Open-source entries may raise eyebrows

Some applications are born open source; others have open source thrust upon them. In recent months, software as diverse as Workbench, a desktop project planning tool from Niku; WebLogic Workshop, an integrated development environment (IDE) from BEA Systems; the Ingres and Cloudscape databases from Computer Associatesand IBM, respectively; and the Solaris operating system from Sun Microsystems have found themselves going open source. With software vendors' margins and operating profits still razor thin, why are these companies giving away their intellectual property?

Although the motives differ, there's a substantial nugget of common sense—not to say self-interest—behind each move. Niku's Workbench lost out to Microsoft Project years ago, despite having a solid corps of more than 100,000 users. Unable to invest in new versions, Niku cleaned up the code—removing non "G"-rated developer comments and some third-party code—and made it available for download, explains David Hurwitz, a Niku VP. Henceforth, development lies with the open-source community—but Hurwitz expects every version to integrate seamlessly with Clarity, Niku's flagship IT management product.

For BEA Systems, making WebLogic Workshop open source represented no loss of revenue. "Workshop has always been free; we've never sold an IDE," says David Cotter, a director in BEA's development group. He paints the move as one that will help BEA in the broader battle against Microsoft's .NET environment, thanks to the accelerated pace of innovation that is possible once the source code is widely available. "It's all about making Java development easier than .NET," he says. "And anything that makes Java development easier is good for BEA."

The most puzzling—and complicated—transition to open source is Solaris. Sun earns hefty revenues from Solaris, and hopes to continue to do so, says Sun spokesperson Russ Castronovo. While some of the licensing, timing, and other practical details remain to be worked out, the broad picture is clear, he explains.

There will be only one Solaris operating system, jointly developed by Sun and the open-source community. Sun will sell a "branded" industrial-strength version that it will support the same way it does the current version. It also will give away an identical version, which it won't support. In short, says Castronovo, "Solaris, as customers know and use it today, isn't going anywhere. It will only get faster, better, and more secure over time."