The Best Open Source Business Models - page 5

JBoss Leads the Way

These days, corporations using or selling open source software are looking for assurances to protect their assets. This is where the desire to seek out open source insurance has come into play. One company provides code audits to make sure that all the code is in open source compliance, best practices training, and insurance to safeguard potential profit loss for using the insured open source product. (Open source insured products are protected only from loss due to mergers, settlements, and other related causes of profit loss.)

The company also ushers in services for those providing services for open source companies themselves. See, a company can actually find open source profits by simply providing services rather than supporting the development of software itself. Some examples:

• Staffing services: Provide coders as needed for companies looking to expand their current open source project(s).
• Legal help: Legal advice and attorneys on a retainer for those open source groups or companies needing assistance from experts on open source licensing law.
• Fund raising: Not all open source companies are in a position to begin fund raising endeavors for projects that they'd like to support. Fund raising services allows them to write a check for a business development expense.