Founder of DriverPack Solution changed the business model and earned $ 1 million on installing drivers and utilities
“People are faced with problems when they begin to actively use a computer,” said 25-year-old founder of DriverPack Solution ( DPS ) Arthur Kuzyakov. Many of the problems of Windows users, according to Kuzyakova, are related to installing drivers.
DPS installs drivers automatically. By 2014, the program brought about $ 1 million of net profit to its creator.
At 10, Kuzyakova had a computer. “While all my classmates on the computer were playing, I was crawling into the depths of the operating system, trying to understand how it works,” he recalls. Kuzyakov began to provide computer assistance while still a student: “At first I worked without an office: I had a website, I bought advertising, I was engaged in website promotion and development, I carried out orders, in short, I did everything myself.” A year later, Kuzyakov registered the IP for his father, rented a small office for 10 thousand rubles a month and hired four friends as employees.
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“Installing drivers on each individual computer took too much time,” says Kuzyakov.
In May 2008, he created a driver package for Windows, which allowed you to configure several computers simultaneously. "My employees began to set up computers twice as quickly for people, respectively, to carry out twice as many orders," says the entrepreneur.
According to Kuzyakova, DPS can solve two problems: firstly, to speed up the process of setting up a computer, and secondly, to improve the quality of its work. “We were able to make the program so simple that not only the system administrator, but even a simple user can press one button, and the program itself will monitor, analyze the system and install everything that is necessary,” says DPS spokesman Alexander Blikstein.
Kuzyakov did not manage to attract the desired amount ($ 1 million) for the development of the project. “I did not consider this a large sum, but investors considered it,” the entrepreneur laughs. In 2009, Kuzyakov began selling the program on CD blanks through the site. At that time, because of the slow Internet, it was more difficult to download software than to buy a CD for 150 rubles. On disks Kuzyakov earned 300 thousand rubles a month. In 2010, Kuzyakov realized that, in addition to drivers, a lot of users' time was also consumed by installing software, and decided to add useful programs to the DPS package - codecs, players, browsers, antiviruses, archivers.
“Yandex” became the first DPS client: at first, the program suggested setting the Yandex.Bar search bar, setting up a default search, making Yandex a homepage, and later setting Yandex.Browser. “If we compare different ways of attracting users, then users coming from DriverPack are loyal to Yandex,” says Vadim Kovalev, head of Yandex’s desktop distribution department.
Then, Opera , Amigo (from Mail.Ru Group), 360Total Security antivirus or Kaspersky antivirus, various codecs and archivers became Kuzyakov’s partners . For the installation of their programs, these companies pay DPS partnership contributions: either a fixed amount - from 2.5 to 15 rubles for each installation, or a portion of the income (from 30 to 60%) received through attracted users.
According to Kuzyakova, DPS generates at least 1 million installations of partner software every month, and the total number of service users worldwide exceeds 35 million people. According to SimilarWeb, in July, 5.6 million users visited the DPS site.
For half a year in 2012, DPS even included Microsoft partners with Internet Explorer. “When we started cooperation, the browser could not automatically update yet, and we worked together with the company to increase the user base of the most modern version of IE at that time,” said Anton Grachev, product marketing manager at Microsoft, to RBC.
For large IT companies, distribution via DPS is a convenient and inexpensive way to attract customers.
Such a business model is rapidly becoming obsolete, says Alex Patsay, director of program management at Parallels Access:
“At one time, Google had a good affiliate program to distribute the Google Toolbar in someone else's software. But at some point it began to seem that you turn on the iron - and there will also be a Google Toolbar, it became annoying to people, and this distribution became less. ”
The release of Windows 10 also weakens the position of DPS. Windows 10 solves problems with drivers better than previous versions, but they are still far from their complete elimination, they believe in DPS. “Windows remains the most popular operating system. The release of new Windows has already attracted 20% more traffic to our company's website, ”says DPS spokesman Alexander Blikstein.
RBC cites data from senior analyst for IDC corporate systems Mikhail Popov: fewer than 10 companies work in the Russian IT market in the driver installation segment, including Driver Overdude (7.4 million visits to the product site, according to SimilarWeb, in July 2015) ), Driver Genius (480 thousand), Device Doctor (250 thousand). DriverPack competitors take money from users: Driver Detective works on the freemium model - the free version has limitations, the paid one costs $ 29.95 (about 2 thousand rubles at the current rate), and Driver Genius and Device Doctor have improved paid versions of Pro.
Kuzyakov continues to look for new ideas for the development of the company's business. Six months ago, on her own initiative and at her own expense, DPS became a resident accelerator of the Internet Initiatives Development Fund. In addition, the company plans to conquer the mobile market: after the release of the new version of DPS, entrepreneurs will be engaged in the development and release of products that automate the configuration of Android devices.
Arthur Kuzyakov believes that DriverPack today controls 5% of the Russian market for driver installation.
DPS installs drivers automatically. By 2014, the program brought about $ 1 million of net profit to its creator.
How it all began
At 10, Kuzyakova had a computer. “While all my classmates on the computer were playing, I was crawling into the depths of the operating system, trying to understand how it works,” he recalls. Kuzyakov began to provide computer assistance while still a student: “At first I worked without an office: I had a website, I bought advertising, I was engaged in website promotion and development, I carried out orders, in short, I did everything myself.” A year later, Kuzyakov registered the IP for his father, rented a small office for 10 thousand rubles a month and hired four friends as employees.
')
“Installing drivers on each individual computer took too much time,” says Kuzyakov.
In May 2008, he created a driver package for Windows, which allowed you to configure several computers simultaneously. "My employees began to set up computers twice as quickly for people, respectively, to carry out twice as many orders," says the entrepreneur.
According to Kuzyakova, DPS can solve two problems: firstly, to speed up the process of setting up a computer, and secondly, to improve the quality of its work. “We were able to make the program so simple that not only the system administrator, but even a simple user can press one button, and the program itself will monitor, analyze the system and install everything that is necessary,” says DPS spokesman Alexander Blikstein.
Search business model
Kuzyakov did not manage to attract the desired amount ($ 1 million) for the development of the project. “I did not consider this a large sum, but investors considered it,” the entrepreneur laughs. In 2009, Kuzyakov began selling the program on CD blanks through the site. At that time, because of the slow Internet, it was more difficult to download software than to buy a CD for 150 rubles. On disks Kuzyakov earned 300 thousand rubles a month. In 2010, Kuzyakov realized that, in addition to drivers, a lot of users' time was also consumed by installing software, and decided to add useful programs to the DPS package - codecs, players, browsers, antiviruses, archivers.
“Yandex” became the first DPS client: at first, the program suggested setting the Yandex.Bar search bar, setting up a default search, making Yandex a homepage, and later setting Yandex.Browser. “If we compare different ways of attracting users, then users coming from DriverPack are loyal to Yandex,” says Vadim Kovalev, head of Yandex’s desktop distribution department.
Then, Opera , Amigo (from Mail.Ru Group), 360Total Security antivirus or Kaspersky antivirus, various codecs and archivers became Kuzyakov’s partners . For the installation of their programs, these companies pay DPS partnership contributions: either a fixed amount - from 2.5 to 15 rubles for each installation, or a portion of the income (from 30 to 60%) received through attracted users.
According to Kuzyakova, DPS generates at least 1 million installations of partner software every month, and the total number of service users worldwide exceeds 35 million people. According to SimilarWeb, in July, 5.6 million users visited the DPS site.
For half a year in 2012, DPS even included Microsoft partners with Internet Explorer. “When we started cooperation, the browser could not automatically update yet, and we worked together with the company to increase the user base of the most modern version of IE at that time,” said Anton Grachev, product marketing manager at Microsoft, to RBC.
For large IT companies, distribution via DPS is a convenient and inexpensive way to attract customers.
A spoon of tar
Such a business model is rapidly becoming obsolete, says Alex Patsay, director of program management at Parallels Access:
“At one time, Google had a good affiliate program to distribute the Google Toolbar in someone else's software. But at some point it began to seem that you turn on the iron - and there will also be a Google Toolbar, it became annoying to people, and this distribution became less. ”
The release of Windows 10 also weakens the position of DPS. Windows 10 solves problems with drivers better than previous versions, but they are still far from their complete elimination, they believe in DPS. “Windows remains the most popular operating system. The release of new Windows has already attracted 20% more traffic to our company's website, ”says DPS spokesman Alexander Blikstein.
RBC cites data from senior analyst for IDC corporate systems Mikhail Popov: fewer than 10 companies work in the Russian IT market in the driver installation segment, including Driver Overdude (7.4 million visits to the product site, according to SimilarWeb, in July 2015) ), Driver Genius (480 thousand), Device Doctor (250 thousand). DriverPack competitors take money from users: Driver Detective works on the freemium model - the free version has limitations, the paid one costs $ 29.95 (about 2 thousand rubles at the current rate), and Driver Genius and Device Doctor have improved paid versions of Pro.
Future plans
Kuzyakov continues to look for new ideas for the development of the company's business. Six months ago, on her own initiative and at her own expense, DPS became a resident accelerator of the Internet Initiatives Development Fund. In addition, the company plans to conquer the mobile market: after the release of the new version of DPS, entrepreneurs will be engaged in the development and release of products that automate the configuration of Android devices.
Arthur Kuzyakov believes that DriverPack today controls 5% of the Russian market for driver installation.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/293990/
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