The Software Paradox

ebook The Rise and Fall of the Commercial Software Market

By Stephen O'Grady

cover image of The Software Paradox

Sign up to save your library

With an OverDrive account, you can save your favorite libraries for at-a-glance information about availability. Find out more about OverDrive accounts.

   Not today

Find this title in Libby, the library reading app by OverDrive.

Download Libby on the App Store Download Libby on Google Play

Search for a digital library with this title

Title found at these libraries:

Library Name Distance
Loading...

Software is more important than ever today and yet its commercial value is steadily declining. Microsoft, for instance, has seen its gross margins decrease for a decade, while startups and corporations alike are distributing free software that would have been worth millions a few years ago.

Welcome to the software paradox. In this O'Reilly report, RedMonk's Stephen O'Grady explains why the real money no longer lies in software, and what it means for companies that depend on that revenue. You'll learn how this paradox came about and what your company can do in response.

This book covers:

  • Why it's growing more difficult to sell software on a standalone basis
  • How software has come full circle, from enabler to product and back again
  • The roles that open source, software-as-a-service, and subscriptions play
  • How software developers have become the new kingmakers
  • Why Microsoft, Apple, and Google epitomize this transition
  • How the paradox has affected other tech giants, such as Oracle and Salesforce.com
  • Strategies your software firm can explore, including alternative revenue models
  • The Software Paradox