The availability of commercial support for an increasing number of open source projects hasn't removed the concerns associated with those which still lack it. As a result, SourceForge.net recently unveiled plans for the SourceForge Marketplace initiative which is to be integrated into SF.net, but is still in closed beta at the moment. I actually like the Marketplace as a central point for the buying and selling of services for open source software. Especially since SourceForge happens to be the leading distribution environment for open source software boasting 2.2 million downloads per/day. It isn't difficult to envision this move also establishing SourceForge as a leading enabler of the distribution of services + contracts for non-commercially supported open source.
Nevertheless, I think SourceForge is missing an opportunity to capitalize on fast growing trend in the enterprise application development world, that of providing self-support for open source software. SourceForge Marketplace will most likely empower the smaller buyers and independent sellers of services/support the same way EBay does with the same two groups within the consumer goods category. However, when enterprises are considering an open source technology which does not feature a dedicated commercial presence even if they can locate services and support for it, they are faced with the prospect of purchasing it from an essentially unknown source. Where the alternative is to adopt the open source component and provide support for it internally.
The point where an application development professional is deciding whether he/she should test the SourceForge Marketplace or attempt to assert some form of shared ownership is precisely where SourceForge could step in and add value to the equation. By recognizing the growing viability of adopting open source software as a form of internally developed code, the company could move towards easing this process and accordingly round out its role as a comprehensive platform + tool set for
[open source] software assets.
The challenges and nature of independently [internally] supporting open source software should drive the nature of the assistance and afforded to those who wish to pursue it. Specifically, a platform like SourceForge has the capability to provide a simple functional layer as a buttress for the process of internalizing open source software artifacts hosted on SF.net. The revenue model for this service could be as appallingly simple as: sign-up, pay and use, or it could feature other variances. There really wouldn't be much need for bells and whistles, as long as key statistics and functions are exposed about open source projects that have been tagged as adopted, the rest would mostly be water under the bridge [default SourceForge]. Optimally these would be displayed, on log-in/authentication, alongside default options on the project's web home.
After previously suggesting what it might take to become a self-sufficient supplier of open source software support, I don't think it's necessary to re-hash the subject. Plus by filling out the available functionality for transitioning open source software into an asset used in-house, SourceForge grows its value proposition not only as a hosting engine but as a software development tool for the enterprise. It shouldn't be hard to see how/why that would benefit both the open source community and the company in the same breath. Perhaps, I'm off the mark with this one but it seems like an option at least worth evaluating.
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Posted by: Inversiones en oro | May 13, 2011 at 09:08 AM