Open Source Software Licenses Versus Business Models 95
dp619 writes "Network World is running a guest article by Outercurve Foundation's technical director Stephen Walli discussing how FOSS license choice can affect a company's business model. Walli disagrees that a FOSS license dictates the business model or that the business model dictates the license."
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:I'm sorry but he is wrong.. (Score:3, Insightful)
If you look at the businesses that have succeeded using FOSS every. single. one. has used one of the "blessed three" business models, selling support, selling hardware, holding out a tin cup.
Google.
Re:I'm sorry but he is wrong.. (Score:3, Insightful)
Google doesn't provide FOSS as a product. They provide search as a hook to attract eyeballs for ads (AdSense, DoubleClick, AdMob, practically all the other advertising companies are owned by Google).
Otherwise we could say Apple as well since they use and provide a fair amount of FOSS. But FOSS is not their primary business as well. It's just incidental to their primary business.
This article is referring to FOSS companies who provide FOSS as a product - RedHat, MySQL, probably even others like Codeweavers (WINE paid support).
Re:I'm sorry but he is wrong.. (Score:2, Insightful)
Quick addendum: I think GP is confusing "using" FOSS and "selling" FOSS. Obviously you don't "sell" FOSS, but Red Hat does something like "selling" FOSS and that's the point. They have a model where they release free and open-source software as their primary function, but still manage to make money. Google makes their money by using and contributing back to FOSS projects, but their primary money makers are in licensing their search engine for local company use, providing custom instances of Gmail for company email, and selling/using your personal information for the purpose of advertising to their customers. All three of these may have some open source component, but I can guarantee you that the algorithm Google uses to make it's search results great is closed source and it will stay that way until the company goes up in flames.
Re:I'm sorry but he is wrong.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Google doesn't sell Android. It gives away Android so it can sell the eyeballs of Android users to its real customers.
Re:I'm sorry but he is wrong.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Homo Erotica (Score:5, Insightful)
You are both correct and incorrect. I have a couple of friends who are architects. The reuse major structural elements, design elements etc.. They also come up with new stuff, so yes and no.