It seems amazing how many people are curious about the decision to release a (formerly) closed source project into open source. Even as we begin the transition efforts for Flex, by opening the bug base, andso on, we still get requestts for information on the "why" of Flex open source.
(What, you haven't registered for bug base access? Get ye hence now!)
Anyway, there is a really great interview with Adobe's Phil Costa, the Director of Product Management for Flex and ColdFusion over at "How Software is built".
Phil drills into our reasons to open Flex, and details some of our decision process and roadmap for the future. It's well worth reading, insightful and entertaining.
But lets expand a bit.
Four basic motivations exist for corporations getting into OSS.
- Revenue from selling a product or service that relies on OSS in some way.
- Reducing the cost of technology used.
- Providing a community benefit (knowledge, functionality that may not be commercial).
- Putting pressure on competitors.
Now obviously, this aren't the only reasons, nor are they necessarily the altrusitic reasons. But they are motivating factors.
There are additional factors that are technology specific (which Phil does a great job of detailing). There are factors, as stated in an early blog, to return value for value received. There are desires to expand reach, find new and disruptive markets. But corporations, especially public ones, most often need find tangible values, and measure against those values.
Anyway, go read what is said about Flex.
See us at MAX 2007!
