« Subscribing to Jamba | Main | FT on corporate blogging »
December 23, 2004
Open Source service companies - say what?
I've been taking a look at some of the new Open Source service companies that have appeared on the market in the last 12 months or so (such as SpikeSource and SourceLabs). I am slightly puzzled by the fact that even though these companies have been able to raise plenty of VC $, the actual offering or business proposition seems very vague (to me at least). SpikeSource offers a certified stack of Open Source components (one of which is just called "Apache" - what's that?) and a tool that checks out which Open Source components you have on your system. Hmmm... SourceLabs appears even sketchier, offering some sort of support and system testing services. Did any of these companies write a business plan? I guess they must have to get funding. Or are names and buzzwords (accountability, dependability) enough when you're riding a hype-wave? I don't think so. I'm sure there's a market for this type of company - if done right - but formulating a vision that appeals both to commercial clients and the Open Source community at large is key. Combine that with the open communication networks leveraged by social software, and you have a winner. Try finding the weblog on those companies websites for example.
Posted by Matthew at December 23, 2004 11:02 AM