Mike Shaver wrote:
>
> Thus spake Emily G. Cohen:
> > I don't know of many companies that give away their source code -
> > it's called intellectual property.
>
> You might have heard of this little company called `Sun', which offers
> inexpensive/free source licenses to education institutions. It's a
> little hack called `Solaris'. And there's an up-and-coming player in
> the firewall market called `ITS' or `STI' or something like that that
> bundles source with their Gauntlet product.
>
> `No one else is doing it' is a pretty sad rationale if it tries to
> stand on its own, and it's even more so if it's wrong.
>
> > And, it's how Check Point
> > differentiates itself, along with the management console
>
> You mean that it's your _implementation_ that sets you apart? Surely
> you're not allowed to admit to that, even if it's true. Aren't you
> supposed to be doing different things, and not just the same things
> better? I'm sure I read that somewhere...
>
> There's no shame in a company being reluctant to divulge their source
> details if they've got a genuine fear that their competitors are so
> close on their heels (or vice versa) that every inch counts. It's
> only shameful when the try to pretend that their market is stupid for
> wanting access to it.
>
> The customer is always right. Just ask someone in Accounts Receivable.
>
> Mike
>
> --
> #> Mike Shaver (shaver @
ingenia .
com) Ingenia Communications Corporation
> #> Commando Developer - Whatever It Takes
> #>
> #> "See, you not only have to be a good coder to create a system like
> #> Linux, you have to be a sneaky bastard too." - Linus Torvalds
I initially thought that this thread had descended into pointless
bickering. Then, I got to thinking -- after a bottle (or so) of boffo
BV Reserve '86, that maybe I'm just a bit behind the times.
Is it common for security application software vendors to license copies
of their source code -- surely everyone agrees that a firewall is an
application running atop an operating system? See, that is where we're
in a different ballpark from Sun (or the other UNIX vendors) and
Microsoft (DOES Bill sell source licenses for NT? -- I'd think so, but
don't really know for sure.) But more to the point, does ORACLE,
Informix, or Sybase sell source licenses for their trusted RDBMS's?
Does SAIC or PRC sell source licenses for their centralized audit
products? Does ICL sell source licenses for its unitary logon systems?
Seems to me that Checkpoint is the king of the hill at the moment, and
the king can't scratch without everyone commenting (Bill Clinton knows
something about that phenomena.) Are we asking more of the king than is
standard practice in the security products software industry? Just
asking......
Cheers!
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