The Business of Open Source Software: A Primer

Building a Business on Open Source Software

For many years, free and open source software was exclusively associated with the research community, in contrast to the closed source products developed by commercial software vendors. Over the past decade, there has been a vast increase in the availability of open source software, growing from such projects as Linux and Apache. Open source software is being widely adopted in industry, which h...

Democratizing Business Software: Small Business Ecosystems for Open Source Applications

A Framework Analysis of Business Models for Open Source Software

The aim of this research is to identify the key elements in the success of business models for companies producing open source software. We have defined a new framework that can be used to evaluate existing and new business models in this area. Based on our analysis, we have identified two classes of business models for open source which in our opinion have the potential for success: Commodity ...

Setting Up Shop: The Business of Open-Source Software

oftware companies face many challenges in growing their businesses. Product lines must evolve—new products and add-ons to existing products are essential to bring in new incremental revenue. Product quality must be monitored and improved. Engineering must support current and older releases while still driving innovation. Employees must be motivated by interesting opportunities and more than sta...

Opening Windows: Open Source Software and the Future of Business*

In a business world increasingly dependent upon integrated technology, rapid innovation and global competition, open–source software is shaping up as one of the most significant drivers of change entering the new millennium. Open-source software is characterised by the public availability of its underpinning source code – the units that software is written in. Thus, in stark contrast with the h...