Trolltech has announced the extension of its dual-licensing business model to include the Qt. Qt is a cross-platform application development framework that will now cover Microsoft Windows operating system. Qt will be available for Windows under the open source General Public License (GPL).
Usually software or applications that you buy or download come in compiled version. When actual program code known as the source code, runs through a special program called a compiler what you get is the compiled version of that software. Computers can understand only the compiled version. It is very difficult to modify a complied version. Most commercial software manufacturers protect their software from being copied in this way.
Open source software on the other hand comes with the original source code along with the compiled version. One can modify or customize the software as required.
Open source software is freely distributed and the modified versions can be redistributed. However as the software is modified at lower level it is very difficult to give technical support in case something goes wrong with it.
Trolltech, which offers open source software, has a dual licensing model based on the principle of fair exchange. Users can use the Open Source version after donating their source code to the Open Source community. Users have to license their software under the GPL. Those who write commercial proprietary software can get a license and are free to decide how to commercialize their software.
Eirik Chambe-Eng, Trolltech president and co-founder said, "Based on the huge success Trolltech has realized through dual licensing Qt on the Linux and Mac OS X platforms, we are confident that by releasing an open source version of Qt for Windows, Qt will become one of the premier development environments for Windows applications."
"Trolltech's business is strong, and we are thrilled that we are now in a position to meet the enormous community demand for an open source license option for Qt on Windows," he added.
"The Windows market is ripe for an influx of open source software, and a mature, platform-independent toolkit like Qt can spur a renaissance of development. As a rising tide floats all boats, this expanding ecosystem of Qt applications will also increase commercial Qt development on Windows, and broaden cross-platform opportunities," said Stacey Quandt, senior business analyst and open source practice leader for the Robert Francis Group.
