[mapguide-users] Commercial vs. Open Source Functionality

[Robert Bray]

Thanks Jason good answers. Let me just confirm (with my Autodesk hat
on). When we launched mapguide.osgeo.org we moved all of the core source
code for MapGuide into open source (you can see our daily development by
subscribing to the commits e-mail list). Both the open source and
commercial versions of the product are built from this one code base. We
actually deleted our internal source tree, so any changes to open source
will appear in commercial and vice versa. Now that said, we are a
business and need to make money in order to keep producing software. So
the commercial version will have additional functionality, but these
will be more like add-ons that come with the commercial distribution
(the core code will be the same).

 

1. Studio is a commercial product. There is an open source web-based
variation in the works that we plan to have available later this spring.
It will not be as functional as the commercial version, but it will be a
full open source project.

 

2. The Open Source release will eventually contain providers for SDF,
SHP, ArcSDE, MySQL, ODBC, WMS, and WFS. As Jason points out, Frank W is
working on a Raster provider based on GDAL and we would really like to
get a PostGIS provider developed. These same providers (with the
exception of GDAL) are shipping with the upcoming release of Autodesk
Map. Getting them ready for that release has taken priority over getting
them ready for open source. Again we are a business and need to fund all
of this somehow.

 

As for investment, we have put over two years of development into this
product. We have big plans for it and absolutely no intention of
abandoning it.

 

Bob

 

  _____  

From: Jason Birch [mailto:Jason.Birch at nanaimo.ca] 
Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2006 10:05 AM
To: users at mapguide.osgeo.org
Subject: RE: [mapguide-users] Commercial vs. Open Source Functionality

 

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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