Challenge to monetize with open source

"Open Source"Is source code that is published free of charge and can be improved / redistributed by anyone. As it is published free of charge, you can not earn money on a standalone basis. However, we deal with such open source softwareBig Switch NetworksYaMySQLThe story challenged to monetize,The New York TimesIt is revealed in.

Open Source and the Challenge of Making Money - NYTimes.com
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/07/23/open-source-and-the-challenge-of-making-money/


◆ Big Switch Networks
Big Switch Networks, which became famous for network configuration of Linux OS software for computer servers, proposed "Floodlight" of network controller several years ago.

Floodlight OpenFlow Controller - Project Floodlight


It's free and cloud-based software, commercial versions also exist, and they were epoch-making enough to overturn the commercial networking industry.

Open source projects are very useful if you do not outsource projects when developing software or do not use development staff or commercial products. Doug Murray, Chief Executive Officer of Big Switch Networks, says, "We are working on providing products that enable people to create applications,UpsellWe have been offering both open source software and commercial software. " According to Mr. Murray, as time went on, a lot of customers realized that they want commercial software that is "finished goods" that do not require writing source code.

As of 21 July 2014 Big Switch Networks announces "Big Cloud Fabric"An unprecedented engineer announces commercial software that can allocate network resources through the data center. Big Switch Networks continues to provide open source 'Floodlight', but it is becoming a small role for the company.


Because we need some skill and knowledge to cover everything with open source, there is a problem of whether "to build everything with free open source" can truly reduce the cost. Big Switch Networks offers two kinds of network controllers, one of which is open source "Floodlight" and the other is "Big Cloud Fabric" which began offering from July for a fee. In this way, by providing two of open source and commercial products, Big Switch Networks is building a monetization model.

◆ MySQL
Mr. Martin Micose, former CEO of MySQL who was asked "Is this a business that does not descend from open source," answered "That's right." MySQL is a company that created an open source database management system, and in 2008 it was $ 1 billion (about 102.5 billion yen)Sun MicrosystemsIt has been acquired by.


If many people collaborate, the open source method works well, but it can not make a profit on its own. "Although I did not notice when MySQL was launched, open source is not a business model but a" production model "and it is uneconomical," he said.