Has SpringSource rejected the open core business model?
The shift of dm Server development to the Eclipse Foundation is a stepping stone to monetization in the cloud, not a rejection of open core
Follow @SavioRodriguesSpringSource, a division of VMware, recently announced its intent to shift development of the SpringSource dm Server project to the Eclipse Foundation.
In analyzing the announcement, The 451 Group's Matt Aslett wrote:
The move to the EPL appears to be motivated by a decision that there is more to gain by encouraging wider adoption of OSGi approaches through more permissive licensing and collaborative community development.
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Prior to the announcement, SpringSource offered dm Server under the GPL and a commercial license. SpringSource now intends to shift from the GPL to the Eclipse Public Licensed (EPL) and no longer offer a commercial license. SpringSource will offer a support subscription for dm Server instead of attempting to monetize usage through a commercial license.
I was quite surprised to hear about this business model change. While the support subscription business model has been in vogue since the open source vendor movement began, there has been a dramatic shift toward the open core business model. The adoption of an open core business model is predicated on the belief that revenue potential is optimized through the sale of commercially licensed products.
