book itself is a well structured process of developing a business plan that has served me well. By adding the downloadable software, it greatly enhances the process, making it easy to use and improves the likelihood that users will create a professional business plan. It is so much easier to tailor something than to start from scratch. I think the book is an excellent value.

We have been recommending that the attendees to our seminar purchase "The Instant Business Plan." The book has been found to be one of the best presentations for new entrepreneurs. It is easy to make a business plan by answering the numerous questions presented. This framework of a business plan is then organized to make it a finished presentation following the sample plan as a guide. --Alex Grossman, Seminar Chairman, SCORE, Chapter #29, Miami

As an ex-Microsoft employee I have read almost every book published about the company by both Microsoft people and external observers. This is the one I recommend to others who want to understand what it was like at Microsoft in the early years. This book is unique in that it does not try to "teach" you how Microsoft works, but rather it allows individuals who were there tell their unique stories to illustrate what it was like inside one of the fastest growing high-tech companies. Common experiences like how strange it was not having to beg for supplies or even ask permission to do something you thought needed to be done ("just exercise good judgement") ring true, as do the experiences of coming to grips with a growing company and balancing one's work and family time. Microsoft may not be like this today, but it accurately portrays the experiences in the early years through the first successful launch of Windows and Windows becoming a product that most of us use today. Remember these are the tales of people who had to explain to others that they worked for a small company in the Pacific Northwest that wrote software -- for Microsoft was not always the brand it is today.

I read this book because a friend of a friend of a friend is one of the "insiders," and I thought it would be fun to see if I could recognize his story. I didn't have any specific expectations about the book as a whole - and I was surprised to find myself riveted from early on. These people tell their stories in a variety of ways, and they all had different experiences at Microsoft and came away with different perspectives - but they all tell the same very human tale of making hard choices, recognizing opportunity, dealing with disappointment, growing up, clarifying values, etc. The fact that the context is Microsoft definitely adds an interesting dimension to the stories, but this is more of a generic character study of smart young people struggling with the big questions of life (like money - lots and lots of money) than anything really specific to Microsoft. Also, I have to say that they're not all (at least from their stories here) likeable people - but that just adds to the realism of the book as a whole. This is a fascinating book!

Everyone knows that the culture and success of Microsoft is the stuff legends are made of. This book does an excellent job of looking under the surface of this technology giant to learn what really goes on behind the scenes. There are many books about Bill Gates out there, but this one focuses on the individuals who went for a roller coaster ride that not only changed their lives, but the world. For some it was like winning the lottery, and it's interesting to see how different people viewed and managed their sudden fortune. Everybody has a different experience, some are bitter and some enamored but I found all the stories very interesting and even entertaining. Carter did a great job of pulling in a mix of people and capturing the real story behind the success of Microsoft.