Executive Summary:
How does open source work as part of a business model? A start-up company explains how to think through the different dimensions of open source. The approach that CohesiveFT is taking is to identify the open source modules that lead customers in the financial trading industry are currently using and to bundle them into a “stack” that CohesiveFT will support, while adding additional industry-specific software and software services.
It is possible to charge for open source software but if you plan to do so, you need to maintain authority and final say over what code is included in each build. You should also control the brand identity, ideally using two different brand names for the commercial code and the version to which people contribute.
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