Becoming a Linux OEM: A Roadmap

August 27, 2007
By

Matt Hartley

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Linux OEM – a growth industry?

There is a growing frustration over Windows Vista in the enterprise and at home. Combine this with the immense frustration of trying to get various Linux distributions working on machines built for Windows and you have yourself an entrance into a growth market.

The key to success with this market, however, will be the ability to provide more than just typical support to your customer. You must be able to work around existing shortcomings of the OS/distribution itself, and in some cases, create rather elaborate solutions to yet-to-be discovered problems.

Why would anyone go to all of this trouble? Because with the right team in place and a complete understanding of their target market, a potential Linux OEM could do quite well. Remember, define why your idea of customer fulfillment is different and you could find yourself in a fantastic position. And finally, learn from the mistakes of other companies who have delved in these waters before you.