On the middle ground between open source and commercial software - the case of the Newbler program

This paper investigates competition between open source and proprietary software. Open source software is divided into two types: free open source and commercial open source. Free open source software can be available from the not-for-profit community, and Commercial open source software is software product based on free open source software. The usability of both free and commercial open source software is assumed to be inferior to proprietary software. It finds that: (i) when commercial open source vendor faces competition from proprietary software and free open source software, it may still be able to obtain profits; (ii) commercial open source vendor's pricing (resp. share or profit) may still be much lower (resp. less) than that of proprietary vendor even if its software functionality is not inferior to proprietary software; (iii) commercial open source vendor's pricing and profit may not increase as its software usability increases; (iv) proprietary software's price decreases with the usability of commercial open source software. Index Terms—proprietary software, open source software, price competition, software features, software usability

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This study investigates how open source software can play influences on the quality choices of commercial open source and proprietary software providers. It considers two types of open source software: community open source and commercial open source, and assumes that the usability of commercial open source software is better than community open source substitute but inferior to proprietary substitute. It finds that: (i) the functional quality of proprietary software decreases as the functional quality of community open source software increases, but it may increase as the usability of community open source software increases; (ii) even if commercial open source producers must open the source codes of their quality contributions, they have incentive to enhance the functional quality of community open source software; (iii) the influence of community open source software’s quality (usability or functional quality) or commercial open source software’s usability on the functional quality of commercial open source and proprietary software may be not same; (iv) the appearance of commercial open source software may lead to proprietary software producers lowering their software functional quality.

3D printing of mandible is important for pre-operative planning, diagnostic purposes, as well as for education
\nand training. Currently, the processing of CT data is routinely performed with commercial software which increases the
\ncost of operation and patient management for a small clinical setting. Usage of open-source software as an alternative to
\ncommercial software for 3D reconstruction of the mandible from CT data is scarce. The aim of this study is to compare
\ntwo methods of 3D reconstruction of the mandible using commercial Materialise Mimics software and open-source Medical
\nImaging Interaction Toolkit (MITK) software. Head CT images with a slice thickness of 1 mm and a matrix of 512x512
\npixels each were retrieved from the server located at the Radiology Department of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia. The
\nCT data were analysed and the 3D models of mandible were reconstructed using both commercial Materialise Mimics and
\nopen-source MITK software. Both virtual 3D models were saved in STL format and exported to 3matic and MeshLab
\nsoftware for morphometric and image analyses. Both models were compared using Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and
\nHausdorff Distance. No significant differences were obtained between the 3D models of the mandible produced using
\nMimics and MITK software. The 3D model of the mandible produced using MITK open-source software is comparable to
\nthe commercial MIMICS software. Therefore, open-source software could be used in clinical setting for pre-operative
\nplanning to minimise the operational cost.

PurposeThis study aims to explore the present status of open-source institutional repository (IR) software’s usage in the university libraries of Islamabad. This study also investigates the views, satisfaction level and challenges of librarians in the adoption and use of IR software.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted to collect data from the Library Information Science (LIS) professionals working in the university libraries of Islamabad. Data were collected from all library professionals of the Islamabad university libraries by using a structured questionnaire. Out of the total 104 LIS professionals, 84 participated in the study with a response ratio of 80.76%.FindingsThe findings disclose that out of 23 universities recognized by Higher Education Commission (HEC) in Islamabad, 17 (public and private) have developed IRs. Currently, university libraries that have fully implemented the IRs are less as compared with those universities that have partially implemented IR software. However, a good number of university libraries are in the process to develop IRs. Free and open-source software is being used mostly in libraries as compared with in-house developed, locally developed or commercial software. The opinion of librarians about using IR software expressed a positive attitude of librarians. Some of the major challenges encountered by the librarians in using open-source IR software include selection of suitable software and materials for digitization, lack of cooperation from the parent organization, inadequate training opportunities and lack of skilled staff.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is geographically limited to the university libraries in Islamabad.Practical implicationsThis study will encourage the Pakistani LIS professionals to use open-source software for the development of IRs in their libraries.Originality/valueThis study concludes that the development of IRs in university libraries is a need of the hour. Although the launching of IRs requires certain skills and competencies, Pakistani librarians can overcome these challenges by mastering the ICT skills.

By modifying Hotelling model, we research the differentiation decisions between open source software (OSS) and proprietary software (PS) and the location decisions of proprietary software when open source software and proprietary software coexist in a software market. In this paper, we assume proprietary software producer pursues profit maximization and open source software is freely available. The study finds that: (i) Higher (resp. lower) the OSS's learning cost, smaller (resp. greeter) the software differentiation between OSS and PS; (ii) the compatibility degree between open source and proprietary software affects software differentiation; (iii) how the network externality and OSS user's software development skills affect the software differentiation decisions and the location decisions of proprietary software depends on the compatibility degree between PS and OSS.

Abstract. Open source software could emerge thanks to the development of the Internet, development tools, and computer literacy in general. The most attractive parameter of open source GIS software is a free license. The rapid pace of development, attracting developers from all over the world and high modularity stimulate the innovative nature of open source software. Here, the introduction of new technologies does not meet with opposition, but rather welcomes. These circumstances, as well as elucidation of the functional capabilities of such GIS, become very important in the search for means of providing the educational process with modern GIS software, which is traditionally an expensive proprietary software. Goal: Analysis of up-to-date GIS software protection and visual accessibility of the QGIS system in the first place with studying geoinformation systems.Quantum GIS (QGIS) is an open source software (GIS) geographic information system (GIS). Open software is one of the most interesting technological phenomena of the present, owing to its rapid growth in the development of the Internet, development tools and computer literacy in general. The key role in the creation, development and support of open source software is played, as a rule, by the community of developers forming around individual software products: commercial companies, groups of enthusiasts or research organizations. The term open source was proposed by Bruce Perens, one of the key leaders in the Open Source and Free Software movement, cofounder with Eric Raymind in 1998 of the Open Source Initiative (OSI), an open source software development organization that promotes and provides technical open source support. This open source term is used by OSI to determine whether a software license complies with open source standards. The main features of open source software as defined include free distribution, accessible source code, permission to modify this source code. At the same time, even successful open source software products require companies on the market ready to provide technical support and advice on issues related to the selected products. However, the number of companies providing support services for open source GIS software is still relatively small.

The use of open source software has become increasingly popular in production environments, as well as in research and software development. One obvious attraction is the low cost of acquisition. Commercial software has a higher initial cost, though it usually has advantages such as support and training. A number of business models designed by users and vendors combine open source and commercial software; they use open source as much as possible, adding commercial software as needed. They may use open source software as a central component of a product or service, but use other components to add value, which can then induce customers to pay for the offering (obviously, it is hard to compete with free software on price).

Open has defined my professional career in every way imaginable: for almost ten years now it has been the motivating force in my career, the mode in which I work, and the subject that I research. As a result, today I live and breathe open—but it has not always been this way. What follows is the story of how open proved itself to me. It is a story that demonstrates how participating in open projects and processes can lead to unexpected opportunities. In my case, these opportunities have taken me on a journey from an itinerant software developer, to a workshop instructor in over a dozen countries, to a PhD at Stanford University, and finally to an academic career. These opportunities have lead to my contributing thousands of lines of code, over a dozen research articles, two edited books, countless workshops for journal editors, and the teaching of undergraduate and graduate students. More importantly, they have allowed me to contribute back to the region of the world from which I emigrated as a child by helping to amplify the voices of Latin American scholars worldwide. This unexpected journey started in January 2006 when I took a job at the open access Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR), where I was responsible, among other things, for upgrading the journal to the latest version of the Public Knowledge Project's (PKP) open source software Open Journal Systems (OJS). JMIR has been a pioneer in open access, and it was doing so using open source software as its foundation. Unbeknownst to me at the time, this convergence of open source with open access would become the defining trait of my career. As a software developer by training, I knew the benefits of open source software from a practical level. The existence of OJS made my job at JMIR easier (plus, it came at a convenient price!). But it was not until I was ready to leave that job (I wanted to move back to my native Argentina) that I realized how contributing to an open source project could also lead to new and unexpected opportunities. I had been contributing code back to PKP—this is what you do when you develop open source—and so when I emailed PKP's director (John Willinsky) asking for short contract to finalize a few contributions, he already knew who I was and readily agreed. What was surprising to me, was that he also asked me to lead a series of workshops on open access and OJS in Latin America. It is a testament to John Willinsky that he hired me to represent PKP without ever asking for a CV—my code contributions had spoken for themselves. This work set off a chain of events that is still unfolding to this date. My open source code contributions lead to regular work with PKP: writing software, running workshops, conducting surveys, and studying the results. The work kept me off the streets of Argentina, but more importantly, it allowed me to engage with Latin Americans and reconnect with a region I had emigrated from fifteen years prior. As I engaged, I learned about the plight of Latin American scholars, and of the incredible interest from the region in open access. I quickly realized that my technical expertise in OJS could serve the interests of these scholars, and supporting them has become a driving motivation in all my professional activities. I have always felt proud of my contributions OJS, and in how this open source software supports open access, but over time I felt the need to better understand the role of open access itself. This curiosity led me to a PhD program at Stanford University, where I was able to devote my attention to studying the Public Impact of Latin America's Approach to Open Access and other aspects of scholarly publishing. Along the way, I have ensured that all my research outputs are openly available. Contrary to researcher's concerns, this has not prevented me from getting a faculty position in a market where these are increasingly rare. My hope is to use this position to continue to further our understanding of open access and of Latin America's scholarly communication, with the belief that this will lead to positive outcomes for the region. Whatever contributions I make—through research, software, or in my life in general—were enabled by contributing to open source and open access. I owe this debt to openness, and I intend to pay it back for the rest of my career by being open about my work, and by contributing to projects and organizations that support openness. This is, after all, what you do in an open ecosystem. It is the secret sauce of openness, and I invite you to benefit from it as much as I have.

The classification of open source used at domestic and abroad is divided into hardware and software. This classification is simply limited to the physical and local distinction, people know that it cannot be operated or utilized independently. In the past, there have been many open source activities against commercial software, however, in recent years, activities in the field that commercial software cannot cover become active rather than developing software corresponding to commercial software. Accordingly, there has been the opinion that as the number of users has dramatically increased, open source software would be more practical than commercial software, and thus open source software took the lead in the application of new technology. Currently, various commercial software developers introduce open source concepts to develop softwares that are easy for many users to access, there are many presentations aligned with new advanced technology, and the government supports much for open source development and introduction. However, in introducing open source software with new technology by groups or organizations, various considerations such as technological, financial, periodical, and environmental factors should be taken, and those factors have not been studied, thus research is necessary at this time.

Over the last five years, open source software has moved into mainstream areas such as Internet and financial applications, with software such as Linux and Apache Web Server now supporting mission-critical operations. Open source software can offer both cost reductions and improvements in software quality. However, the uptake by incumbent telecommunications providers has been virtually zero, instead focusing on major commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) packages, due to a mixture of prior strategic investments and perceptions over open source risks. This paper addresses the scope for use of open source software in telecommunications operational support systems (OSS). Firstly, the technical scope for open source software is addressed, covering the maturity of available open source software components, and the ways in which these components can have an impact on OSS software architecture. Secondly, the commercial aspects are presented, covering benefits, commercial models and risks. An OSS life cost comparison of open source versus COTS software is included. Thirdly, a test OSS created by BT using primarily open source software, combined with OSS standards to provide a minimum cost base, is presented and analysed. The paper concludes with a statement on the potential for the use of open source software in OSS, and suggests possible next steps.

With the popularity of open source software (OSS) as an alternative to proprietary software (PS), proprietary-software firms such as IBM and Microsoft started to embrace this new paradigm during the past decades. We analyze how firms choose the software development strategy between OSS and PS, by constructing a duopoly model in which consumers sequentially purchase software and complementary services in a market that exhibits an indirect network effect. We show that a PS firm may benefit from the presence of an OSS firm, and the software market can be dominated by a single OSS if the indirect network effect is weak and the cost saving effect of OSS is negligible. We also show that the market can support two OSS if the cost saving effect of OSS is sizeable, and two PS if firms can provide fully compatible services to competitor’s PS. Building upon the existing works that investigate the competition between PS and OSS, this study improves our understanding of the role of OSS in firm’s software development strategy and market equilibrium.

Open-source software abbreviated as OSS is computer software that is available with source code and is provided under a software license that permits users to study, change, and improve the software. For the commercial software the source code and certain other rights are normally reserved for copyright holders,i.e. the company who developes the software. A group of people in a collaborative manner often developes the Open source software, not under the roof of a large organization. This strategy makes open source software cheap, reliable and modifiable if needed. In this context we shall discuss mainly the features of Open Source Software, differences of open source and free software and open source software movement in Indian perspective.

Open source software is software that users have the ability to run, copy, distribute, study, modify, share, and improve for any purpose. Open source library software does not need the initial cost of commercial software, but it does allow libraries to have more control over their working environment. Library professionals should be vigilant. The advantages of open source software and should involve its development. They must have basic knowledge. In the selection, installation and maintenance. Open source software requires more processing responsibility for commercial software. Library professionals do not seriously think about the benefits of opening source code software for automation and are therefore reluctant to use it. Lacking the skills to support open source software, the document highlights the core software of the open source library. Keywords: Open source software’s, The open source movement, Library technology, Information technology.

PurposeThis paper aims to compare the automatic segmentation of medical data and conversion to stereolithography (STL) skull models using open-source software versus commercial software.Design/methodology/approachBoth open-source and commercial software used automatic segmentation and post-processing of the data without user intervention, thus avoiding human error. Detailed steps were provided for comparisons and easier to be repeated by other researchers. The results of segmentation, which were converted to STL format were compared using geometric analysis.FindingsSTL skull models produced using open-source software are comparable with the one produced using commercial software. A comparison of STL skull model produced using InVesalius with STL skull model produced using MIMICS resulted in an average dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 97.6 ± 0.04 per cent and Hausdorff distance (HD) of 0.01 ± 0.005 mm. Inter-rater study for repeatability on MIMICS software yielded an average DSC of 100 per cent and HD of 0.Social implicationsThe application of open-source software will benefit the small research institutions or hospitals to produce and virtualise three-dimensional model of the skulls for teaching or clinical purposes without having to purchase expensive commercial software. It is also easily reproduceable by other researchers.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first comparative evaluations of an open-source software with propriety commercial software in producing accurate STL skull models. Inaccurate STL models can lead to inaccurate pre-operative planning or unfit implant.