KickstarterForum.org

SuiteCRM is the world's best open source CRM application and we are going to make it better!

On October 1st, we will launch our project, SuiteCRM 8, on KickStarter.
SuiteCRM 8 is the next release of the application, and we want to raise £200,000 to fund the project.

If we succeed, we will be able to accelerate the build of SuiteCRM 8 and transfer the code and governance into a not-for-profit foundation. All the code will be free and open source.
We will also develop a dedicated team who will build and manage new features for SuiteCRM 8.

SuiteCRM 8 will give users 100 new enhancements in 400 days. We have a development roadmap of more than 100 enhancements. Some are complex like responsive theme, and some are more straightforward. We will do monthly releases of new functionality from the roadmap, that will allow users to enjoy new features very quickly.

We now need your help! You can support the SuiteCRM 8 campaign in a number of ways:

Follow us on @salesagility_1 and @salesagility
Tweet #BackSuiteCRM
Send us your #BackSuiteCRM hashtag selfie to: kickstarter@suitecrm.com
Like us on Facebook (SuiteCRM and SalesAgility)
Watch our teaser video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EkJjlta ... youtu.be&a


Thank you!

Interesting. You have a lot of competition with regards to CRM applications and SugarCRM. Would recommend highlighting how you guys are different.

@sbriggman - hi and thanks for responding.

We completely agree that there's a lot of competition in the CRM space. It's an overcrowded marketplace because it's commoditised business logic. The major CRM applications all do the same things. They do them in slightly different ways, they look slightly different while they do them, but they are all modelling the same business processes. There's no secret soup.

So, the question is "why pay large amounts of cash for commoditised business logic?"

Especially when it's available as open source and as free software.

And that's what differentiates SuiteCRM. It delivers the same core functionality as Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics or SugarCRM (to name but a few). It's used by some of the world's large corporates and organisations and it's completely open source .. all of it .. and free to acquire, modify and distribute.

So, contributing to the campaign is enlightened self-interest if you use CRM in your business/organisation. You can stop using expensive, proprietary, locked-in software.

And move to the world of free and open source software with improved functionality, engaged communities, open development and collaborative processes. And best of all, you own the software, you own the data .. you're in control. Lock-in is in the past.

SuiteCRM seems like a good idea, given the slow collapse of the open-source SugarCRM vehicle: under the management of Sugar Inc.

But, you know 'once bitten twice shy'. What will prevent SuiteCRM going the same way?

If the Kickstarter money is going to a profit-making company, SalesAgility: then that may turn potential investors off.

Investors may feel more comfortable inputting our dollars if there was a Non-Profit making Foundation in place, to manage the money. With representatives of other companies contributing code to SuiteCRM: as well as end-user representation.

Those other develops may be thinking: will SalesAgility take the entire 250K to pay their own developers to improve SuiteCRM: whilst we contribute improvements and get no payment at all - that's a de-motivator to building community.

If your KickStarter plans make clear how the money will be managed and which developers will get paid for this work: then that'll be helpful for the long-term viability of SuiteCRM as a truly community open source project.

And reducing the chance, that other peoples plans to launch a Sugar fork, will kick off and dilute the open-source post-Sugar world. Which is a real risk I guess.

It would be great to hear your views on this.

And if you need help finding a non-profit umbrella that already look after several open-source projects: ask around, there are a few - at least in the USA.

I don't know about Scotland: now that you're not an independent country, already!

Simon

@simon .. your remark about independence was insensitive in the extreme .. I don't know if you were trying to be funny .. but you weren't!!

Yes .. we know an unhealthy amount about foundations and all the code and governance is going into a not for profit. As for the structures, we will leave that to the legal guys as we will the governance detail. Foundations also exist outside the USA.

There are many ways to fund development and the direct reward one is by some distance our least preferred.

> all the code and governance is going into a not for profit. As for the structures, we will leave that to the legal guys as we will the governance detail.

Will you share those details when you launch the KickStart campaign, October 1st ?
Do you already now the list of companies who will receive money to pay for their staff to do the dev work?

> There are many ways to fund development and the direct reward one is by some distance our least preferred.

What would you say are the pros and cons of the methods you've considered?

pS -sorry if mentioning the Scottish vote was painful for you. I have other friends other there, and they seemed more light-hearted about it.

@simon - so, you feel it is ok to mock based on passing knowledge? Be careful how you tread in these waters .. some people (me included) are very passionate about the issue and might feel that it is inappropriate for ill-informed outsiders to jest about it.

Remind me why I need to answer to you about suitecrm.

On what basis are you asking these questions? .. there is the smell of agenda here ..

So, my company has invested substantially in developing hundreds of thousands of lines of code for suitecrm .. all released as open source ..

And what are your credentials that make you someone we should care about and invest any time in answering questions from?

an evidence based reply would be appreciated.