Leveraging Linux when Hardware is a Commodity?

AKInnovation asks: "My company produces peripheral hardware used in commercial applications, such as retail POS. In our market, amongst other such hardware manufacturers, we are the only ones to offer Linux software solutions (drivers). This distinction has recently won us several large accounts. When the hardware becomes a commodity, and you must compete on the software side to keep the money coming in, how can releasing your code as Open Source be rationalized to management?"

Comments

Easy: Its the people.

[torpor]

It is my opinion that the future of Open Source is "General-purpose codebase re-applied to Custom Computing Scenario".

how can releasing your code as Open Source be rationalized to management?

1. Release your code.
2. Manage your contributing developer community. (Sourceforge)
3. Grow the codebase by doing #2 well.
4. Establish good working relationships with customers, customize the codebase for them. (Customers == people who want customized work.)
5. Add a services department that does #4, and only #4, when you've got #2 under control.

OSS is the grand unifier which sets the standards - pretty high - for everyone. The way you differentiate is by really identifying the needs of your customers and then using the OSS machine to deliver on those needs ...