Synapse Business Models According to Gartner

Massimo Pezzini, Gartner, in Apache Synapse Project Shows Impact of Open-Source Approach:

"Most of the Synapse partners will likely integrate its technology into their products and pursue a traditional license-based business model. However, a few will try to develop a service-and-support business similar to that of JBoss. [...] The Synapse product offering will initially be targeted at providing an embeddable ESB core that the partners can extend with proprietary capabilities or integrate into their “closed source” products."

The licensed-based business model is definitely a straightforward option. The fact that open source code under Apache Public License can be injected into proprietary platforms so ISVs get traditional license revenues is usually refered to as a "business friendly" feature of this license.

The service-and-support model is, IMHO, less obvious. The JBoss model relies on the use of LGPL to avoid competitors to recycle open source code to fuel their own proprietary offering. The other key point in the JBoss model is the stranglehold one single company reatins on the project roadmap and on key committers.