OPEN SOURCE CONSULTING LAUNCHES BUSINESS OPERATIONS
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., – March 25, 2005 – Open
Source Consulting today announced the formal
launch of business operations. The company
first began in November on a test basis
following a merger between Level Acuity and
Precept Consulting. The new owners of Open
Source Consulting are Philip Mikal and Tony
Hansmann, the principals from the two former
companies.
Open Source Consulting is one of only a handful
of companies focusing their services
exclusively on Open Source technologies. The
company further sets itself apart from the
field with a business model in sync with
current Open Source development trends.
“We aren’t creating yet-another set of Open
Source applications for the enterprise,†Mikal
said. “We have found that companies have
already developed or implemented a solid set of
applications based on Open Source, so our
mission is to consult on these existing
projects for which they need help. We can also
work with companies to develop custom solutions
or integrate proprietary tools with Open Source
technologies.â€
Open Source Consulting further sets itself
apart by financing its operations internally
rather than through venture capitalists. “We
established a business structure much like that
of a law firm – with partners and associates,â€
Hansmann said. “This creates an environment
where talented, Open Source programmers can
maintain their personal creativity but access
resources that allow them to flourish in terms
of running a profitable business.â€
Technology consultants who become Open Source
Consulting partners or associates receive the
ability to team-up with other like-minded
programmers, system/network administrators, and
database administrators so that collectively
they can consider taking on large enterprise
projects. Partners and associates also benefit
from Open Source Consulting’s provision of
sales, invoicing, customer service and other
back-office services that help run the
business. The company also offers revenue
sharing and benefits.
“Our model allows technology consultants to
focus on what they do best,†Mikal said. “The
model also gives them the flexibility to go
after the types of projects they want. They can
choose to focus on small individual projects,
or they can collaborate with our other partners
and associates on major projects. Either way,
we help them succeed financially by providing
all the support systems that any business needs
to succeed.â€
Since November, Open Source Consulting has
contracted with five customers, including an
industry-leading network infrastructure
equipment manufacturer, a biotech firm and a
credit union. The company now has five partners
and associates with a business plan that calls
for increasing to between 10-20 partners and
associates within a year. “We also have our eye
on expanding our office presence to New York as
well as Europe and Australia,†said Vice
President of Business Development Andy Larsen.
Specific services offered by Open Source
Consulting include systems administration,
programming, management consulting, database
administration and network management. “Our
offerings will continue to expand as we add new
practice areas,†Mikal said.
About Open Source Consulting LLC
Open Source Consulting, based in San Francisco,
focuses solely on providing programming and
support for Open Source technologies. Funded
internally rather than by venture capital
sources, the company utilizes a unique business
structure similar to a law firm that allows
their consultants to maintain creative
independence but receive the business and
collaborative support they need to take-on
large enterprise projects. For more
information, visit www.opensourceconsulting.com
or call (877) 490-6030.
For more information:
Jeff Pike for Open Source Consulting
jpike@opensourceconsulting.com
(207) 839-6535″
