Simplify Team Concert

Introduction:
RTC started as a "simple tool" for small organizations. It was as easily deployable as Subversion: download, unzip and run. Simplicity is a huge advantage for new adopters.

In the meantime, RTC has grown big and bigger, and more powerful with lots of new features. Many potential adopters are now chased away: "Subversion is all we need. It is free, it is simple"

After some time, the organization grows and introduces more free tools (and commercial tools), invests dearly in their own tool integrations and extensions. Management needs very heavy argumentation to throw away their current infrastructure and start over with Jazz/RTC.

Proposal:
RTC should be able to hide user interface elements to make it seem like a configuration & change management tool as simple as Subversion and Git.
No planning & tracking elements, no load graphs, no personal profiles or other (perceived) overhead, just back to the basics of configuration, change and build management.

Customers:
Many customers I encounter have a hardware development background, slowly growing into the software age. They want version control and defect tracking, nothing more! The last thing they want is to confuse, scare and frustrate users that are only familiar with Windows Explorer and network drive letters. The only way to win them over is by giving them SIMPLICITY.

The more advanced needs will become apparent only after they build up experience in software development. And then, it's time to switch on (and show in the user interface) the more advanced elements. Customers hate it to switch to new tools: it's a continuity risk for the business, it's scary to start something new you don't know and don't have internal knowledge of, it requires users to be retrained (and re-brainwashed to let go of old habits and learn new habits).