I just came across this post "Open Source is Free like a Free Puppy is Free" from Annie Weinberger, Director of Product Marketing @ Interwoven. And although we’re not really competing with Interwoven, I thought I would take 10min to answer because I’m tired of reading this kind of nonsense about Open Source.

Taking aside it’s not a brand new comparison (Scott McNealy launched it apparently before changing his mind, seeing recent changes in Sun’s business model), I’m still trying to get the point of this post. So here is three options with some comments for you, Annie…

Option #1:  Open Source is for kids

Maybe Annie’s thinking that Open Source is for kids, but for adult customers proprietary is the way to go.
Well, I won’t even write on this. Open Source has proven its credibility in many situations, including the most demanding and critical ones (Internet anyone? Google?). Good Open Source software, is good software. It’s just good. And just works.

More, if you dig a bit into your own software, I would be surprise if you wouldn’t find any bit of Open Source. BTW, it seems your engineers are considering and using Open Source for good given the number of posts they sent on Open Source software mailing-list: Search results for from:interwoven.com – MarkMail. Open Source’s for kids, right?

Option #2: Open Source does cost money

No kidding?! What a scoop! Hey, Annie, what’s your point here?

Open Source does cost money, for sure. And Interwoven too, last time I’ve checked.

In fact, value usually costs money at some point and Open Source is no exception to this fundamental market’s rule.

The real fact is: Open Source software often delivers value for less money that proprietary software do. And if your customers (or prospects should I say) think than Open Source WCM solutions are less expansive than yours, there should be something there, right?

Here’s the trick: Open Source vendors have found a more efficient way to produce and distribute software than you. Plain raw economy. We produce and sell software that works cheaper than you. That’s all. It’s not about feature-level, not about hidden costs (ask any customer if they never ran out of budget with proprietary software implementation…). There is no more, no less, hidden cost with Open Source than with proprietary software. It’s just software, btw, sold and supported by softwares vendors. We charge money for value, as you do. But less for the same amount of value, because we can leverage the power of the Open Source model.

Option #3: Big ECM vendors are scared

Or maybe Interwoven is just scared. Scared because, as many vendors in the ECM market, they just don’t get it. They don’t understand the tsunami that already has surged on so many IT markets (just take operating systems, web technologies, middleware, internet’s core, IT infrastructure, etc.).

Now, ECM proprietary vendors are seeing the big waves coming to their shores, and are just scared. And it’s not about blocking or running here. It’s about surfing. Open Source isn’t like puppies, it’s like surfing! It’s hard. It takes time. But it’s damn good and efficient to deal with the big waves. And it’s cool!

Yes, Open Source vendors have figured out a way (or should I say several ways since approaches are various and slightly different) to deliver a great share of value to their customers, for much less money than proprietary software vendors do.

And one last word about Annie’s post: if you’re forced to use such poor and under-the-belt criticism when trying to promote your product’s superiority, there shouldn’t be much left on the technical side… Should be scaring …

Let’s surf!

EB.

*Update* Seth Gottlieb has an interesting reaction to the same post I’m reacting on: Interwoven’s FOSS FUD.

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