The deliberate simplification of the diagrams shown on these pages show something important. If you reduce the workings of a proprietary software company and an professional open source company down to the fewest number of lines and bubbles it shows fundamental differences between the two.
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| Open Source | Proprietary | POSS |
|---|---|---|---|
Rate of innovation | Higher | Lower | Higher |
Visibility into product design / implementation | Higher | Lower | Higher |
Quality of software | Higher | Lower | Higher |
Reliability of support | Lower | Higher | Higher |
Reliability of roadmap | Lower | Higher | Higher |
Ownership of solution | Higher | Lower | Higher |
Availability of professional services | Lower | Higher | Higher |
Availability of references and case studies | Lower | Higher | Higher |
Ability to prototype and 'try before you buy' | Higher | Lower | Higher |
Cost of license or subscription | None | Higher | Lower |
Ability to customize software | Higher | Lower | Higher |
As demonstrated by the Beekeeper diagrams and this table the POSS model, when implemented well, is a ideal combination of the methodologies, principles, and roles from open source and proprietary software development models. By combining these models carefully the advantages of each can also be combined to produce a result that is powerful and compelling.
Open source has been described as the biggest paradigm shift in computing in the last 20 years. I hope that the information I have presented here shows the disruptive nature of open source / POSS is due to the profound and fundamental differences that exist between the proprietary software development model and the open source / POSS models. POSS companies are a lot of fun to work at because of this. I don't know of anyone working in a POSS company today that wants to go back to a proprietary vendor. I know lots of people at proprietary vendors who would like to move out.
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