Open Core Model and Software Quality - the Open Software Take

Open Core Model and Software Quality - the Open Software Take

Open Core Model and Software Quality - the Open Software Take by drew Roberts is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Off the top let me say that I am more of a Free Software guy than an Open Source Software guy. (I get that the licenses basically make them one and the same code wise, I am talking about outlook wise.)

Given that, I am going to try and argue this from the Open Source Software viewpoint. Given that I don't generally spend a lot of time thinking of things from this point of view, I welcome corrections / refinements from those who do.

Open source is a development method for software that harnesses the power of distributed peer review and transparency of process. The promise of open source is better quality, higher reliability, more flexibility, lower cost, and an end to predatory vendor lock-in.

from Open Source Initiative

Reason No. 5 to Move to Open Source, Better Quality

Now, I may not be paying enough attention when I come across software using the Open Core Model, but from what I see it is often offered in a community version and an enterprise version.

I take it that the community version is under an approved Open Source license which is generally (always?) also an approved Free Software license. I further take it that the enterprise edition is not under such a license.

So, thinking on this a bit, if the Open Source guys are correct, then the business following the open core model is offering to the community higher quality software (often for no cost) and to the enterprise lower quality software for a price. Will they admit that, or will they deny the better quality argument and say that the enterprise version is of equal or better quality?

If you can think of any improvements to this line of thinking, please let me know.

all the best,

drew