Examples of Companies Successful at Monetizing Open Source

Continuing the discussion on monetizing open source, it is helpful to look to examples of other companies that have been successful at monetizing open source. Here are some that come to mind.

• RedHat – sells a packaged up version of RedHat in an enterprise form with support, which appeals to companies who rely on the fact that it is open source to ensure its longevity, but also like for someone else to be responsible for the software and its support
• ActiveState – takes garden-variety Perl, Python, and Tcl and supercharges them; they guarantee quality-tested versions of the code; they manage complex licensing issues that come into play when you include open source software in other products; they maintain the code for you (remember, open source changes over time); and they provide on-demand technical support (link)
• Kitware – supports ITK, VTK, CMake and other open source packages; sell services; obtains government grants and contracts; over $20 million in 2012 revenue and continued growth according to the Inc 5000 list.

What other examples can you share of companies that successfully monetize open source?