Issue gains currency, as private investors pour money into open-source startups. …Open-source projects underpin services offered by companies such Facebook Inc., Twitter Inc., and Uber Technologies Inc, and open-source-based operating systems such as Linux power many corporate servers, financial trading platforms, and Android phones. However, companies that offer such software as their primary product by and large have found it rough going.
Since most open-source firms don’t have a product to sell, they historically made money by selling technical services—essentially tech support and consulting services—that help companies take advantage of free tools.
Read more at The Wall Street Journal
