The Benefits of Open Source and the Risks of Open Core

While open source continues to dominate software development, many companies have been offering a mixture of free open source and closed proprietary software--a combination known as open core. These companies hope to cement revenue sources while promoting their status in open source communities. But how does open core compare to open source?This report from open source advocates Danese Cooper and Andy Oram provides an overview of these two software models. You'll learn the critical differences between them and what makes each one attractive. While open source has proven its value, open core poses some risks to vendors and customers. Once you read this report, you can judge for yourself.You'll examine:Why building a company on open source is harder than it looksHow open core's combination of proprietary and open source code creates risks for customers and vendorsWhy open core's corporate and community practices might seem confusingly similarHow open source is taking over software infrastructureWhy some companies present themselves as open source but behave very differentlyHow to sustain your company while supporting open source