Re: Commercializing software: How to sell it?

Thanks to all my respondents. I'll pursue your suggestions. As for the
Boston conference, I'm neither close to nor prohibitively far therefrom (I
live in Wash DC). I'll put it on my tentative calendar and, maybe, really
do it. Here's the pitch to my wife: Me: "Hey, how 'bout doing a summer
vacation at a software conference?" She: "You mean, we'd spend our vacation
in some hotel conference room, listening to techie geeks?" Me: "Well,
there'd be some of that, but, hey, it'd be in Boston!"

Hmm, maybe that's not the best approach. I recall a few summers long ago, in
Cambridge, yearning to escape the place.


"Ben Crain" <bcrain@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:47b1fe75@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I'm developing several software products with Delphi. They're not ready
yet, but at some point I'd like to try to sell them. The clientele would
be primarily academic/students (the software is math-tutorial-type,
college level), though some engineers/scientists might also use them (a
few already use partial beta versions). Don't know yet how I'd price
them, but they'd be cheap.

I know the names of a few companies that process payments for software.
Would appreciate recommendations for good ones. A major question is: How
do I make it difficult for people to pirate (steal) my software? (I
suspect making it impossible is, well, impossible.) I'll be selling an
executable program, which, as it now stands, can be easily copied. When I
buy software I generally get a password for downloading it, and/or
registering it, etc. Does that somehow block me from making a copy for
someone else (or, indeed, trying to sell a copy)? Don't know, never tried
(and never will). Who handles passwords, registration, etc.? The
companies that process payments?

In short, I want to find out how to structure the entire operation so all
I personally have to do is post the software somewhere, update it now and
then, and answer questions from users. And make it difficult to pirate or
copy.

Any suggestions as to how/where I can learn about these things?

thanks,
Ben Crain



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