Please add your own case study here: use the template below to present your FLOSS-based company. If you would like to participate in The ict@innovation Africa FOSS Business Innovation Award [1], please present your FOSS company below.
Company Name:...................... Country:.............Year Founded:.........Website:............ Services offered:.........................
Section 1:
Outlook and Experience report
Q1. When was you company founded and how many people are employed by your company?
Q2. In your years of operation, what problems (e.g. getting start-up capital, getting loans to finance some aspects your activities, building a client base, hiring employees, finding office space, getting company documents, etc.) have you encountered? AND possible solutions
Q3. Looking at other companies (in and outside your country) who may be offering similar services as you do, what would you say works well for your company?
Q4. What is your advise for someone building business around open source software in Africa in general, and your country in particular?
Section 2:
Revenue generation
Q5. Which services (e.g. training, marketing, technical support, hosting and software development, consultancy, etc.) is your company offering
Q6. Which of the services in Q5 is generating more income for your company?
Q7. What is the annual turnover for each of the service sectors?
Q8. What are some of the difficulties, if any, you face in getting paid for the services you offer?
Section 3:
Service line and FLOSS motivation
Q9. What is the motivation for going into open source as a major business?
Q10. Are you developing new products (software and/or training materials) or customizing existing open source solutions (bespoke software) to fit your customers’ needs?
Q11. What are some of the strategies you use to market your products and services?
Q12. Who are your most prolific customers and the types of services they request most?
Q13. Are you localizing (translating into local languages) some of your products?
Q14. How would you describe your company, "pure open source company" developing, distributing and providing services around open source software or a “hybrid company” developing, distributing and providing services around both open source software and proprietary software?
Q15. What are some of your business plans for the next few years to improve the competitive standing of your company?
Company Name:................ Country:............Year Founded:......Website:......... Services offered:................
Section 1:
Outlook and Experience report
Q1. When was you company founded and how many people are employed by your company?
Q2. In your years of operation, what problems (e.g. getting start-up capital, getting loans to finance some aspects your activities, building a client base, hiring employees, finding office space, getting company documents, etc.) have you encountered? AND possible solutions
Q3. Looking at other companies (in and outside your country) who may be offering similar services as you do, what would you say works well for your company?
Q4. What is your advise for someone building business around open source software in Africa in general, and your country in particular?
Section 2:
Revenue generation
Q5. Which services (e.g. training, marketing, technical support, hosting and software development, consultancy, etc.) is your company offering
Q6. Which of the services in Q5 is generating more income for your company?
Q7. What is the annual turnover for each of the service sectors?
Q8. What are some of the difficulties, if any, you face in getting paid for the services you offer?
Section 3:
Service line and FLOSS motivation
Q9. What is the motivation for going into open source as a major business?
Q10. Are you developing new products (software and/or training materials) or customizing existing open source solutions (bespoke software) to fit your customers’ needs?
Q11. What are some of the strategies you use to market your products and services?
Q12. Who are your most prolific customers and the types of services they request most?
Q13. Are you localizing (translating into local languages) some of your products?
Q14. How would you describe your company, "pure open source company" developing, distributing and providing services around open source software or a “hybrid company” developing, distributing and providing services around both open source software and proprietary software?
Q15. What are some of your business plans for the next few years to improve the competitive standing of your company?
Company Name:................ Country:............Year Founded:......Website:......... Services offered:................
Section 1:
Outlook and Experience report
Q1. When was you company founded and how many people are employed by your company?
Q2. In your years of operation, what problems (e.g. getting start-up capital, getting loans to finance some aspects your activities, building a client base, hiring employees, finding office space, getting company documents, etc.) have you encountered? AND possible solutions
Q3. Looking at other companies (in and outside your country) who may be offering similar services as you do, what would you say works well for your company?
Q4. What is your advise for someone building business around open source software in Africa in general, and your country in particular?
Section 2:
Revenue generation
Q5. Which services (e.g. training, marketing, technical support, hosting and software development, consultancy, etc.) is your company offering
Q6. Which of the services in Q5 is generating more income for your company?
Q7. What is the annual turnover for each of the service sectors?
Q8. What are some of the difficulties, if any, you face in getting paid for the services you offer?
Section 3:
Service line and FLOSS motivation
Q9. What is the motivation for going into open source as a major business?
Q10. Are you developing new products (software and/or training materials) or customizing existing open source solutions (bespoke software) to fit your customers’ needs?
Q11. What are some of the strategies you use to market your products and services?
Q12. Who are your most prolific customers and the types of services they request most?
Q13. Are you localizing (translating into local languages) some of your products?
Q14. How would you describe your company, "pure open source company" developing, distributing and providing services around open source software or a “hybrid company” developing, distributing and providing services around both open source software and proprietary software?
Q15. What are some of your business plans for the next few years to improve the competitive standing of your company?
Company Name:................ Country:............Year Founded:......Website:......... Services offered:................
Section 1:
Outlook and Experience report
Q1. When was you company founded and how many people are employed by your company?
Q2. In your years of operation, what problems (e.g. getting start-up capital, getting loans to finance some aspects your activities, building a client base, hiring employees, finding office space, getting company documents, etc.) have you encountered? AND possible solutions
Q3. Looking at other companies (in and outside your country) who may be offering similar services as you do, what would you say works well for your company?
Q4. What is your advise for someone building business around open source software in Africa in general, and your country in particular?
Section 2:
Revenue generation
Q5. Which services (e.g. training, marketing, technical support, hosting and software development, consultancy, etc.) is your company offering
Q6. Which of the services in Q5 is generating more income for your company?
Q7. What is the annual turnover for each of the service sectors?
Q8. What are some of the difficulties, if any, you face in getting paid for the services you offer?
Section 3:
Service line and FLOSS motivation
Q9. What is the motivation for going into open source as a major business?
Q10. Are you developing new products (software and/or training materials) or customizing existing open source solutions (bespoke software) to fit your customers’ needs?
Q11. What are some of the strategies you use to market your products and services?
Q12. Who are your most prolific customers and the types of services they request most?
Q13. Are you localizing (translating into local languages) some of your products?
Q14. How would you describe your company, "pure open source company" developing, distributing and providing services around open source software or a “hybrid company” developing, distributing and providing services around both open source software and proprietary software?
Q15. What are some of your business plans for the next few years to improve the competitive standing of your company?
Company Name:................ Country:............Year Founded:......Website:......... Services offered:................
Section 1:
Outlook and Experience report
Q1. When was you company founded and how many people are employed by your company?
Q2. In your years of operation, what problems (e.g. getting start-up capital, getting loans to finance some aspects your activities, building a client base, hiring employees, finding office space, getting company documents, etc.) have you encountered? AND possible solutions
Q3. Looking at other companies (in and outside your country) who may be offering similar services as you do, what would you say works well for your company?
Q4. What is your advise for someone building business around open source software in Africa in general, and your country in particular?
Section 2:
Revenue generation
Q5. Which services (e.g. training, marketing, technical support, hosting and software development, consultancy, etc.) is your company offering
Q6. Which of the services in Q5 is generating more income for your company?
Q7. What is the annual turnover for each of the service sectors?
Q8. What are some of the difficulties, if any, you face in getting paid for the services you offer?
Section 3:
Service line and FLOSS motivation
Q9. What is the motivation for going into open source as a major business?
Q10. Are you developing new products (software and/or training materials) or customizing existing open source solutions (bespoke software) to fit your customers’ needs?
Q11. What are some of the strategies you use to market your products and services?
Q12. Who are your most prolific customers and the types of services they request most?
Q13. Are you localizing (translating into local languages) some of your products?
Q14. How would you describe your company, "pure open source company" developing, distributing and providing services around open source software or a “hybrid company” developing, distributing and providing services around both open source software and proprietary software?
Q15. What are some of your business plans for the next few years to improve the competitive standing of your company?
Company Name:................ Country:............Year Founded:......Website:......... Services offered:................
Section 1:
Outlook and Experience report
Q1. When was you company founded and how many people are employed by your company?
Q2. In your years of operation, what problems (e.g. getting start-up capital, getting loans to finance some aspects your activities, building a client base, hiring employees, finding office space, getting company documents, etc.) have you encountered? AND possible solutions
Q3. Looking at other companies (in and outside your country) who may be offering similar services as you do, what would you say works well for your company?
Q4. What is your advise for someone building business around open source software in Africa in general, and your country in particular?
Section 2:
Revenue generation
Q5. Which services (e.g. training, marketing, technical support, hosting and software development, consultancy, etc.) is your company offering
Q6. Which of the services in Q5 is generating more income for your company?
Q7. What is the annual turnover for each of the service sectors?
Q8. What are some of the difficulties, if any, you face in getting paid for the services you offer?
Section 3:
Service line and FLOSS motivation
Q9. What is the motivation for going into open source as a major business?
Q10. Are you developing new products (software and/or training materials) or customizing existing open source solutions (bespoke software) to fit your customers’ needs?
Q11. What are some of the strategies you use to market your products and services?
Q12. Who are your most prolific customers and the types of services they request most?
Q13. Are you localizing (translating into local languages) some of your products?
Q14. How would you describe your company, "pure open source company" developing, distributing and providing services around open source software or a “hybrid company” developing, distributing and providing services around both open source software and proprietary software?
Q15. What are some of your business plans for the next few years to improve the competitive standing of your company?
