[EuroPython] Looking for profitable companies that rely on/develop Open Source

[Laura Creighton]

About a month ago I was at an EU meeting where I met David Callahan
who is Deputy Head of Unit for the European Commission in the
Information Society and Media Directorate General. (i.e. a very
important person, not a minor functionary) He is interested in
building the case that 'open source is good for Europe'.  It seems
that while he _knows_ of the existence of European companies who make
a living supporting Open source products or developing using Open
Source, he doesn't actually know many personally.  So he needs real
data with real companies, instead of just 'anecdotal evidence'.

If you have the time, can you send me a paragraph saying:

The name of your company
What Open Source products are contributing to your financial success
How many employees you have
and
if you would be interested in disclosing financial information to
him that could indicate how OS is helping European economies.

He is particularly interested in small consulting firms.  He thinks
that the EU hasn't been counting them when it has been trying to
measure its own IT industry, which results in people concluding
that we don't have much of one.

You can say more, of course, but since he will probably contact you
directly, there is no need to tell all in the first mail.

I've promised to send him lists of companies every week, so that his
mailbox doesn't overflow with mail from all you folk.

Thanks very much for your time,
Laura Creighton