Douglas Levin

These days, executives realize that there are “new school” ways of acquiring a company with a software asset.” For all of the immeasurable benefits it has brought to the development community, open source technology has added a complex variable to relevant parties calculating the M&A equation. Open source code, the general reuse of open source, and proprietary software components in software development have further complicated the process of acquiring a software asset. These days, closing a deal that includes a software asset is not much different than shopping for a car. On the outside, the streamlined exterior and highly finished shell might look very glamorous, but the question needs to be asked: “Would you buy a car without first looking under its hood?” Purchasing any software asset demands that due diligence be paid to evaluating... (more)

How to Acquire an Open Source Software Company 2.0

These days, executives realize that there are "new school" ways of acquiring a company with a software asset. For all of the immeasurable benefits it has brought to the development community, open source technology has added a complex variable to relevant parties calculating the M&A equation. Open source code and the general reuse of open source and proprietary software components in software development have further complicated the process of acquiring a software asset. Closing a deal that includes a software asset these days is not much different than shopping for a car. On th... (more)

Cloud Computing Viewpoint: The Cloud is the Computer

Doug Levin's Blog Cloud Computing represents both a fundamental and universal change from a desktop- to network-centric software model. The key to understanding cloud computing is that its infrastructure – network, storage and other services – is abstracted away from users to point that it “just doesn’t matter.” You merely use a browser to access these services and data. To put it simply: the Cloud is the computer. The iPhone’s application delivery model has ushered in a new example and heralds the Cloud Computing era to come. A few key applications are pre-installed. Instead, a... (more)