No one is attacking open-source.
The AAFP situation has nothing to do with "attacking open-source". Rather, I think it is an useful case-study on how _not_ to start an open-source project.
I agree. The AAFP should definitely have engaged the existing open-source healthcare community.
Some software vendors never black-mail their customers even when they can, you probably plan to belong to that group.
We have not intention of ever black-mailing anyone. Just so you know, I left medical school to start this business with the full intention of creating products that deliver value to clinicians. My company will seek profits only to support operations and to extend R&D efforts so as to further that goal.
On the other hand, how do you price your product? Purely based on your costs
or somewhat based on what the market will bear?
We look for ways to lower the "market price" so that people previously not able to utilize a technology can participate. In this sense, open-source is an enabler for lowering the production costs of software systems.
Obviously, developers should be compensated for their work if people wish for them to flourish. I believe the market will offer profits to systems developers so they can continue to innovate and develop the "next generation" of valuable products.
If people are suspicious and/or paranoid about companies potentially black-mailing them, that is their right. I can only represent the values of my company, and I can truthfully state that we are only in business to further the goals I laid out in my previous post:
1. To improve the quality of care delivered to patients.
2. To alleviate workload friction and strain experienced by the people provisioning that care.
3. To reduce the cost of healthcare delivery.
4. To be based on open standards so as to promote data sharing and ease of use.
Why should you turn away potential profit? Why would you not maximize profit? Why would you not use your market "dominance" to protect your market share?
Andrew, you are talking about a very small number of companies that truly have the power to do this over an extended period of time. The rest of us exist in an ecosystem that comprises "the market." Companies must deliver value and can not be too manipulative in terms of maximizing profits at the expense of their customers and employees. There are always smaller, nimbler, more innovative business that are eager to bring about the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Join us, it may not too late for you yet. By the time you hit $32B/year, it will be much harder to switch over. :-)
I'm already with you. We participate in the OSS community, and as I stated, we plan to release an openEHR compatible archetype modeler soon.
Best Regards,
Matias
