IT Troubleshooter | Harper Mann » My downloads is bigger than yours!

September 13, 2007 | Comments: (0)

My downloads is bigger than yours!

TAGS: Open Source

My downloads is bigger than yours!

CNET's Matt Asay posted an interesting blog today titled The Open Source Volume Myth. I believe his post succinctly pulls the covers off the value of the download metric that many feel is the best barometer of success in open source. Maybe in certain instances, sure. But in commercial open source (which I loosely define as a company trying to monetize their particular open source business model), that dog won't hunt. Déja vu back to the late nineties when all the internet-related start-ups thought their future fortunes were linked to oodles and oodles of eyeballs. Remember the end of that story?

So, what beyond downloads? I've never thought Open Source changed the dance of commercial software. A customer needs more than bits. They also need packaging, docs, reporting, processes, services, community and support. The real trick is to get the software integrated into the twisty maze of customer environments, all different. At GroundWork, as with many "Open Source" companies, the open source "product" can be thought of as simply a demo--a fully functional demo, of course, and one that's customizable to meet your needs, but with no obligation to "buy up." You could build on it, and trick it out, but that doesn't make sense. Busy customers truly do not need to develop yet more expertise that's not core to their business. Customers buy the GroundWork "solution" which is in all aspects a enterprise software product. You buy "support" to get the commercial product. Fortunately, customers think GroundWork should be paid for value provided so it all works out.

Want to know if a company is successful? What are their revenues? What is their average deal size? How many paying customers do they have? Not to say there is no value in volume obviously, but to put the download metric on a pedestal is a mistake. Remember how "MIPS" used to measure processor speed? Don't let the marketing folks fool you. :)

Posted by Harper Mann on September 13, 2007 05:03 PM

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