The QNX Hybrid Software Model — Addressing a new era in software development

The Market Challenge

QNX has recognized the need for a fundamental shift in the way proprietary embedded software is developed. The rate of change to software and hardware is so rapid, and software so complex, that proprietary vendors and customers alike struggle to keep up. At the same time, pure open source software isn’t always the solution for businesses, who are concerned over code lineage, intellectual property rights, and product integrity.

QNX believes that the current separation of proprietary and open-source software has become obsolete. As a result, QNX is introducing the hybrid software model, a new engagement model and transparent approach to development that captures the best of the proprietary and open-source worlds.

What is the Hybrid Software Model?

The hybrid software model encompasses three intersecting strategies: developer enablement, business enablement, and community enablement.

Developer enablement

Published source code — Starting with the QNX^® Neutrino^® microkernel, the world will have access to the QNX source code base at no charge. This access will enable customers and community members to speed time to market and control their own software destiny.

Transparent development — Emulating the best practices of open source projects, QNX will maintain transparency in the way it develops OS code and features. Customers and community members now have visibility into priorities and projects, published development roadmaps, and source code updates. The broad development community can follow along with QNX corporate developers to monitor product development, post bug fixes, and offer up code modifications.

Business enablement

Flexible contribution and commercialization rights — Reciprocal open source licenses like the GPL offer limited commercial incentive to software developers for their work, since the designers must contribute back their code changes or extensions to the com-munity at large. In comparison, the new QNX licensing model offers flexible terms for derivative works. Users can choose to share their code changes freely with the community, offer them back to QNX for integration into core product, or keep them proprietary for competitive or commercial reasons.

Commercial-grade products and processes — QNX will maintain the quality and integrity of its products through continued product management. Although access to OS source code is free, QNX will ensure the commercial releases of its code base are validated within the company’s ISO-certified environment.

Community enablement

Free software and generous terms — QNX offers generous means to obtain key products, such as the QNX Momentics^® tool suite. For instance, educators or hobbyists can get copies of QNX development seats with no time constraints. Qualifying hardware and software partners can also receive development seats and participate free of charge in the QNX Partner Network.

Development portal — Dubbed Foundry27, the QNX community portal is the home for all things a developer needs and wants. It hosts forums, blogs, source code repositories, and other resources, all in a single location. Foundry 27 allows community members to start new projects related to QNX products. It also provides a third-party bazaar where developers can “port and post” applications and tool plug-ins that are of interest to the community. Developers can also access the source to many board support packages (BSPs), under the Apache 2.0 license.