Both Open Source software and proprietary software compete in the same marketplace for the same set of customers mindshare.

Customers acquire software solutions not just to solve their problems but also to gain leverage or competitive advantage in knowledge economy.

Customers care about -

• QUALITY which is no longer paid-for but expected
• USABILITY which is higly valued as a productivity gainer
• SECURITY so that their assets are not compromised and source of loss of opportunity, leverage and profits
• SUPPORT which helps them solve, address the critical business issues apart from mundane installation, connectivity, display problems
• SOLUTIONS so that they get an integrated view of their business and gain insights into their process efficiency
• BRANDS as it helps reduce anxiety, decision cycle time about choosing a particular solution or a product
• SERVICES as it helps them tailor, integrate their applications closely to their business processes
• CONSOLIDATION of their existing hardware and other infrastructural investments
• TIME TO MATURITY of their own products, services and see IT investments as an enabler

Releasing source code along with software binaries helps drive business process innovation -

• Source code can be tweaked, tailored to align more closely with customers business process
• Source code extensions can be developed to support both existing
  and just released hardware devices
• Source code availability is a very good way to build a platform
  for emerging commodity markets
• Source code can be subjected to compliance audits, address federal
  requirements and vulnerability assessment

While making the source code available under an Open Source License represents a nice beginning, by itself, it will neither ensure the above mentioned benefits nor address customer expectations.

A poorly written, poorly maintained, poorly documented code base is as useful as no source code at all. This observation holds good, irrespective of the licensing model adopted. Open Source software has to "sincerely" address the requirements and expectations of the customer to become truly ubiquitous.

The centre of universe is where "innovation is" in developing, maintaining and leveraging superior quality code bases.

TWINCLING SOCIETY takes a customer-centric, process-driven, contemporary and pragmatic approach to Open Source software development.