Re: Open-source opportunuity?
On (11/09/03 17:58), Arnt Karlsen wrote:
> On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 09:18:51 +0100,
> Clive Menzies <clive@clivemenzies.co.uk> wrote in message
> <[🔎] 20030911081851.GS10433@apollo>:
>
> > On (11/09/03 08:09), Oliver Elphick wrote:
> > > On Thu, 2003-09-11 at 00:36, Clive Menzies wrote:
> > > [ re Network Rail tender request ]
> > > > I'm London (UK) based and have a business background. I lack the
> > > > technical skills and knowledge to approach this but I'd be happy
> > > > to contribute.
> > >
> > > I'm an accountant by training, but technical by long-settled choice.
> > >
> > > Making a tender is very much a business and marketing exercise. We
> > > would need to convince the customer not only of the technical merits
> > > of our proposal but also that we have an organisation capable both
> > > of doing the job and of providing long-term support. We would first
> > > have to build such an organisation.
> > >
> > > If that can be done, I would like to be involved.
> > >
> > Well there seems to be some interest in pursuing this and I would
> > suggest that before going much further, we need to put together a
> > team, assigning roles and responsibilities to research the bid.
> >
> > I have some experience of successful pitches for consultancy contracts
> > but a task of this size and complexity is beyond what I've done in the
> > past.
> >
> > Please could we have suggestions as to what the roles are/or should
> > be. Then I would suggest a process as follows:
> >
> > Research the tender - what does Network Rail want? (scope and scale)
> > Assess the competition
> > Assess our ability to build a credible team
> > Assign roles and responsibilities
> > Collaborate on the Response to Tender
> >
> > Although the debian-user community has all the requisite skills to do
> > this, it will also require people on the ground, in the UK, to pull
> > this off. I've no idea of the number of people necessary to convince
> > Network Rail that there is a team with a comprehensive skill set with
> > cover and fall-back. If we are up against the likes of EDS, IBM, HP,
> > Sun or one of the big consultancies, you can reckon that they will put
> > a lot of man-power to this.
>
> .BR will wanna have several such vendors around to pre-qualify
> for the job, and we wanna reseach the tender first. ;-)
>
> > I've had a couple of responses off-list, one individual and one on
> > behalf of a company. I believe that this needs to be a community
> > effort to succeed. It is the unique nature of the Debian community
> > which may just be the USP (differentiator) that could win this. I
> > wouldn't exclude a consortium with a corporate but we do need the
> > willing involvement of some of the prime movers in the Debian
> > community if we are to put together a credible bid.
>
> .note that our bid does not have to exclude the other vendors.
I agree and to demonstrate credibility, it may be essential
>
> > It is therefore most constructive if people express their interest on
> > the debian-user list.
>
> .agreed, but I do not wanna use this list to discuss the
> details of the tender docs. ;-)
>
Agreed again but as yet there seem to only six people interested on list
and two off. Is this enough? Or more importantly do we have sufficient
skills accumulated? Perhaps a brief summary of each person's experience
and particular interest posted on a web page with a brief synopsis of
what we are trying to achieve may encourage others to come forward?
Do you want to develop this further off-list?
Regards
Clive
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