A few days ago, I talked about open source as a competitive marketing tool and business model.  You give away what you cannot sell to get market share!

One of my examples was Sun Microsystems decision to open source Java and Solaris.  Now, after acquiring mySQL, we read that Sun may be close sourcing some of its more advanced features.

Well, they own MySQL so they can do what they want, but then again, it reiterates my belief that open source is not a religion. It is a business model whose decisions are based on market economics, and financial considerations.

jcole’s weblog: MySQL to launch new features only in MySQL Enterprise

MySQL will start offering some features (specifically ones related to online backups) only in MySQL Enterprise. This represents a substantive change to their development model — previously they have been developing features in both MySQL Community and MySQL Enterprise. However, with a shift to offering some features only in MySQL Enterprise, this means a shift to development of those features occurring (and thus code being tested) only in MySQL Enterprise.

We are quite elated that our free eNGy Business Cartoons e-book download reached 100 in less than 2 days! This is a new dimension on marketing that we need to constantly explore and understand better — offering something free and getting word of mouth.

Starting just right now, you can also opt to download the higher resolution full color version ( bigger file though at 10.9 megabytes).

We got a lot of feedbacks from the cover, and we are publishing it here on the blog as well. i think people were enthralled at the little poem ( is it qualified to be called one?) we composed for the back cover.

but I am serious in sending a message with the back cover - this shows various employees of the same company pushing in different directions — that mean the company is in paralysis and hardly moving because their efforts negate each other!  This a serious problem in many companies!

And of course, the Boss has other things in his minds other than growing the company and taking care of his employees.

“Free Open Source Software Is Costing Vendors $60 Billion,” New Standish Group International Study Finds

“Open Source software is raising havoc throughout
the software market. It is the ultimate in disruptive technology, and
while to it is only 6% of estimated trillion dollars IT budgeted annually,
it represents a real loss of $60 billion in annual revenues to software
companies,” said Jim Johnson, Chairman, The Standish Group International,
Boston, MA