Re: [libreoffice-marketing] Re: local/regional cable office uses[ed] OpenOffice.

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> On 04/22/2011 07:47 PM, Marc Paré wrote:
[...]
> > We also need to tell such companies that there is also commercial
> > support from Novell (http://www.novell.com/products/libreoffice/)
> > should they need commercial support but also that our user mailist is
> > quite as capable of providing support. Most companies will and should
> > be concerned with commercial support for the product.

Given Novell's past dealings with Microsoft and their status as a
corporation that cares mostly for their assets, I can't really justify
using that as any leverage when presenting LibreOffice:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novell#Agreement_with_Microsoft

We should instead further local membership of the TDF, encourage local
development and support from local companies, identify smaller partners
that will put their herat & soul into this. My focus in the past few
months has been to be visible to FOSS service providers and consultants
that want to migrate their existing OOo offering to LibO and making sure
they know I do both: end-user/small-business consulting/training and
larger accounts consulting too. So far it's working quite well here in
Quebec.

This above is my *personal* experience and opinion, shared by many
closer colleagues and friends.

> > The shakeup from the closing down of OpenOffice.org will take a while
> > to work its way through the OOo user base. We should take the occasion
> > to press-release to as many Tech organisatons, especially the Windows
> > publications, that LibreOffice is now the path to update/upgrades to OOo.

I keep hearing this. The fact is several bigger organizations and
governments are already in testing/pilot using LibO - I wouldn't get too
comfortable with any perceived lead time.

I would press-release to business magazines and non-tech publications
instead. The mere fact several long-ignored bugs are being addressed in
LibO is sufficient to draw much more attention than any other
consideration. Yes, update/upgrade path is vocabulary we should use as
it's widely understood.

> > BTW, talking of OOo, there is still no word from Oracle of the fate of
> > the trademarked OOo.org name. IMHO, if Oracle offers it to the
> > TDF/LibreOffice community, we should pick it up, as this would permit
> > us a little more control over the changeover from OOo usage to the
> > LibreOffice brand. It could smoothen up the move rather than creating
> > a shock through the world of OOo users.
[...]

On 04/23/2011 08:19 AM, webmaster for Kracked Press Productions wrote:
> Yes, that Novell support info may be a "good sell".  The more we can
> promote that "big businesses" are supporting LibreOffice, the better.

As I explained above, that may not be a good idea. I'd also add many
people outside of tech world have no idea who Novell is so its impact
may not be what you expect.

> I was thinking about saying that after the first version of LibreOffice
> came out, Oracle started to loose a lot of their market share since the
> press stated that LibreOffice was better than OOo [which was the
> standard MSO alternate up to then].  

Unless you have confirmed numbers from a third party source, I wouldn't
exactly put it that way.


> And, then this month Oracle
> announced that it will no longer develop or support the OOo product line
> [both the free and paid versions].  

This above is a much stronger argument. It adds to the "restrictions
devs had to accept to participate, long-standing unresolved bugs" ones.

> Not sure of my wording, but the gist
> will be that OOo was the standard for free or paid alternative to MSO
> until LibreOffice came out with a better product even though it is based
> upon the OOo open-source code and menu structure.  

"until Oracle increased the restrictions to participate and protected
their brand as any corporation would do, in the interest of their
shareholders, not the users, while suggestions anyone that participated
in TDF would be in conflict of interest - so may as well leave. This
lead to XX people from many teams creating LibO and attracting new
talent which now makes it a very active and looking-forward project,
SPECIALLY as it's based  upon the OOo open-source code and menu
structure that has 10-years in the making but was increasignly neglected
(with all due respect to previous contributors)." - not "even though"..
:) That's as I understand it so far, I'll gladly stand corrected.

> Also, if you
> currently use OOo, you can easily switch to LibreOffice, since its menu
> structure is the same and it used the same file formats, extensions, and
> other add-ons.  With all that said, LibreOffice still works better than
> OOo according to many, many independent tech related publications.  All
> this and more seemed to "help" Oracle to decide to end its development
> and support of the trademarked product line they own called OpenOffice.org.

Bear in mind so far they announced their *intentions*, AFAIK there's no
final word on what's next:
http://emeapressoffice.oracle.com/Press-Releases/Oracle-Announces-Its-Intention-to-Move-OpenOffice-org-to-a-Community-based-Project-1ca9.aspx

> [...]and
> LibreOffice is the best of the open-source office suites could help as
> well.

Again, unless you can back this with verified third-party in-depth
reviews and quotes, I wouldn't word it like that.

> I may be dealing with the local/regional library system in mid May, I
> hope to give out some DVDs there during my meeting for the Transit
> Riders committee, and then the manager for the main branch of our
> library system.  Then I hopefully be able to get in to see the "proper"
> person[s] for the city and county government IT departments, or a higher
> up official.  I will be dropping off some DVDs and whatever documents
> that the Marketing groups come up with that would be good to help them
> understand how great LibreOffice is, and why they should switch to this
> office package.

Books also help legitimize such products. DVDs if well done are a great
resource, and remember *lots* of people still go to libraries. I have
had very good results in giving free workshops (well received as
libraries always want more people, and FLOSS is compatible with their
knowledge-sharing missions). When giving such workshops I simply mention
books and CDs are available for lending at the counter and I encourage
everyone to copy them at will, etc. etc.

Thanks for sharing, I'd have a few more things to share but have to go
for the day - keep sharing your local/personal experiences :)

Cheers,

Fabian

- --
Fabián Rodríguez
http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/User:MagicFab
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