Re: [SLE] SuSE Inc. Lay offs?
On Wed, Feb 07, 2001 at 03:22:35PM -0800 or thereabouts, tompoe wrote:
On Wed, 07 Feb 2001, you wrote:
On Wed, Feb 07, 2001 at 02:36:44PM -0800 or thereabouts, Michael Hasenstein wrote:
I agree with you here Michael. Now, SuSE is comparable to other distros, cost-wise... for the power pack, they just don't have the engineering behind them. <g>
Well, let's look at it this way. Pricing hurts those that can't afford the product. More than that, however, is the support. If engineering shifts focus
Hi Tom, It has always been my experience that people can afford what ever they want, if they want it bad enough.. human nature, and 30 years in selling and national marketing is my teacher. However, I agree with you 200% about support... Yes with the new 2.4 "enterprise" kernel, this opens up really a market that Mickey Soft has held, not any more. I too fear that the "little guy" such as I will go by the wayside.
What happens with SuSE? A similar fate, I suspect, from my perspective. So, anybody have suggestions? Debian, possibly? Got to plan ahead. Sure did like the idea of working with IBM, their Redbooks, and industrial-strength configurations, though. Just a thought, Tom
Definitely food for thought Tom.. -- Best regards, Gary Today's thought: My life has a superb cast but I can't figure out the plot.
Gary wrote:
What happens with SuSE? A similar fate, I suspect, from my perspective. So, anybody have suggestions? Debian, possibly? Got to plan ahead. Sure did like the idea of working with IBM, their Redbooks, and industrial-strength configurations, though. Just a thought, Tom
Definitely food for thought Tom..
I would like to point out that the US office did no development for SuSE Linux whatsoever. We had installation support here - soon handled by opur call center - and started professional services. As I said, we still have 600 people. Now come on guys. RH has layed of about the same number altogether not too long ago.
If you are getting fed up with answering these questions will there be an official press announcement due? Not that you are giving any impression out to the contrary, in fact you have been wonderful in terms of information. Matt On Wed, 7 Feb 2001, Michael Hasenstein wrote:
Gary wrote:
What happens with SuSE? A similar fate, I suspect, from my perspective. So, anybody have suggestions? Debian, possibly? Got to plan ahead. Sure did like the idea of working with IBM, their Redbooks, and industrial-strength configurations, though. Just a thought, Tom
Definitely food for thought Tom..
I would like to point out that the US office did no development for SuSE Linux whatsoever. We had installation support here - soon handled by opur call center - and started professional services. As I said, we still have 600 people. Now come on guys. RH has layed of about the same number altogether not too long ago.
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Matthew wrote:
If you are getting fed up with answering these questions will there be an official press announcement due?
Not that you are giving any impression out to the contrary, in fact you have been wonderful in terms of information.
Don't know. This is nothing one would WANT to make lots of noise about, right ;-) I'm in the difficult position to stay. Difficult because for those layed off it's a BIG issue, but for the rest of the company it ain't (and the users won't notice at all except for these messages now) - except as in far as we've had a very good atmosphere here and it's hard to see anyone leave - no more "Walzwerk", no more Pacific Brewery, etc... Michael
On Wed, Feb 07, 2001 at 03:39:30PM -0800 or thereabouts, Michael Hasenstein wrote:
I would like to point out that the US office did no development for SuSE Linux whatsoever. We had installation support here - soon handled by opur call center - and started professional services. As I said, we still have 600 people. Now come on guys. RH has layed of about the same number altogether not too long ago.
Guys, There is no question in my mind that SuSE has the finest engineering of any distro out there, and I have tried many of them personally. I have even convinced many of my professors at the State Univ where I am getting an Unix/Linux admin degree to use SuSE, and they love it. I am doing my part <g> I am going to make a statement, and really it is none of my business, I will be the first one to mention that. However, because I enjoy SuSE so much, I want to say my piece, for what it is worth, as a grain of salt, in the scope of corporate forcasting, and decision making. That is, I feel that reducing the scope (workforce) of your U.S. position will come back to haunt SuSE. I feel that a strong presence here is a must. Now obviously, I am not privy to your marketing plans or existing structure (it really is none of my business), but does not the California office also handle corporate sales and development? (retorical question)... If so, this will dilute, I think, SuSE's image or presence here, and perhaps have the opposite effect. If retail sales through mass markets are already in place *fully*, then additional areas can be explored, end-caps at the stores, perhaps rebates, more perceived value... If Calif handles both retail and commercial, (again just food for thought, as it is none of my business), then this reduction can be perceived as something more than it is. The US should, in my humble opinion, be looked at as viable growing market, both retail and commercial... /offofsoapbox Thanks, -- Best regards, Gary Today's thought: My life has a superb cast but I can't figure out the plot.
True....And from your previous message it seems it will be transperant (spelling) to the users and is not in fact due to something going wrong seriously wrong within the company. Just hate to see anyone lose there job though... Matt On Wed, 7 Feb 2001, Michael Hasenstein wrote:
Matthew wrote:
If you are getting fed up with answering these questions will there be an official press announcement due?
Not that you are giving any impression out to the contrary, in fact you have been wonderful in terms of information.
Don't know. This is nothing one would WANT to make lots of noise about, right ;-)
I'm in the difficult position to stay. Difficult because for those layed off it's a BIG issue, but for the rest of the company it ain't (and the users won't notice at all except for these messages now) - except as in far as we've had a very good atmosphere here and it's hard to see anyone leave - no more "Walzwerk", no more Pacific Brewery, etc...
Michael
Interesting statement, but I question the premise. Have such a small workforce in California would help only those within travel or local phone distance from their offices. The rest would still have to use mail, email, 800 numbers, or long distance. The efffect would be the same if you lived in either Lincoln, NE or Barstow, CA. JLK On Wednesday 07 February 2001 18:09, Gary wrote:
On Wed, Feb 07, 2001 at 03:39:30PM -0800 or thereabouts, Michael Hasenstein wrote:
I would like to point out that the US office did no development for SuSE Linux whatsoever. We had installation support here - soon handled by opur call center - and started professional services. As I said, we still have 600 people. Now come on guys. RH has layed of about the same number altogether not too long ago.
Guys, There is no question in my mind that SuSE has the finest engineering of any distro out there, and I have tried many of them personally. I have even convinced many of my professors at the State Univ where I am getting an Unix/Linux admin degree to use SuSE, and they love it. I am doing my part <g>
I am going to make a statement, and really it is none of my business, I will be the first one to mention that. However, because I enjoy SuSE so much, I want to say my piece, for what it is worth, as a grain of salt, in the scope of corporate forcasting, and decision making. That is, I feel that reducing the scope (workforce) of your U.S. position will come back to haunt SuSE. I feel that a strong presence here is a must. Now obviously, I am not privy to your marketing plans or existing structure (it really is none of my business), but does not the California office also handle corporate sales and development? (retorical question)... If so, this will dilute, I think, SuSE's image or presence here, and perhaps have the opposite effect. If retail sales through mass markets are already in place *fully*, then additional areas can be explored, end-caps at the stores, perhaps rebates, more perceived value... If Calif handles both retail and commercial, (again just food for thought, as it is none of my business), then this reduction can be perceived as something more than it is. The US should, in my humble opinion, be looked at as viable growing market, both retail and commercial...
/offofsoapbox
Thanks,
-- "God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of people that these liberties are a gift of God? Thomas Jefferson - 1781
Hello SuSE folkz, It is a very sad situation that SuSE shrinks its presence in US. Due to its superior software engineering I'm using SuSE for such tough tasks as integration/automation of manufacturing processes, test/process data transmissions, database entries/interfacing and so on. My proposal to save SuSE presence in US and promote it further is to create local SuSE Lugs on semi-voluntary basis. If some individual would like to get more familiar with SuSE Linux the local SuSE LUG could help him/her out for free. If some commercial organization or business decided to go with SuSE Linux and SuSE doesn't have its local representation in that area, than SuSE LUG could help them out for a moderate fee and provide nessesary tech support under SuSE Inc/GMBH supervision. Local SuSE LUG could help to distribute SuSE Linux within its community and make promotional presentations. Does this plan sound too utopic? Please tell me what you think about it. I would like to contact with SuSE fans/users who live in Portland/Beaverton OR area. Please drop me a line to discuss this issue. Thanks. Alex -- MS Windows users should be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
On Wed, Feb 07, 2001 at 03:22:35PM -0800 or thereabouts, tompoe wrote:
On Wed, 07 Feb 2001, you wrote:
On Wed, Feb 07, 2001 at 02:36:44PM -0800 or thereabouts, Michael Hasenstein wrote:
Nope , there there is still room for this type nich market . Look at debian , this is not a commersial product like red hat ect.. Hith GPL and open
At 05:32 PM 2/7/2001 -0600, Gary wrote: source you can allways get a bunch interested and roll your own. A big undertaking , but some one with some enterpronureship can get this done. Look at the thrid party tools avialable for Delphi. Meny of them started as small things for small guys and ended up realy expanding. with open source the options ar3e even bigger.
and national marketing is my teacher. However, I agree with you 200% about support... Yes with the new 2.4 "enterprise" kernel, this opens up really a market that Mickey Soft has held, not any more. I too fear that the "little guy" such as I will go by the wayside.
What happens with SuSE? A similar fate, I suspect, from my perspective. So, anybody have suggestions? Debian, possibly? Got to plan ahead. Sure did like the idea of working with IBM, their Redbooks, and industrial-strength configurations, though. Just a thought, Tom
Definitely food for thought Tom..
-- Best regards, Gary
Today's thought: My life has a superb cast but I can't figure out the plot.
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participants (6)
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Alex Daniloff
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Gary
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Jerry Kreps
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Matthew
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Michael Hasenstein
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Samy Elashmawy