Hi,
An acquaintance of mine works for a Mumbai based NGO[1]. They are looking to replace (and add additional features to) an existing application that they use to record and manage their data (I don't know the exact details about this yet).
The current application they use was built by a couple of guys using ASP+MS SQL. They do not have the source code for the current application. So, they are looking to:
a. Replicate all the functionality of the current application. b. Migrate the current data to the new application. c. Add a new module which provides a workflow similar to the existing one. d. Design the application in such a manner that allows addition of further workflows. e. Provide support and feature enhancement (for something like 5+ years)
They also would like to share this application with their offices worldwide if they find it useful enough for their purposes.
I strongly recommended that they go the Open source way by asking whichever vendor they choose to provide them with the source code under a FOSS license.
I further recommended that they insist on building the application using FOSS (for instance, a LAMP stack). Now, since they are non-technical per se and it seems like their original software provider is no longer 'available', they need guidance/advice for the specifications itself.
So, here's my request, can somebody in Mumbai ... a. Be willing to visit this organization, take a look at their existing application and advise them on the best (FOSS oriented) approach to take ? (It'll be nice if someone can do this without slapping a consulting fee on them).
b. Build this application and provide the required support (This, of course, would be a regular business contract).
Obviously, (a) and (b) can be the same person/company.
If you are interested, please contact me offline and I'll provide further details.
cheers, - steve
[1] http://psi.org/ http://psi.org.in/