There are many benefits in developing software under the FOSS model – superior quality and zero licensing costs, for example. And when you use this methodology, you gain access to an open community that provides constantly improving source code.
A community and a business have different goals. Businesses benefit from the community’s high-quality source code and a functional architecture that’s well suited to adapt to future needs. A business can then modify the software and turn it into a finished product.
By combining the community’s source code and a business’s product development, the end results are vastly improved. Each party adds their unique expertise to create an overall synergy.
Working with other organizations, you can slash costs by creating a common infrastructure. In other words, you share a basic framework to avoid spending money re-inventing the wheel. You can instead devote those resources to your core business.
There are a lot of good reasons to develop free and open software. One of the biggest is giving your products extra value that’s lacking in the competition. Some businesses make their source code open because it isn’t part of their core business. A hardware manufacturer has nothing to lose by releasing its software as open source. And if the end-user helps improve the software, your products become more attractive to the market.
1. Quality – enhanced design and quality as businesses and the community work together.
2. Infrastructure – costs are reduced by sharing your infrastructure with others.
3. Enhanced value – by releasing your software as open and free, your product has greater value.
Contact Purple Scout for an evaluation of which licenses and development models suit your business best.