Taking part to the opening of a software : what advantages for the customer ?
On short term, the customer has guarantees of an immediatly operational software. He avoids all technological risks related to the development of new software.
On mid term, he knows that he will benefit of all the advantages of Free Software : mutualisation, specific development and full independancy to the editor.
Linbox Rescue Server : originally, a proprietary software
Linbox FAS fully financed, without any inital order, the development of the LRS. The financing of these 6 years of research and development is done through the selling of software licences. This way to finance is totally opposed to the Free Software model which relies most of the time on a mutualised R&D or on an inital order from a reference customer.
How to come out from this proprietary logic ?
From its origin in 1996, Linbox FAS provides services around Free/Open Source Software. We then know that the economical model of Free Software (service based) is a viable alternative to the classical proprietary model (license based).
The experience prooves that, to apply this model to software edition, the recognition of the product quality and of the editor expertise are necessary preliminaries.
Customer references are the origin of this recognition and feed it. Getting these references are then the real requirement making the opening of the code economically viable.
Solution : get engaged with precise modalities
LinboxFAS found a solution, in getting engaged into code opening conditionned by the covering of R&D costs through the selling of software licenses. Each sold license is also a new customer reference. Once R&D fees covered, the number of customers will be sufficient to demonstrate the product and the editor credibility.
To prove our commitment, the progression toward the full openess threshold will be publicly published on http://www.linbox.com. Moreover, an intermediary threshold was defined and reached : we release under GPL our software for GNU/Linux client pcs.
Opening of the code : modalities and future
There are still 525,000.00 € HT of investment to cover before the total LRS code opening (situation as of 31st of march 2005). The free project is living and the source code is published on http://lrs.linbox.org. We welcome all contributions.
Future developments will be mutualised and given to the community. LinboxFAS will live thanks to support contracts, training and specific developments (Please visit http://www.linbox.com/en for learning more on our service offers).
Comparison between proprietary and GPL editions
To help us to reach the full openess threshold (then the LRS will be published under GNU GPL license), do not hesitate to consult our offer on our commercial site. You will find a comparison between both versions on http://www.linbox.com/ucome.rvt?file=/any/en/Produits/LRS/llrs/comparaison.tmpl
