This new post from PHPEverywhere (and Daniel Lyons of Forbes) ask the question "Is Open Source Commercially Viable?"

Daniel Lyons of Forbes has an interesting take on the JBoss vs IBM struggle, and attempts to commercialize Open Source in general:

"Even proponents like Fleury admit the open source business model is not intended to produce powerful, wealthy, massively profitable software companies. Yet people are racing into this business, and venture capitalists keep funding them, pumping $150 million into open source startups in 2004, triple the amount for 2003, according to VentureOne."

He wonders if maybe this is the Next DotCom Bubble on the rise - but with harsher consequences - "this time it's not just investors who will get burned. Customers are taking a risk too."