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Open-Source Strategy for a Specialized Product

publish date: 1969/12/31 00:00:00 UTC

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A small software company has developed a specialized product configured specifically for each customer. A potential new contract would more than double the customer base, but the new customer wants involvement in the software configuration. The company is considering making the software open source. Sort the following considerations from the most compelling reason TO go open source to the least compelling.

Community contributions will automatically improve the specialized product
Customers gain reassurance that they can support and maintain the software themselves if the company goes out of business
The major new customer can actively participate in configuration through the open-source model
The company can build a business model selling support, training, and cloud services around the open-source product

Correct Answer

(1) Customers gain reassurance that they can support and maintain the software themselves if the company goes out of business
(2) The major new customer can actively participate in configuration through the open-source model
(3) The company can build a business model selling support, training, and cloud services around the open-source product
(4) Community contributions will automatically improve the specialized product

Explanation

Ranked from most to least compelling: (1) Customer reassurance about continuity is always a strong argument for open source; (2) The specific new customer's involvement is directly enabled by going open source; (3) A viable business model exists around open-source support/services. Least compelling: specialized application systems rarely attract significant community contributions - most successful open-source projects are platform products, not specialized applications.

Reference

Software Engineering, Ian Sommerville, 10th edition

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