Is there an Open Source App (Store) for That?

Ever wonder what happened to Red Hat Exchange? Three years ago Red Hat launched an effort to sell partners open source solutions. LinuxPlanet reports that it didn't work out as well as planned, proof that an open source app store doesn't actually work.

An open source app store from a Linux vendor is a good idea, right?

As it turns out, Linux vendors selling their open source partners solutions directly isn't always a recipe for success. Just ask Red Hat, or its rival Novell.

In 2007, Red Hat launched an effort called the Red Hat Exchange (RHX), a marketplace for selling open source solutions from Red Hat's partners. RHX was in part Red Hat's response to competitive pressure from the Novell Market Start program.

Now in 2010, neither of those sales programs is still operational.

Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at InternetNews.com, the news service of Internet.com, the network for technology professionals.

Read the rest of "What Happened to Red Hat Exchange? - Selling Open Source" at Linux Planet

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