Dell Sputnik Open Source Install Service Program...

June 13, 2012

Posted By:  Paulgrins

4 Votes

Status: Archived

Promote

The customer who was interested in buying an Ubuntu Certified Dell machine could call up Dell by phone and ask to speak to a Dell Open Source Consultant, and tell them the specific "Eligible for Open Source Install" Dell model (based on the officlal Ubuntu Certified Dell Models list on www.ubuntu.com/certification/) they are looking for and request that one of the following Ubuntu remixes be installed on the machine either Edubuntu (for students), Ubuntu for Business (Professional users) or the special Dell Ubuntu Sputnik Edition image for web developers and advanced users.  Dell could also support a Dual Boot model for those deploying web applications for Windows client machines as part of the Dell Ubuntu Sputnik Edition distribution.

Installation fees could be charged for this service anywhere between $50 to $150 that would cover the costs of a Dell technician swapping in a blank hard drive, preparing a recovery disk and installing the Ubuntu image on the Dell machine and doing quick testing.  

Bundled support packages based on a yearly subscription could also be sold for $100 per user for Student, $150 a year per user subscription for Professional and $250 a year per user for Developers that would give the Ubuntu user Dell direct support and allow them access Dell technicians to repair and fix problems.  

Ubuntu based warranty insurance programs could also be sold...there could be a whole "a la carte" menu of services for this program...

4 Votes | 1 Comment | Report Abuse

Please login to IdeaStorm to post a comment.

    Comments :
     

  • Jun 15, 2012     Comment Link

    Report Abuse

    Posted By: Paulgrins

    Project Sputnik should be a #1 priority and taken very very seriously if Dell wants to be a major player and keep it's consumer, small business and professional business relevant going into the next 5 years...There is a serious and real possibilty that Dell will have to close down or sell off it's entire consumer business in the next 5 years if Dell just continues to be under the Microsoft Logo programs and is unable to innovate in that space with Apple will become the dominant player.   Linux is the only real way to save it's consumer division...
     
    If things keep on going as they have been Apple will dominate Dell in every major consumer and professional area in the Desktop, Laptop, Tablet and Mobile market.  According to their last Analyst Earnings Call June 13th, 2012 it was clear that the Windows oriented part of the small business and consumer are is the problem area with a pathetic 1% margin and negative revenue growth!  Dell will never achieve their profit goals under the Microsoft umbrella.  Microsoft is planning to become a hardware maker and build their own branded tablets as Microsoft wants to compete against Apple more directly.  This is a really bad sign for Dell's future if it fails to maintain it's consumer brands and faces the possibility of Microsoft deploying their own hardware tablet devices.  
     
    The only area that Dell is actually winning in and having healthy profit margins and revenue growth is their enterprise services and solutions space of which 90% is driven by Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Novell Suse and recently Ubuntu Server.  Microsoft Windows is largely irrelevant in this space while Linux is thriving.  According to Michael Dell in his last Analyst Earnings Call on June 13th, 2012 Dell is moving away from consumer and allocating everything to their enterprise solutions area.  This happens to be the major Linux area for Dell and shows how an Open Source operating system could have such a positive impact on Dell's business.  
     
    Having switched from Windows to Ubuntu a few years ago and will never go back to Windows because to put it bluntly Linux does everything better by leaps and bounds.  Every single desktop machine I have purchased or have been responsible for purchasing has been a Dell system.  All of my Dell machines run Ubuntu and I watch Netflix and other closed services through a Roku box (also Linux).  Not only do my Dell machines run better they no longer get infected with malware but they run faster and I can finally customize the desktop environment to my preferences instead of having to accept a default design.  
     
    Given the current state of Dell's product line being locked down to being Windows 7/8 only machines without alternatives I am no longer able to purchase Dell systems and have to look elsewhere to small Linux only providers or build my own or...get an Apple and dual boot...