Open Source: Now It's an Ecosystem ~~ This software movement is branching ....

BusinessWeek ^ | OCTOBER 3, 2005 | BW SPECIAL REPORT: OPEN SOURCE

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OCTOBER 3, 2005

SPECIAL REPORT: OPEN SOURCE

Open Source: Now It's an Ecosystem

This software movement is branching into not just mainstream business applications but also the associated services. And VCs are eager to help

Eighteen months ago John Roberts, Clint Oram, and Jacob Taylor decided to quit their jobs at Epiphany, a maker of customer-relationship software. The trio wanted to target the same market, but write a new application developed using open-source code. It took them only three months to create the program and just another month to close their first round of funding. Little more than a year later, their company, SugarCRM, has given away more than 325,000 copies of its software, and raised a second round of capital, for a total of $7.75 million.

Giving away software isn't your typical path for a venture-capital-backed startup. But Roberts & Co., are smack in the middle of the next frontier of the open-source movement: business applications. "No one had funded an open-source application company at that point -- it was all infrastructure," says CEO Roberts. "We broke a glass ceiling."

Consider it shattered. The open-source movement is making another big thrust forward. Entrepreneurs, investors, and many analysts say they're confident that all of a company's business software -- representing hundreds of millions in sales -- will soon be available as open source. "I don't think there are any limits," says Ray Lane, a Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner and software industry veteran.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[Tribune7]

ping

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Spent the morning reading articles out of the journal Ecology...been publishing since the 20s I believe, long before the greenies made a religion out of it..and after a morning like that, I have trouble even thinking about open source as an ecosystem...

maybe I am just a carbonist vs. being a siliconist.... ;-)

[flashbunny]

...but golden eagle says all open source people are commies who hate capitalism and money!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OK.....he is just one source.

I suppose he will be bye here in a bit/

[L98Fiero]

"...but golden eagle says all open source people are commies who hate capitalism and money!"

I don't know Golden Eagle but I kind of share the sentiment. I won't paint with that "all" brush but a great deal of the open-source preachers I know are exactly that. They get simply giddy when something bad happens to a large company, especially Microsoft or other big software companies.

Then again, I do know some, a small minority, who are not that way.

When I have an issue with an open-source product and I can get someone flown here in 24 hours at someone else's expense to support it, I'll be all over it. Until then, I will deal with established, reputable companies who support their products. I also have a single point to address grievances should they arise, legally and professionally.

Nothing against open-source but sometimes when we purchase software, we expect a lot more than code in a box.

[flashbunny]

" I also have a single point to address grievances should they arise, legally and professionally."

Try suing microsoft when something goes wrong. You're not likely to get very far.

"when we purchase software, we expect a lot more than code in a box."

That's why this approach and the approach of the other open source companies makes sense: Give away your product if someone wants it, but if they need support, charge for it. And you can get support and product together for a cost much cheaper than either of them with a vendor like microsoft.

Plus, the number of support companies that specialize in microsoft products should tell you that thinking microsoft will be there to provide all the support you need is rather silly.

One good thing about microsoft: They practice of creating buggy and bloated software creates a lot of ancillary markets for support - and ever faster processors.

[N3WBI3]

OSS PING

If you are interested in the OSS ping list please mail me

[MikefromOhio]

oh no....

5...4...3...2...1...

where is he...where is he....

LOL :)

[N3WBI3]

When I have an issue with an open-source product and I can get someone flown here in 24 hours at someone else's expense to support it, I'll be all over it.

IBM..

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

ROFL!!!!!

I wonder if golden eagle has ever heard of altruism?

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

GE, what's one of the biggest differences between communism and altruism?

[MikefromOhio]

LOL

you KNOW he is googling that right now LOL

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

Heh.... I almost missed this......

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^One good thing about microsoft: They practice of creating buggy and bloated software creates a lot of ancillary markets for support - and ever faster processors.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

ROFL!!! An old friend of mine had a similar outlook....

"no matter how fast AMD and Intel make their processors, Microsoft will find a way to slow things down again"

I myself find it amazing how when you look at system requirements for windows 95, w98, ME, 2k, XP.... with each generation the system requirements go up.

Same with a Mac. OS 7, 8, 9, 10, 10.2 and so on.

..........

My Fedora Core 4 box uses around 60MB of memory off of a fresh boot. KDE. Nothing really fancy done.(I've turned off a few of the network based services and that's about it)

My grandma's FC3 box? 80MB

Eat that Microsoft.(and Apple) It seems to me like they are in a war to make the fattest/bloated code.

Now, one thing Apple has over microsoft is that 10.4 seems more fluid than 10.3. Just as FC4 feels more fluid than FC3.

[Golden Eagle]

Simple, communism is anti-capitalistic, by definition.

As for the parent article, it indicates at the end that there are significant risks associated with the new open source software model, and only time will tell if it is ultimately constructive or destructive. Whichever, it ultimately lowers the value of software and services, as designed by its creators such as Stallman.

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

^^^^^^^^^^^Simple, communism is anti-capitalistic, by definition^^^^^^^^^

And Altruism isn't?

^^^^^^^^^^^Whichever, it ultimately lowers the value of software and services, as designed by its creators such as Stallman.^^^^^^^^^^

Lowers the value of software and services? Hello, earth to GE.(that was a really assinine statement) What do you think capitalism does?

What's the point of mass production? Why do companies outsource?

Why do we need to get government out of healthcare?

They all point to the same answers, the same themes, and the same bottom lines.

[ThinkDifferent]

Whichever, it ultimately lowers the value of software and services

No. It lowers the *price*.

[Golden Eagle]

No. It lowers the *price*.

Bizarre logic you have.

[A. Pole]

No. It lowers the *price*.

Bizarre logic you have.

Why? Not every value has a price.