embedded devices and open source

[Thomas Charron]

On 2/23/07, Jeffry Smith <jsmith at alum.mit.edu> wrote:
> >  Then there's trade secrets and patents and such that can prevent
> > companies from following the FOSS route.  Some businesses create their
> > own "intellectual property" and want to sell it to others.  Others
> > want (or need) to license the "intellectual property" of others to do
> > what they need.
> And some don't understand what their product is.  Example:  hardware
> devices in computers.  Companies talk about their valuable "IP" (a
> misnomer) in their drivers and that they have to keep them closed.  Or
> that no one could understand them and help out.  Ask the company how
> many drivers they sell.  No hardware, just the drivers.  I'll lay you
> odds it's zero.  The profit is in the hardware, not the drivers.  The
> drivers are cost.  Reducing cost (like by getting help from the
> community - even better if they write it) is good.  Copyrights,
> patents - they still exist whether it's Open Source or proprietary.

  There are value added things that can be implemented by hardware
companies in software.  Bose is a perfect example.  They mostly use
stock hardware in their Lifestyle units.  It's the code and what it's
doing which makes the cash for them.  The initial '2x speed' 802.11g
adapters did so by bursting, in software.

  They don't sell the drivers, true.  But the capabilities present IN
them often add value are incorporated into the overall 'product
capabilities', selling more units.

-- 
-- Thomas