“But let’s face it, small- to medium-sized businessed are still
underserved by Linux and free/open source software. This is a real
concern, since SMBs could use the cost savings in licensing and
stability more than any business group, particularly in these harsh
economic environment. SMB owners try to save as much money as they
can, just like enterprises. So why aren’t they buying open source
in droves?“The problem has been a numbers game: targeting the enterprise
is a lot easier than the SMBs. There are only an estimated 51,100
enterprise-level companies worldwide, based on 2004 US Bureau of
Census data of companies. Because of their sheer size, they tend to
be easy to find. It’s estimated that there are 25.3 million smaller
businesses in the world. How many SMBs are within a five-mile
radius of you right now? Even if you are in the suburbs, there’s a
lot of home-based businesses in your neighborhood.”