Being a successful Open Source softwares company? Yes, we can!

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Last November 19th, I represented Obeo at the Paris Open Source Summit, first European event on the free & Open Source sector. During my talk, I spoke about Obeo business model and our corporate values.

As a classic software company, it’s easy to define a business model and its ROI based on a cost per user. But as an open source software provider, the issue is different.

In 2005 when we started Obeo with Etienne Juliot and Jonathan Musset, we decided to focus on open innovation. But being cost-effective with free technologies was certainly not going to be easy to achieve! Indeed it was a major risk-taking!

An open source softwares company shares the same business core as a commercial softwares one: developing innovative, sustainable and high performance new technologies. It’s a current mistake to believe that our business core is different from a classic software company. Only the business model differs.

Regarding Open Source softwares, user focuses on performance (and obviously not on price). If you want to succeed as an Open Source softwares company, you have to be among the best.

Open Source is a link between hardware companies, software ones, even consulting firm, and the Open Source values. Understanding each chain link is a prerequisite if you want to get a cost-effective and sustainable Open Source business.

At the end Open Source software user gets an innovative technology at a low price. He remains independent and can easily customize his Open Source solution.

10 years after our Open Source business model choice, what conclusion can be drawn? A positive evaluation for sure!

More than 50 employees are currently working at Obeo, in 3 different places in France (Nantes, near Paris, and Toulouse), but also abroad where we make about 30% of our sales revenue mostly in Germany and Canada. More than 200 clients, leading in innovation in their fields, trust us and our growth rate is of 2 digits. Obeo emerged among other software companies and is one of the leader of the Open Source community as an Eclipse Foundation strategic member.

Bet on Open Source was the right choice. Thanks to our strategic position based on competence, continuous innovation, and collaboration, we are now well-known and credible. That’s how we get our success!

Open Source is a real economy with its own characteristics and requirements. Being able to mix financial return and free software principles. I believe that it’s what we do at Obeo.

Stéphane Lacrampe @slacrampe CEO @Obeo_Corp

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