Hi guys Here is the response I recieved from Bently of Microstation fame, so any engineers out there, this is what we must do Anyone any comments Phil Phil Chouinard wrote: > Phil: Thanks for the inquiry. I'm not sure why you never received a response > to your inquiries, as we try to keep as up-to-date as possible regarding > issues like this. So for the apparent oversight on our part, please accept > our humblest apologies. > > Currently, we do not have a commercial version of MicroStation for Linux, > even for demonstration purposes. If it's okay, I'd like to explain why. Our > products are designed specifically for professional users that work on > enterprise-scale engineering projects. Although it is true that we have > Linux ports of MicroStation 95 and MicroStation MasterPiece, they are > available _only_ to academia as they are "unsupported" -- meaning that they > were not subjected to the rigorous and costly software certification effort > that all of our commercial engineering products endure. This is the main > reason why the x86-Linux ports, as they exist now, should not be used in a > commercial production environment. We are not positioning what we've done so > far for the *curiousity seekers*. It is merely one of many steps towards a > possible complete port of our product. As has been the case (and still is), > we are waiting a significant business case to consider completing the port. > All said and done, the things that we go through in order to provide an > engineering solution are very costly. What we have spent so far is but a > very small percentage of the overall cost. It should be noted that, even > though what we have right now may suit the needs of academia, we've just > scratched the surface from a commercial product perspective. Should the > engineering community start adopting Linux as a viable solution for > engineering applications, then we are already well along that path. > > FWIW, to date, we have heard of very little commitment that would support an > x86-Linux port that we would be happy to call ready for commercial use > (after all, we have set our standards for our own development efforts very > high.) So far, the total number of commitments that we have received for new > commercial licenses has been remarkably low (on the order of a couple dozen > believe it or not). This would seem to indicate that there is little > commitment from the engineering community regarding Linux. This is not > something that we are proliferating, that's just a simple fact that nobody > can deny. Maybe that will change -- if it does, we will more than likely be > there (this has happened in the past with our porting of commercial > MicroStation-based products to MacOS, OS/2, etc.) Since we are very keen > about what users want, if there is a significant call for new, commercial > licenses of a Linux port of MicroStation, then we shall reevaluate. True, > some people might view this as a chicken or the egg situation, however, we > view our *offering* as the tail of the dog -- and everyone knows that the > tail doesn't wag the dog. We need a genuine commitment in order to complete > the port. Doing such on our end _before_ a commitment is realized does not > guarantee any sort of ROI for us. Since we are in business for profit > (without that, no one benefits), if we don't see an assured way to make > money on our ventures, then they won't happen. We're sure that anyone can > understand this position. > > Our business model is to provide quality products for high-end engineering > organizations. Should large-scale engineering organizations commit to Linux > in the future, then we have a good opportunity to explore the possibilities > at that time. In the mean time, if you know of any such organizations that > are willing to make such commitments, then please do feel free to let us > know who they are and what they are willing to commit to. Without that > information, I'm afraid that little will be done in that direction -- that's > simply business (and I'm sure that you can understand that also...) > > If this sounds too *negative*, my apologies, it is not intended that way. We > are not saying that nothing will happen in this aspect. What we are saying > is that, to date, a *complete* commercial port hasn't happened due mainly to > little or no commercial commitment from the engineering community. Note that > we do not get involved or wrapped up in OS wars -- there is no winner in > such (in fact, we've heard the same *arguments* from MacOS loyalists, OS/2 > followers, etc, etc.) In the Windows-dominated world, we understand very > well that it's rare to find total platform uniformity when projects are > large and particularly when multiple organizations are involved. We do not > get into the never-ending, never-productive debate about any the relative > merits of any particular platform. Some people will have a strong favorite > that they'll defend unfailingly and take any perceived slight to it as a > personal insult. That's fine, so far be it from us to tell someone that > something that they use and like is not the best thing in the world. We are > definitely a multi-platform software company that produces a multi-platform > product for organizations that need enterprise-wide solutions. Since we have > commercial products running on these OSes where others don't, and we have > also committed to the Internet -- recently licensing Java from Sun, > convincing us to do a full fledged port really won't convince the > engineering community to go to Linux, but the opposite may be true. > > Thank you. > > Phil Chouinard [www.Bentley.com] > > PS - If there is anything in this response that you would like further > clarification on, please feel free to identify it and we shall see what we > can do to help out. -- email at [EMAIL PROTECTED] and at [EMAIL PROTECTED] This message was sent using Linux 2.0 power! Where do you want to go tomorrow? _____________________________________________________
Phil: Thanks for the inquiry. I'm not sure why you never received a response to your inquiries, as we try to keep as up-to-date as possible regarding issues like this. So for the apparent oversight on our part, please accept our humblest apologies. Currently, we do not have a commercial version of MicroStation for Linux, even for demonstration purposes. If it's okay, I'd like to explain why. Our products are designed specifically for professional users that work on enterprise-scale engineering projects. Although it is true that we have Linux ports of MicroStation 95 and MicroStation MasterPiece, they are available _only_ to academia as they are "unsupported" -- meaning that they were not subjected to the rigorous and costly software certification effort that all of our commercial engineering products endure. This is the main reason why the x86-Linux ports, as they exist now, should not be used in a commercial production environment. We are not positioning what we've done so far for the *curiousity seekers*. It is merely one of many steps towards a possible complete port of our product. As has been the case (and still is), we are waiting a significant business case to consider completing the port. All said and done, the things that we go through in order to provide an engineering solution are very costly. What we have spent so far is but a very small percentage of the overall cost. It should be noted that, even though what we have right now may suit the needs of academia, we've just scratched the surface from a commercial product perspective. Should the engineering community start adopting Linux as a viable solution for engineering applications, then we are already well along that path. FWIW, to date, we have heard of very little commitment that would support an x86-Linux port that we would be happy to call ready for commercial use (after all, we have set our standards for our own development efforts very high.) So far, the total number of commitments that we have received for new commercial licenses has been remarkably low (on the order of a couple dozen believe it or not). This would seem to indicate that there is little commitment from the engineering community regarding Linux. This is not something that we are proliferating, that's just a simple fact that nobody can deny. Maybe that will change -- if it does, we will more than likely be there (this has happened in the past with our porting of commercial MicroStation-based products to MacOS, OS/2, etc.) Since we are very keen about what users want, if there is a significant call for new, commercial licenses of a Linux port of MicroStation, then we shall reevaluate. True, some people might view this as a chicken or the egg situation, however, we view our *offering* as the tail of the dog -- and everyone knows that the tail doesn't wag the dog. We need a genuine commitment in order to complete the port. Doing such on our end _before_ a commitment is realized does not guarantee any sort of ROI for us. Since we are in business for profit (without that, no one benefits), if we don't see an assured way to make money on our ventures, then they won't happen. We're sure that anyone can understand this position. Our business model is to provide quality products for high-end engineering organizations. Should large-scale engineering organizations commit to Linux in the future, then we have a good opportunity to explore the possibilities at that time. In the mean time, if you know of any such organizations that are willing to make such commitments, then please do feel free to let us know who they are and what they are willing to commit to. Without that information, I'm afraid that little will be done in that direction -- that's simply business (and I'm sure that you can understand that also...) If this sounds too *negative*, my apologies, it is not intended that way. We are not saying that nothing will happen in this aspect. What we are saying is that, to date, a *complete* commercial port hasn't happened due mainly to little or no commercial commitment from the engineering community. Note that we do not get involved or wrapped up in OS wars -- there is no winner in such (in fact, we've heard the same *arguments* from MacOS loyalists, OS/2 followers, etc, etc.) In the Windows-dominated world, we understand very well that it's rare to find total platform uniformity when projects are large and particularly when multiple organizations are involved. We do not get into the never-ending, never-productive debate about any the relative merits of any particular platform. Some people will have a strong favorite that they'll defend unfailingly and take any perceived slight to it as a personal insult. That's fine, so far be it from us to tell someone that something that they use and like is not the best thing in the world. We are definitely a multi-platform software company that produces a multi-platform product for organizations that need enterprise-wide solutions. Since we have commercial products running on these OSes where others don't, and we have also committed to the Internet -- recently licensing Java from Sun, convincing us to do a full fledged port really won't convince the engineering community to go to Linux, but the opposite may be true. Thank you. Phil Chouinard [www.Bentley.com] PS - If there is anything in this response that you would like further clarification on, please feel free to identify it and we shall see what we can do to help out. > -----Original Message----- > From: Phil Risby [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 1998 8:54 PM > To: Registration Americas > Subject: Sales in North America Question > > Dear Sirs > > First may I point out that I had written to you about a year ago with > this same inquiry. Despite repeated request I obtained no response and > as such had passed this infornmation on to several other interested > parties. I now here that some have obtained success in purchasing from > your company. > It is with this in mind that I now repeat my request. > I am looking for CAD and Simulation, rendering and animation software > to run on Linux. > I am representing a number of interested people and these range from > Academic students to Profesionals. I am personally using the > ELECTROGIG products (GIG3DO, GIGVIZ) but am suffering from that > companies recent demise. For my own use I am now looking for an > alternative. > Also I am starting a small business supplying custom computers with > Linux pre-installed and as such I do get several requests for specific > software for specific applications. Architectural CAD being one of the > more recent requests. I hear from a student in Spain that he has > purchased your Microstaion for Linux, and whilst he is very happy with > it, he does point out that you do not support the Linux versions > Would you please explain the situation to me, infrom me as to what > products are available for the Linux platfrom, wuith prices and so > forth. > Very much hoping that I reciev a reply > Yours > > Phil Risby > > -- > email at [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Fernwood Computers 2000 > Linux pre-installed Systems > _____________________________________________________ > >
