Hi, well no I think there will be much more software created because
1) reuse now becomes routine, instead of re-inventing, trying to get
around patents by cross-licensing etc, 2) there will be new reasons
for writing business software: to get the maintainance contracts and
the fees for training people. The revenue from this form of business
can easily replace that of selling binaries. When the executives see
they are not so restricted anymore by what off-shelf software can
do, then they are going to think up ideas pretty quick and hire
someone to implement them, which is now possible because they dont
have to rewrite the whole thing. One could argue that if company A
sells fine software that it took a lot of work to create, then why
should firm B be able to take it, change a few details and distribute
it themselves? well, if company A doesnt want this to happen, just
distribute the binaries; but if the software market changes globally
as I think it will, then the application is just a commodity anyway,
but the ticket to get the service. I mean if the people at firm B
(the "ripoffs") dont have people who know their way in the code,
then they cant support it and make money. Btw, doesnt Microsoft
already have 1500 or 2000 people in support of Word, versus perhaps
100 or 200 coders? I am not sure of this, just what someone told me,
but anyway, even MS earns lots of money already on support. The
way he puts it, "our margins on software sales will decrease".
That certainly isnt a reason MS will fare any worse though. |
