Feasibility and Prevalence of Open Source Commercialization

[isyuhann]

As a first-time open source developer, my research indicates that commercializing open source projects can be complex. I would like to know that — is successful, commercially viable open source projects commonly seen in Taiwan?

[TPIsoftwareOSPO]

Thanks for bringing up such a great question!🙌
This is a topic that doesn’t get discussed often, so it’s really nice to see it brought into the conversation here.

About your question:
Are commercially viable open source projects commonly seen in Taiwan?
In short: not really.
Commercial open source (COSS) is still a relatively new and unfamiliar area locally, and there aren’t many mature cases yet.
That’s exactly why your question is so meaningful – exploring this space is still very much pioneering territory.

One example worth highlighting is KKCompany (formerly KKBOX Group).
They’ve been investing in open source compliance and have adopted standards like OpenChain ISO 5230, which shows a clear shift toward more structured open source practices within their products and cloud services. It’s not a full COSS model, but definitely a notable direction in the region.

Since local examples are limited, looking at successful international COSS companies – MongoDB, HashiCorp, Red Hat, and others – can offer helpful inspiration, especially in understanding how they:

• balance free open source with enterprise features
• build sustainable revenue models (open core, SaaS, enterprise support)
• turn community adoption into long-term business value

Thinking about these patterns may also spark ideas around where Taiwan’s strengths – software, AI, hardware integration – could fit into future opportunities for COSS.

Really appreciate you bringing this up!
It opens a valuable conversation for the community, and we’d love to hear more of your thoughts as you continue exploring the topic.🚀