Understanding the Nature and Production Model of Hybrid Free and Open Source Systems: The Case of Varnish

Abstract

This is a detailed interpretive case study analysis of an open source software project, called Varnish. The conceptual framework is based on the literature covering issues of commons based production models and the organization of open source projects. The comparative analysis reveals that Varnish is a hybrid project, encompassing the features of open source software while managed by a company as a proprietary project would. It is also hybrid in the sense that it employs a combination of hierarchical and commons based peer production model features. This mix of characters addresses a variety of problems related to each of the aforementioned categories.