How we've survived fifteen years of commercial open-source software Mike Taylor, Index Data < [email_address] >

? Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > “ Why open source?” It's not about “ Why open source?” any more. Everyone understands that now.

? Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > “ Why open source?” It's not about “ Why open source?” any more. Everyone understands that now.

? Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > “ Why open source?” It's not about “ Why open source?” any more. Everyone understands that now. It's about “ How open source?”

? Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > “ Won't programmers starve?” Well, we're still here. Index Data, founded 1994, going strong.

? Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > “ Won't programmers starve?” Well, we're still here. Index Data, founded 1994, going strong.

? Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > “ Won't programmers starve?” Well, we're still here. Index Data, founded 1994, going strong. The world's smallest multinational: 11 employees of 7 nationalities 8 offices in 5 countries

? Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > The key question: “ How can you survive if you give it away?” Because after we give it away, We still have it?

? Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > The key question: “ How can you survive if you give it away?” (If we can't survive, you can't rely on us.) ‏ Because after we give it away, We still have it?

? Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > The key question: “ How can you survive if you give it away?” Because after we give it away, we still have it.

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > After we give it away, we still have it. Because copying is zero-cost for software.

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > After we give it away, we still have it. Because copying is zero-cost for software. It took people a long time to grasp this, because copying is expensive for hardware, (And even now, not everyone gets it.) ‏

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > After we give it away, we still have it. Because copying is zero-cost for software. It took people a long time to grasp this, because copying is expensive for hardware, (And even now, not everyone gets it.) ‏ Zero-cost copying can be used for: – Write once, sell many – Write once, give away copies

? Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > Another answer: “ How can you survive if you give it away?” It depends what you mean by “it”.

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > What exactly do we give away? NOT ownership of the software (No proprietary derivatives) ‏

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > What exactly do we give away? NOT ownership of the software (No proprietary derivatives) ‏ CERTAINLY NOT our time!

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > What exactly do we give away? NOT ownership of the software (No proprietary derivatives) ‏ CERTAINLY NOT our time! ONLY copies of the software

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > What exactly do we give away? NOT ownership of the software (No proprietary derivatives) ‏ CERTAINLY NOT our time! ONLY copies of the software – the ultimate marketing!

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > Two forms of marketing with open source YAZ – Z39.50 Toolkit BSD licence to promote protocol Used in 2/3 of all servers and clients

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > Two forms of marketing with open source YAZ – Z39.50 Toolkit BSD licence to promote protocol Used in 2/3 of all servers and clients Zebra – XML and MARC-friendly DB GNU GPL to attract service contracts Integrated into Koha, etc.

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > So what is the point of open source? – Our business is giving you what you want – Changes the vendor/customer relationship

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > So what is the point of open source? – Our business is giving you what you want – Not withholding what you want! – Changes the vendor/customer relationship

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > So what is the point of open source? – Our business is giving you what you want – Not withholding what you want! – Changes the vendor/customer relationship

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > So what is the point of open source? – Our business is giving you what you want – Not withholding what you want! – Changes the vendor/customer relationship – Partners rather than adversaries

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > So what is the point of open source? – Our business is giving you what you want – Not withholding what you want! – Changes the vendor/customer relationship – Partners rather than adversaries

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > So what is the point of open source? From our perspective: Open source software provides the platform on which we can sell services .

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > “ Software is largely a service industry operating under the persistent but unfounded delusion that it is a manufacturing industry.” – Eric S. Raymond.

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > “ Software is largely a service industry operating under the persistent but unfounded delusion that it is a manufacturing industry.” – Eric S. Raymond. IBM understands this.

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > “ Software is largely a service industry operating under the persistent but unfounded delusion that it is a manufacturing industry.” – Eric S. Raymond. IBM understands this. Anyone who doesn't, provides lousy service.

Which is why we are used to technical support like this ...

Instead of technical support like this ...

Instead of technical support like this ... This never happens

Instead of technical support like this ... This never happens At least, not in companies that make their living from licences.

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > An important question librarians should now be asking their vendors is: “ Who are the highest paid people in your organisation? Your sales people or your service people?” – Carl Grant, president, Ex Libris USA.

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > An important question librarians should now be asking their vendors is: “ Who are the highest paid people in your organisation? Your sales people or your service people?” – Carl Grant, president, Ex Libris USA. Since I am not a sales person, I want the answer to be “service people”.

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > An open-source software vendor is one where everyone is service people.

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > An open-source software vendor is one where everyone is service people. Roughly. (It's not quite true: we still have some marketing/sales overhead, such as this conference.) ‏

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > Practicalities I: what's in it for the customer? * Level playing field => more choice

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > Practicalities I: what's in it for the customer? * Level playing field => more choice * You can change the software yourself

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > Practicalities I: what's in it for the customer? * Level playing field => more choice * You can change the software yourself * No product end-of-life

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > Practicalities I: what's in it for the customer? * Level playing field => more choice * You can change the software yourself * No product end-of-life * No vendor lock-in

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > Practicalities I: what's in it for the customer? * Level playing field => more choice * You can change the software yourself * No product end-of-life * No vendor lock-in * Open source => open standards

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > Practicalities II: what's in it for the vendor? * Disproportionate visibility and influence

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > Practicalities II: what's in it for the vendor? * Disproportionate visibility and influence * Customers trust us (in the post-FUD era) ‏

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > Practicalities II: what's in it for the vendor? * Disproportionate visibility and influence * Customers trust us (in the post-FUD era) ‏ * We don't spend on closed-source overheads

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > Practicalities II: what's in it for the vendor? * Disproportionate visibility and influence * Customers trust us (in the post-FUD era) ‏ * We don't spend on closed-source overheads * We get source contributions

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > Practicalities II: what's in it for the vendor? * Disproportionate visibility and influence * Customers trust us (in the post-FUD era) ‏ * We don't spend on closed-source overheads * We get source contributions * We get to make cool things

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > Practicalities II: what's in it for the vendor? * Disproportionate visibility and influence * Customers trust us (in the post-FUD era) ‏ * We don't spend on closed-source overheads * We get source contributions * We get to make cool things * It's just a better way to live

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > So how do we actually make money? * Custom development e.g. Library of Texas

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > So how do we actually make money? * Custom development * Sponsored development of core software e.g. Unicode support in Zebra

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > So how do we actually make money? * Custom development * Sponsored development of core software * Integration e.g. authentication systems

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > So how do we actually make money? * Custom development * Sponsored development of core software * Integration * Hosted solutions e.g. NELLCO (New England Law) ‏

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > So how do we actually make money? * Custom development * Sponsored development of core software * Integration * Hosted solutions * Support ... for all of the above and more

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > So how do we actually make money? * Custom development * Sponsored development of core software * Integration * Hosted solutions * Support * Training ... for all of the above

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > So how do we actually make money? * Custom development * Sponsored development of core software * Integration (e.g. authentication systems) ‏ * Hosted solutions * Support * Training * Non-free licences for proprietary derivatives e.g. systems built on Zebra

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > So how do we actually make money? * Integration royalties This one is new with Pazpar2 (Service-oriented metasearch engine) ‏

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > “ Do not underestimate the power of the Dark Side ...” We can never get very rich through open-source software.

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > “ Do not underestimate the power of the Dark Side ...” We can never get very rich through open-source software. You can only do that by selling the same thing many times.

Fifteen years of commercial open source software < [email_address] > “ Do not underestimate the power of the Dark Side ...” We can never get very rich through open-source software. You can only do that by selling the same thing many times. Tried with Metaproxy (Metasearch in a box) ‏

Mike Taylor, Index Data < [email_address] > Summary * After 15 years, we're still here! * Software is service, not product * Giving away product costs us little * Free product markets services * Vendor/customer relationship is much nicer than in the proprietary model. http://indexdata.com/

Mike Taylor, Index Data < [email_address] > Summary * After 15 years, we're still here! * Software is service, not product * Giving away product costs us little * Free product markets services * Vendor/customer relationship is much nicer than in the proprietary model. http://indexdata.com/ Why are there dinosaurs on this slide?

Mike Taylor, Index Data < [email_address] > Summary * After 15 years, we're still here! * Software is service, not product * Giving away product costs us little * Free product markets services * Vendor/customer relationship is much nicer than in the proprietary model. http://indexdata.com/ Why are there dinosaurs on this slide? Just to add visual interest, I expect.