Now that you feel fairly comfortable with your understanding of various Open Source licensing models – not sure which one is the best but you do know the differences… What Now? This will depend on a number of interrelated things - The capabilities of your company (which is closely associated with the “entrepreneurial model” of your company) and the maturity of the open source software. Are you a small or medium size company with an “early adopter” or “pragmatic” attitude? Are you a government agency – Federal, State or Local? Are you willing to internally “productize” an open source application? Do you have the programmers and testers to undertake such an endeavor? Should you outsource? Your next steps and decisions will be probably determined by how you answer these questions.
For example, if I am a small business or local government entity, I would probably want a “COTS” product (or at least one that is considered mature) because I have no interest in redistributing it (additionally, this makes my licensing choice a little easier.). I now must make a choice on Open Source application maturity. I also need to decide if I customize and integrate the chosen application with my internal resources or partner with an innovative company that focuses on Open Source integration within the enterprise. What would you do?
Your input is important because there is, understandably, a plethora of Open Source documentation written from the engineering aspect or from the entrepreneurial view point. But it is equally important that discussion from the “Business Person” requirement and concerns be heard….
Stay tuned, for discussions on “early adopters” versus “pragmatist” business models and their use of Open Source…
