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2006/04/12

Open source applications: We've reached the "laugh at you" phase

I am always amazed at the lack of understanding about how open source business models can work.

Matt Asay has a great post current status of open source applications.

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.

Mohandas Gandhi

Linux is in the "win" phase. Apache webserver is in the "won" phase. MySQL and JBoss are in the stage where the laughter turns bitter and the pushing starts. Big wins are on the horizon.

Open source applications? We're at the point the ignorance is breeding laughter. SugarCRM, Alfresco, JasperSoft, Plone, Compiere, etc. These are all applications that used to be ignored, but ignorance is no longer serving proprietary competitors well.

Marketers like to talk about how the "product" includes the thing itself and its attributes such as packaging, pricing, licensing, service, support, customization, etc. In a way, open source explodes all these elements and then companies or groups such as SugarCRM and the Plone community pull pieces back together into new packages that are more attractive to certain customers.

Hat tip to the Plone Blog

Category(s): Open Source

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Wikid

Posted by Marek Bialoglowy at Mar 22, 2007 07:17 AM

I have RSA Secure ID in my SE P900 Phone. Having Wikid installed there and providing two-factor authentication for my office at a fraction of cost of RSA SecureID would definitely be a fantastic option. Moreover, I won't have to carry a separate device with me, I'll only need my mobile phone which I carry with my everywhere anyway. Moreover, if I someone steals my phone I can always change my keys, get new phone and install another Symbian based application on my hand phone. I definitely think you are on the right track.

PS: If I could ever get Google Accounts working with this as SSO for all my accounts on various web-sites, it would be really something.

Re:Open source applications: We've reached the "laugh at you" phase

Posted by nowen at Mar 22, 2007 07:17 AM

Marek:

Thanks for the compliments. Did your phone come with SecurID on it? If so, how did you get get the seed to the phone? I have some questions about the security of that process. It sounds like it is done via SMS and I was wondering if they use encryption. If so, then does it limit the device types and carriers. As I understand it, not many carriers implement encryption for SMS.

Great minds think alike! Unfortunately, I don't think google has opened up their authentication APIs yet, nor have they purchased a WiKID server (of that I'm sure). The interesting thing about WiKID is that it can be federated or each service can have a separate domain on a single client.

Nick

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