Business Model Innovation Map For Open Assets
This section of the toolkit leverages the Business Model Innovation Map (downloadable for reference) to help you identify and explore successful business models that utilize open source elements (software – OSS, data – OD, or hardware – OH).
The toolkit uses a multi-step approach:
1. It starts by helping you clarify your main open asset business objective.
2. Then it supports you to identify the source and form of value you want to create.
3. Finally it offers filtering options to narrow down the possibilities based on the type of open source element (OSS/OD/OH) you’re considering.
| Business model | Open asset type | Example | Value from | Value details | Value Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crowdfunding, Reverse bounty, Research/academic proj, Student classroom dev | Open Source Software | Kickstarter, AppBackr,, BountyOSS, Numenta NuPIC; BlueJ | Indirect Value | Achieve a project goal | Push forward research or get experience |
| Memberships and donations, Stipends | Open Source Software | Mozilla, Apache and Eclipse foundations, Google Summer of Code | Indirect Value | Develop FOSS continuosly or specific purpose (e.g. social) | |
| Consortium, Government mandate and funding | Open Source Software | OCaml consortium, OpenStack foundation, Linaro, PRPL | Indirect Value | Strive for a collective mission | Governmental intervention |
| Commercial buy-out, FOSS buy-out | Open Source Software | Xen, JBoss, MySQL, OpenOffice, Blender | Indirect Value | Transition from FOSS to closed | |
| Market disruption | Open Source Software | SAPDB; OpenOffice.org; Sun; IBM; Cisco; Apache TomCat (Sun); | Indirect Value | Disrupt current market | Defacto standards, tech. push Defacto standards, tech. push |
| OH Not-for-profit/NGO | Open Hardware | – | Indirect Value | Tech. access or innovation | Aim for strategic solutions |
Development driven
Internal development
Indirect Strategic aims
Project-based
Crowdfunding (4), Reverse bounty (16), Research/academic
proj. (18), Student classroom dev. (27)
Project-based models involve defined projects with specific
goals, budgets, and timelines. These models can be initiated by
project owners or developers and often rely on contributions
or participation from interested parties. The objective is to
complete well-defined development work through collaborative or
incentivized efforts.
- OWN SOFTWARE Contributor aspect
- INDIRECT VALUE: Achieve a project goal, Make research or get
experience
Examples
Kickstarter, AppBackr, Sun Microsystems’s “$1 Million Open
Source Community Innovation Awards Program”, Mozilla’s “Security
Bug Bounty Program”, BountyOSS, The R language libraries; Numenta
NuPIC; BlueJ
Sponsorship
Memberships and donations (6), 17 Stipends (17)
Sponsorship models involve requesting financial contributions
from individuals or organizations to support the development and
distribution of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) products.
The organizations that develop the FOSS products retain control
in deciding how to allocate the contributions. Sponsorship can
come in the form of memberships, donations, stipends, or grants.
Some organizations offer various levels of memberships with
different fees, while others explicitly ask for donations or
raise funds through selling branded merchandise.
- OWN SOFTWARE Contributor aspect
- INDIRECT VALUE: Develop FOSS continuously or specific
purpose (e.g. social)
Examples
Mozilla Foundation, Apache Foundation, Eclipse Foundation,
Wikimedia Foundation (MediaWiki platform), Perl Foundation, Tor
Project, GNU LilyPond, Google Summer of Code, Core Infrastructure
Initiative
Strategic funding
Consortium (12), Government mandate and funding (26)
Strategic funding models involve collective efforts and
significant investment from organizations or government entities
to support and steer the development of FOSS projects. These
models are characterized by their structured and coordinated
approach to funding, often with specific objectives and
governance structures to guide the development and direction of
the projects.
- OWN SOFTWARE Contributor aspect
- INDIRECT VALUE: Strive for a collective mission,
Governmental intervention
Examples
OCaml consortium, OpenStack foundation, Linaro, PRPL, AllSeen
Alliance, Open Interconnect Consortium
Buy-outs
Commercial buy-out (24), FOSS buy-out (25)
Buy-out models involve the acquisition of FOSS projects by
larger commercial enterprises or through community funding to
transition proprietary software to FOSS. These models typically
occur at a stage where the product has proven its potential and
can attract significant investment or support. The buy-out model
is often an intermediate stage, transitioning the project from
its initial development phase to a new phase under different
ownership or management.
- OWN SOFTWARE Contributor aspect
- INDIRECT VALUE: Transition from FOSS to closed, Transition
from closed to FOSS
Examples
Xen, JBoss, MySQL, OpenOffice, Blender, and many projects
acquired by Sun Microsystems before it was bought out by Oracle.
Market disruption
Market disruption (19)
The project owner initiates a project or an interested corporate
developer injects code into an existing project in order to
undercut a competitor, change the competitive landscape,
establish a de facto standard, or push a technology in a
direction that is favorable to their business. The development
of a FOSS product is meant to erode or devalue competitor market
share or is used as a bulwark against potential competitors. The
created FOSS project aims to undercut competitive pricing or
separate a competitor from a community.
- OWN SOFTWARE Contributor aspect
- INDIRECT VALUE: Disrupt current market, Defacto standards,
tech. push
Examples
SAPDB; OpenOffice.org; Sun; IBM; Cisco; Apache TomCat (Sun);
Eclipse; Apache Axis (IBM); Apache Harmony (IBM and Intl);
Apache Geronimo; Apple’s WebKit; Twitter’s Bootstrap
OH Not-for-profit/NGO
- OWN HARDWARE Contributor aspect
- INDIRECT VALUE: Tech. access or innovation, Aim for strategic
solutions
Business driven
Asset based
Service based
Extended business
