Why does IBM think Community-Driven Commercial Development is a good strategy?
The community driven commercial development process is designed to open up IBM’s approach to commercial software development by asking customers to weigh in on future product releases as they are being developed. Today, IBM’s software development is estimated at 35% open source, leaving 65% of development behind closed doors. We want to build stronger ties to our customers and users, so we’re providing a panoramic view of the development process. With regular milestones throughout the development of a release, users get the opportunity to see what is coming, provide feedback, and help set priorities. Suggestions and decisions throughout the development cycle are logged in the public view for educational and historical purposes. Someone commented that this approach is kind of like going into a restaurant and being able to see the chef prepare your meal. While you can not supply your own ingredients, you do have a say in the end result as it is being cooked.
