Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments
typodupeerror delete not in
  • Preferences

+-   Is open source software a race to zero? on Saturday November 22 2008, @10:47AM gozunda

Submitted by gozunda on Saturday November 22 2008, @10:47AM
software
gozunda writes "My company is an open source software vendor/developer. We maintain a popular open source project and keep ourselves afloat by producing commercial products derived from or extending the value of the core project. Over time we've seen our business model eroding as other open source projects produce free versions of the same extensions and utilities that are our bread and butter. Something that was worth $5K last year is suddenly worth $0 because the free version is just as good as the paid.

This same cycle is obviously having an impact on pure-play commercial software vendors. Is open source ultimately a race to zero? In ten years will there be any cost associated with commodity (non custom) software? If not, will there still be a "software industry" or will software simply be a by-product of the operation of other industries? Is that a bad thing for humanity? As a professional developer do I need to fear this or feed it?"
submission
This discussion was created for logged-in users only, but now has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.

Is open source software a race to zero? 0 Comments More /

 Full
 Abbreviated
 Hidden
More
Loading... please wait.
Search
Marriage is the only adventure open to the cowardly. - Voltaire

All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. Comments are owned by the Poster. The Rest © 1997-2009 Geeknet, Inc.