[mapguide-users] Commercial vs. Open Source Functionality

[Jason Birch]

Your questions are shared by many.  This is just my interpretation, but
the information that Autodesk has revealed so far indicates that:
 
1. Studio will be strictly commercial (it contains AutoCAD components)
but Autodesk will be creating an open source "Studio Lite" application
for authoring maps.
 
2. ArcSDE and WMS providers will be in the Open Source edition, as will
ODBC which you can use to access aspatial data in SQL Server.  The
Essential FDO guide provides more information on this:
https://fdo.osgeo.org/docs/FET_TheEssentialFDO.pdf  Currently the
providers not slated for OS release are Oracle, SQL Server (spatial) and
Raster.  This last one is a bit of a sticking point, but I believe that
Frank W is working on a GDAL Raster provider.
 
3. The OS version of the MapGuide code is the only version.  The
Enterprise package that Autodesk is selling will of course have
additional applications and plugins provided with it, but the entire
community will benefit from enhancements to the core, which is on its
own pretty impressive.  As a commercial entity, Autodesk is in this to
make money, and will be doing so with a combination of services and
software sales, similar to the Red Hat model.
 
Jason

________________________________

From: Buscher, Shane [mailto:Shane.Buscher at nngco.com] 
Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2006 05:45
To: users at mapguide.osgeo.org
Subject: [mapguide-users] Commercial vs. Open Source Functionality



All right, I'm a little frustrated at this point trying to figure out
the current direction of MapGuide OS and MapGuide Commercial.  I'm
trying to choose between several competing technologies in the web
mapping arena, including ArcIMS, MapGuide OS, MapGuide Commercial, and
MapServer.  

1.  Is the MapGuide Studio product going to become strictly a commercial
product?  I see it expires in October.  If so, what authoring tool is
going to be made available for the OS users, if any?

2. There's a lot of vaporware advertising going on, especially in the
data provider category.  I have SQL Server,  ArcSDE, and WMS consumption
requirements.  These are documented as being supported, but you quickly
realize they are not post-install.  Are these functionalities only going
to be made available in the Commercial product?  This is what it seems. 

What is the general direction for both OS and Commercial?  Are they
going to be one in the same, with only support being the difference
between the two?  Or, will Autodesk just add functionality independently
of the OS project, leaving the open source community to catch up? 

Maybe this is not the right forum to ask these questions, but I don't
know where else to ask.  It's important to know the direction of these
products, as I'm looking for a long term solution.

Thanks in advance. 

Shane Buscher 
GIS/Compliance Systems 
Northern Natural Gas 
402.398.7841 

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