Need your ideas about how Comodo can generate revenue from free products! :-)

[Guest]

[Melih]

Thank you for that Melih. That's simply what I wanted to know was the why this wouldn't be feasable, and understand.  By the way, I did not vote you as a senior citizen! loll.  :

 Take care,

 Paul

 

Lol!!!
NP..

[falkor]

I am sure Melih will get mad at this but , here it is anyway .:  Comicfan !  Shut your mouth you idiot .  Why is it that you jump on me about a post ?  My post in know way had anything derogatory in it toward you or anyone .  You are a plain idiot !  You cannot shut up can you ?  Drop dead !  My post only said everyone wants more because , WE ALWAYS WILL !  Nothing is perfect as you prove by writing .  A nice suggestion AS I ELUDED TO BEFORE , would be for you to STAY away from crawling on me about posts .  You must have an inferiority complex .  Agian , YOU ARE AN IDIOT !

Melih /
  Problems with me please write .  I am tired of Mr. jerkoff .

[comicfan2000]

I am sure Melih will get mad at this but , here it is anyway .:  Comicfan !  Shut your mouth you idiot .  Why is it that you jump on me about a post ?  My post in know way had anything derogatory in it toward you or anyone .  You are a plain idiot !  You cannot shut up can you ?  Drop dead !  My post only said everyone wants more because , WE ALWAYS WILL !  Nothing is perfect as you prove by writing .  A nice suggestion AS I ELUDED TO BEFORE , would be for you to STAY away from crawling on me about posts .  You must have an inferiority complex .  Agian , YOU ARE AN IDIOT !

Melih /
  Problems with me please write .  I am tired of Mr. jerkoff .

  You misunderstand. I was not jumping all over your post but asking you why you thought so, and explained myself best I could so you understood my end of it. I wasn't mad or anything and that's why I stated the bold lettering was stressing the word, not yelling. You have made it a point to reply to every post about my browser idea and it's obvious you don't care for it, which is fine but I am only replying to your reply on my post originally. I have no personal issue with you, so when you stated everyone wants more, that is untrue. I don't and would be happy with what's available so I tried to stress this as well as I could without sounding ignorant or otherwise and did want to settle and doubts so no arguing insues. I am sorry if you are offended and was just trying to clear things up.





 Just a suggestion, let's forget the other posts, etc...like they never happened. No browser issue, etc...and just reply in kind as Comodo users. I have no problem with this Falkor, if it's alright with you, we just move on and forget the b.S between us. Start a clean slate if you will and keep the peace at the same time.

Take care,

Paul

[AMADHA]

So I guess the idea of free software driving brand for the primary product SSL kind of isn't paying off?

I guess the key is how much revenue are you looking for?

Your best bet is via the AV product selling signature updates for not too much, say a $1 a month ($12 a year) and engine upgrades as free "for as long as we can stay in business if you don't pay for something". Two levels of firewalls is a loser except for when you sell one version to business users and give one to Home users (the differential should be remote management and centralized configuration). I say this, because I've used ZA for years and have absolutely never been enticed off of the free version, because it was doing what I needed. Now I'm giving Comodo a chance (It still tells the user way too many things are trying to be servers and I always tell Newbies to deny server requests but now everyone wants to auto-update... sigh.)  So firewall should not be the one to look at for revenue except as "guiltware", if you really think its great call this number and give us $15US one time donation, you should ask on every major upgrade.  You could sell "suites" of stuff like AV and firewall all tied together in a well integrated complementary system for cheap.

The issue is that you've made a commitment to free, and now the accountants are seeing them as a cost sink creating the problem... so how to get revenue from free? You could add ads to the DL pages (annoying read me delay ads and all could be inserted) asking users to click through on things of interest. I didn't know about the google thing but it sounds promising but give it to us as a separate download and explain why you'd like us to DL it (helps keep this stuff free and you keep your promises).  I like the revenue through stuff and CD distribution sales (but both of those entail more overhead so they're probably not great ideas).

So how much do you need? Really. $300K? $500K and over what period? Put it on the web site, under it stick a count up and a means for people to securely pay a donation to the free cause with a match from the company's ad budget (since that was the premise your CEO used).  Just like PBS or a fundraiser. 

[Melih]

So I guess the idea of free software driving brand for the primary product SSL kind of isn't paying off?

I guess the key is how much revenue are you looking for?

Your best bet is via the AV product selling signature updates for not too much, say a $1 a month ($12 a year) and engine upgrades as free "for as long as we can stay in business if you don't pay for something". Two levels of firewalls is a loser except for when you sell one version to business users and give one to Home users (the differential should be remote management and centralized configuration). I say this, because I've used ZA for years and have absolutely never been enticed off of the free version, because it was doing what I needed. Now I'm giving Comodo a chance (It still tells the user way too many things are trying to be servers and I always tell Newbies to deny server requests but now everyone wants to auto-update... sigh.)  So firewall should not be the one to look at for revenue except as "guiltware", if you really think its great call this number and give us $15US one time donation, you should ask on every major upgrade.  You could sell "suites" of stuff like AV and firewall all tied together in a well integrated complementary system for cheap.

The issue is that you've made a commitment to free, and now the accountants are seeing them as a cost sink creating the problem... so how to get revenue from free? You could add ads to the DL pages (annoying read me delay ads and all could be inserted) asking users to click through on things of interest. I didn't know about the google thing but it sounds promising but give it to us as a separate download and explain why you'd like us to DL it (helps keep this stuff free and you keep your promises).  I like the revenue through stuff and CD distribution sales (but both of those entail more overhead so they're probably not great ideas).

So how much do you need? Really. $300K? $500K and over what period? Put it on the web site, under it stick a count up and a means for people to securely pay a donation to the free cause with a match from the company's ad budget (since that was the premise your CEO used).  Just like PBS or a fundraiser. 

Just want to clarify few assumptions/questions you have made/asked.

"So I guess the idea of free software driving brand for the primary product SSL kind of isn't paying off?"

Actually it is paying off nicely.

"The issue is that you've made a commitment to free, and now the accountants are seeing them as a cost sink creating the problem"

Not quite! We knew it was a free product when we launched it as free! Nothing has changed! :-) These were seen as cost centers and they still are! Yet we are expanding these cost centers cos we are seeing the benefit of them.

I think you misinterpret the context of the question about how to generate revenue!
It was to get collective community effort in identifying new ways to generate revenue. Does not mean that we need $300K nor are we looking to raise a set amount. Its all about creating efficent business models in which free can benefit the company (who is providing this free tools) and its community!

FYI: Comodo is th 2nd largest Certification Authority in the world and have over 300 staff worldwide and we are growing rapidly!

so the question is all about coming up with new and innovative ways of making the Free work for everyone, improve the business model we have.

Thank you for your time and please keep contributing..

Melih

[DaddyWarbucks]

Melih,

We've been discussing this at work and the general consensus seems to be that ZA have got the model right with their ZA Freeware and ZA Pro.

Offer the products, as they are, as freeware, but offer heavier versions as commercial products. I don't mean cripple what we've got now, but any super-duper enhancements in the pipeline could be offered as a paid product that added to the existing products.

If multiple enhancements were offered and the benefits over the base product were clearly outlined, then customers could build their Comodo products to suit their environment and their wallet.

What do you think?
Ewen :-)
 (WCF3)

SHHHH! No don't make it like Zone Alarm! Zone Alarm is the entire reason I am here useing Comodo, and not that cheap excuse for a PC condom!

[DaddyWarbucks]

Hi Everyone

As you know we are committed to provide free desktop security to everyone today, tomorrow and forever!

How can we come up with ideas so that we can get our users to generate revenue for us? (not charging for the desktop security! So don't even go there.. its free forever). For example: we can sell Identity Theft protection service, or maybe people can download the google toolbar with our products so that all the searches they make will get us Pay Per Click engine commision. So we are looking for ideas. the idea is that we would like to spend even more money developing these free products, so if we can come up with a way of free products generating revenue (somehow) we can increase our investment in these free products and everyone benefits as we will deliver even more free products faster :-).

ideas please!!!!

 CWY CNY CLY

Melih

Okay, first let me state, "When I am informing a problem," I may sound rough. Ignore that. I'm business only mode. ( <-- due to my post earlier, I read it, I sound like an a$$.)
Now, as to how to help Marketing. This is my specialty, it's what I do. Art's and Advertisement. And, yes, I can sell Ice cubes to the Eskimo's! Mike6688 and dooplex's are both right. At least both are 1/2 of what you are needing.
Try this, and you will make money. I built my own Silk Screening machine, it can do up to 5 colors. (4 screens, and the T-shirt's color it's self.) Next, I bought one box of 100 T's from the Haynes manufacture, 25S,25M25L,25XL. (It was called a Sample order.) I paid 75¢ each T, and after all INK, and time, total cost was $1.15 (per T my cost.) I sold these from $4.99 to $15.00 each. (All depended on what I printed, the one best seller was an art work I designed about the "Bobby McFar's" song, "Don't worry, Be Happy" the image was 2 large feet down, and 2 smaller feet up, with a blanket and motion lines.)   The ones I sold for $15USD had a Freeware Disk included. (over 50 programs all free!) The second best seller was Tweety flipping off Silvester. (Remember me now?)

[sr386]

Possibly,
http://www.mediatrends.net/affiliatemarketing.asp

This site has some other possible ideas,
http://content.websitegear.com/article/revenue_introduction.htm

I thought the idea of customized T-shirts and Coffee cups etc, sounded pretty good,
maybe something along the line of the Comodo Dragon emblem,
Web address on back, w/services listed...

Also I see more and more "Blog" revenue ideas, could be a way to go
as blogging seems to be the wave of the moment.

Google Ads seem to work for many sites, Placing a few of those
within the Comodo site, rather than adding the Google tool bar
which many people find to be invasive.

Not sure what your web space situation is, (your own server, resale rules of your paid server space),
you could sell some of that if possible, or even develop and sell web sites based on your security
programs, if you have the available resources.

The idea of offering your software on a CD was also sounding pretty good,
as there are still many people not up to speed on making backups and copies
or just find it easier to have a CD handy. CDs are pretty cost effective to create
and you could just make them on demand rather than trying to stock pile
too many only to find that maybe the idea wasn't so good.

OK I'm not a morning person here so my ideas are running thin,
but I'll keep this thought in my head and hopefully by night time
I'll have a few other thoughts.

Stephen.

[W1nTry]

Well I had posted in the 'what would you like comodo to do next' thread about having a vpn clinet/server app where you could use the software for free with lower levels of encryption and have the premium or higher encyption methods be a purchased feature. Thats just to reiterate those.

That aside and focusing more on what is available atm. What about that gotomypc/logmein type app that you are working on? just as those 2 mentioned prior, you could have a free version for just plain remote desktop and a paid version for file transfers, access to local resources and printers, etc.

You could offer (in conjunction with the AV and/or firewall) PC scans to determine if spyware/malware/etc is present on a persons PC and offer cleaning as a small paid service (via the internet of course).

Donations are always an option (paypal)

Hosting websites and web admin services (updates, patching, security for the website that sorta thing)

These are just some ideas, if I have, if I have restated ideas, my bad, its alot to sift through. If not, I hope some of these are useful.

[Stillam]

Spybot was/is a good antispyware application. Author has a clever license agreement. Author also asks for donations to help with costs. I like free software, but I am also willing to donate to the author if I feel the software is good and helps me. Seems like you can/should do the same thing. (I donated twice to Spybot.)

[CK]

Selam Melih,


-----

I think you should pay attention to "donations" too. OK, i know this does not generate constant revenue, but most of people may donate against having  a good firewall. Well, i dont personally like ZA and have never paid for its Pro product but if it was for $20 or less, i would pay for it (since it was a good candidate to become a reasonably good firewall).

So, you say "forever free" (thanks') and i would support your company by paying $$s. And i'm sure there will be many more people too.

------

Another good idea is "a core module" that controls all the firewalls installed on a network maybe. This could be against $$$ too.

-----

Please stay away any kind of "bars" regardless whether it comes from reputable company too, ie; google, yahho. People do not like softwares that contain 3rd party scripts in it. I would immediately think that the software is spyware somehow.

-----

You may offer phone support and/or email support for small amount of fee. Some companies may prefer you to adjust security settings through a pre-assigned port etc.

-----

You may offer discounts for people who use comodo free products while buying your other products too. Actually i'm paying $49 for standard G**trust SSL certificates (not chained ones) and i would prefer your company too. You require $139 which is quite high. (PS: $49 is through a reseller, website price is around $149).

-----


Iyi aksamlar, good night!
CK

[kokuryu]

Quite frankly the idea of having something tied to the "free" products to make more revenue flies directly in the face of the forward looking statements made and the general impressions given to the public by the descriptions and the website for the "free" products.

We, the general public, are fed up with "free" products that come with adware, spyware and other nonsense.  I would hope that Comodo will avoid that.  We are also sick of the spam as well.  We hope that Comodo will avoid the excessive spam too.

The best way that Comodo can promote itself IS by offering the free products.  And the best type of exposure you can get is the following:
(a) Bloomberg
(b) PC World and other magazines
(c) Making a MAC and LINUX version of everything - dont just sit on the Windows bandwagon!
(d) Get rid of the signups for the software and the activation codes - free should be free - and I dont like being tracked or having tracking items in my software - if you stand for security, make it SECURE

As for actually making additional revenue streams, the following is missing from the market:
(a) Affordable application signing certificates for the hobby programmers - a complete certificate that can sign ANY type of program for a really cheap price, like $49 a year - programmers are being bent over the barrel and tortured for $1000 a pop right now by being forced to get Verisign certificates, one for each program type.  Comodo needs to replace Verisign as number one in the security certificate market - and needs to get the cellphone manufacturers to ALL put Comodo's certificates on their phones.  At least Nokia has the right idea on this front...
(b) Make and market a security device that the general public can afford and feel comfortable with and WANT to have.  It has to be under $50, preferable under $30 at the consumer end, so it will be really really hard to do it - but a combo Flash Card reader/writer with a fingerprint reader and a SDK for custom and OEM applications, and sell a generic version that does application license managment - put all your application licenses on a card, and wherever you put that card into another machine, along with the application on a USB stick or drive, you can access it and use it - otherwise its all encrypted.  And make an accesory item - a block of USB ports for application sticks to be inserted into them.  Essentially, you re-define the computing experience with making it similar to the game console environment.  No matter what the computer or where you are, if the have the "stick" and card, and they have the reader and a USB port - you can use your application.  Perfect for corporate environments.  They can have an OEM kit version of the reader/writer and put in a custom security certificate, so if anyone steals the card or stick, it wont work in a regular reader.  All sorts of applications for this as well.  AND the software vendors would want to work with you as well.

[iceman101]

i dont know if this will mean much but for all the firewalls i have used this is the best so far better than ZA , McAfeePF , Norton Firewall , KerioPF ... most of this firewall crashes my system and conflicts with other ANTI VIRUS.

most of all this COMODO firewall is FREE and also i only installed it TODAY i love it

[Melih]

Selam Melih,


-----

I think you should pay attention to "donations" too. OK, i know this does not generate constant revenue, but most of people may donate against having  a good firewall. Well, i dont personally like ZA and have never paid for its Pro product but if it was for $20 or less, i would pay for it (since it was a good candidate to become a reasonably good firewall).

So, you say "forever free" (thanks') and i would support your company by paying $$s. And i'm sure there will be many more people too.

------

Another good idea is "a core module" that controls all the firewalls installed on a network maybe. This could be against $$$ too.

-----

Please stay away any kind of "bars" regardless whether it comes from reputable company too, ie; google, yahho. People do not like softwares that contain 3rd party scripts in it. I would immediately think that the software is spyware somehow.

-----

You may offer phone support and/or email support for small amount of fee. Some companies may prefer you to adjust security settings through a pre-assigned port etc.

-----

You may offer discounts for people who use comodo free products while buying your other products too. Actually i'm paying $49 for standard G**trust SSL certificates (not chained ones) and i would prefer your company too. You require $139 which is quite high. (PS: $49 is through a reseller, website price is around $149).

-----


Iyi aksamlar, good night!
CK

You can buy low assurance certs like geotrust ones for $15 from Comodo here.. www.positivessl.com
and you can high assurance certs like verisign one for $79 from Comodo here... www.instantssl.com

Melih

[CK]

You can buy low assurance certs like geotrust ones for $15 from Comodo here.. www.positivessl.com
and you can high assurance certs like verisign one for $79 from Comodo here... www.instantssl.com

Melih

Hi, Thanks for the links. Honestly, i didn't know these websites and i think you should somehow integrate these ones with comodo.com. For example, if someone clicks on certificates link in comodo.com, you may mention about the differences and forward visitor to new website if he/she choose instantssl. etc.

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