Chapter 441 Where Are the Sentimental People?

"Do you think open source is feasible?" Li Kejia asked.

She originally planned to introduce to Tang Zifeng what open source is, but now that Tang Zifeng meant that the other party should be familiar with this concept, she could save a lot of words. Since Tang Zifeng originally knew the open source model, today's discussion will be easier.

Tang Zifeng mentally recalled the development of open source software in later generations and found that he only knew the concept and did not understand the details. After all, he had never done any practical work in his previous life, and was not exposed to such high-end things. After thinking for a while, he asked Li Kejia:

"Sister, open source means that you can no longer generate income through software sales, so can your company still survive?"

"There will be some difficulties, but maintaining it is not a problem." Li Kejia said, "In fact, our revenue from Huaxia CAD sales now accounts for less than 20% of the company's revenue. Our main revenue still comes from for customized services.”

The so-called customized services are software development services specifically provided for a certain enterprise or a certain research institution. Whether it is Huaxia CAD or Tuao CAD, they are all general design software and are suitable for use by different types of design units. Once a software pursues versatility, its professionalism will be affected.

For example, Linji Group is a machine tool company, and its daily designs are either machine tools or certain accessories for machine tools, which have some things in common. However, it is impossible for a general-purpose CAD software to contain such common features, because these attributes are completely redundant for companies doing pressure vessel design or transportation vehicle design, and these companies will not pay for such redundant attributes.

The customized services of software companies are to target specific enterprises and develop the functions required by these enterprises. For example, machine tool companies need to implement machine tool simulation functions in software, and for this they do not hesitate to pay a hundred times the cost of general-purpose software. New Jingwei's current main profit point is to develop special functions for various enterprises, and its income is much more than selling the software itself.

"If our open source strategy can achieve results, Huaxia CAD's market share will rebound again, and our customization service business will also increase accordingly, and it is entirely possible to make up for the losses caused by open source." Li Kejia continued.

General CAD software can provide customers with a basic platform. The customized services provided by New Jingwei Company are also based on this platform. The greater the market share of Huaxia CAD, the more companies will seek customized services from Xinjingwei Company. The two are related.

On the contrary, if customers are accustomed to using Tuo CAD, they will often ask Tuo Company to help with customization services, and New Jingwei Company will not be able to get this business.

In the software market, there are many companies that provide customers with cheap or even free basic software versions that can meet their daily work needs and win their favor. After customers become dependent on this kind of software, software companies will come to sell their customized services and ask customers to pay several times or dozens of times to purchase these additional services. Customers are often willing to accept it.

In the early years, Western software manufacturers allowed piracy to cultivate users' usage habits. As for the money lost due to piracy, software manufacturers can make it all back through subsequent customized services.

"This is a good idea." Tang Zifeng pondered, "However, are you sure that you can attract more customers through open source? After all, CAD is not a daily office software. Like our Linji Group, it is impossible to do it just because of greed. Use your Chinese CAD for free.

"As you said before, every unit is not short of money now, and they can still afford to buy CAD software. Those units that can't even afford to buy software will probably not be able to ask you to do it in the future. Customized service?"

"That's the problem." Li Kejia said distressedly, "Some of our executives have also raised this concern, worrying that it will end up being a cakewalk."

Tang Zifeng said: "According to my impression, open source software and free software are not the same thing. In addition to being free, open source software also has a very important aspect, which is that it allows everyone to modify and supplement the software to help improve the software. In In the management of open source software, this is even more important than free software. Have you ever considered this issue?"

Li Kejia said: "Zhao Yuntao raised this point during our meeting. He said that our current development capabilities are not as good as Tuao, but if we can adopt an open source approach and attract developers from around the world to help Huaxia CAD optimize, it will It is equivalent to having dozens or even hundreds of times the development capabilities of Tuo, and it is very likely that Huaxia CAD will be completely reborn and surpass Tuo in a short period of time."

"The premise is that developers around the world are willing to help you optimize your software." Tang Zifeng said.

Li Kejia smiled bitterly and said: "That's right. I really can't think of why they would be willing to help us optimize."

"You can't say that. There are still some good people." Tang Zifeng said. His words were more sarcastic than comforting. When Li Kejia heard this, she naturally gave him a hard look.

The operating model of open source software is equivalent to the Internet sharing model that was particularly popular in later generations. In this world, there are many idle people who are willing to share their knowledge with others, hoping that others can see the products they create. As for whether they can get paid for it, they don't care.

For example, on the Internet, someone will spend several days and nights writing a post. After it is posted online, it will receive tens of thousands of likes, which will make them very happy. Internet encyclopedias, wikis and other content are also maintained by netizens on a voluntary basis without any compensation.

The same is true for open source software. There are many people who are willing to write application modules for open source software just to share their work results with peers, or even just to show off their talents.

However, although there are many idle people on the Internet, they are not willing to get involved in everything. The characteristic of the sharing model is that the strong will always be strong and the weak will always be weak. If your website is popular, those who show off their skills will be willing to perform, because performing here can get more applause. If your website only has three or two kittens, who would want to waste their expressions on you?

Huaxia CAD has some reputation in the domestic design software market, but it is a little transparent in the international market. However, the idle people on the Internet are mainly distributed abroad. Domestic designers and programmers are still running for five buckets of rice. How can they have the leisure to play in the sharing economy?

If there are not enough programmers to participate, Huaxia CAD's open source model will become a cover, and the benefits of open source cannot be truly obtained. Since New Jingwei Company has made Huaxia CAD into open source software, its own R&D investment will definitely be reduced. There is no reason to throw money into it in vain.

On the one hand, no one is willing to help with development, and on the other hand, the original development intensity will also be reduced. Can this software still have a future?

"I wonder if it would be effective if I asked Nana to help hype it up." Li Kejia said.

Tang Zifeng shook his head and said: "I'm afraid this is difficult. Our situation is different from that of foreign countries. Everyone has just solved the problem of food and clothing. Making money is the first priority for everyone. Unlike foreign countries where some technical personnel have high incomes, I have been able to pursue my feelings.

"To attract programmers to develop for Huaxia CAD, there must be some incentives. Otherwise, we may not be able to achieve anything successful by just relying on a small number of volunteers."

"If you want incentives, you have to give money. If the money is small, everyone may not be motivated. If we want to increase the quota, we might as well hire a group of programmers to do development, at least it can still meet our requirements." Li Kejia said .

"Hey, what's wrong with this society? Why is it that everyone only cares about money, but there are not many people who have feelings?" Tang Zifeng sighed indifferently.

Li Kejia smiled and said: "Feelings can only be had after a full meal. Mr. Tang, like you, is the general manager of a large state-owned enterprise and has a lot of properties under his name. In the capital alone, there are several houses. There are ten sets, so we can have feelings. Every programmer in our company is working hard to save money to pay the mortgage, so they have no time to play with feelings. "

Tang Zifeng said: "That's because you, as a capitalist, are too exploitative. If you give them a monthly salary of 20,000 yuan, work 6 hours a day, and don't have to work overtime on weekends, they will naturally feel sentimental."

"But if this happens, my company will go bankrupt." Li Kejia said.

Speaking of which, New Jingwei's salary to programmers is really not low, but the programmers' working hours are also long enough, which is equivalent to one person doing the work of two people, and at the same time, they also receive the same salary as two people. No way, this is the characteristic of developing countries. Can a country with a per capita GDP of less than 2,000 US dollars be compared with a country with a per capita GDP of tens of thousands?

These programmers work more than ten hours a day and work overtime on weekends. How can they still have the energy to develop open source software?

"By the way, Wang Zijie has been talking about feelings every day lately. Why don't you want to ask him?" Tang Zifeng asked.

Li Kejia said: "I haven't bothered to ask him yet. Wang Zijie stays in the ivory tower and doesn't eat the fireworks of the world. I'm afraid it's useless to ask him about this kind of thing. I think you should have some ideas when you hang out in the mall every day. I can't think of it. It’s also a trustworthy person.”

Tang Zifeng defended: "The main reason is that your matter is too special, and the situation in your industry is also special, which is different from our machine tool industry. I think that if we talk to Professor Wang, we might gain something. Even if he can’t give you any good ideas, he can just give you some bad ones, right? You can attack jade with rocks from other mountains.”

Li Kejia burst out laughing: "Zifeng, Zijie is a person who can meet with the country's leaders every two days. You say that he is a rock from his mountain, and you are not afraid of his anger? However, what you said makes sense. , call Wang Zijie over and ask, maybe as an outsider, he can see more clearly."