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Redhat et al. have shown us that it is entirely possible to make money off of free software. Google et al. have shown us that free software trumps proprietary,
by thescriptkiddie 10y ago
Redhat et al. have shown us that it is entirely possible to make money off of free software. Google et al. have shown us that free software trumps proprietary, even if there is no money to be made from it. The business model of selling licenses to proprietary software is a relic of a long-gone era at this point. Even Microsoft is giving away Windows 10 for "free".
- api 10y agoIt's possible to make money off free software in B2B with services, support, SaaS, proprietary value adds, etc. That's how RedHat and many other enterprise vendors with OSS offerings make money. This only works for selling to corporations. End users don't pay for that kind of thing. I am not aware of anyone making money in free software in B2C other than through surveillance, ads, or other ways of "monetizing the user." This is how Google, Facebook, and others who produce free software in B2C areas make money. From a freedom POV, B2C is what matters. I assume that since we're talking about free-as-in-freedom we're interested in getting beyond surveillance as a business model.